Issue 26 - Volume 135

THE VERMONT

CYNIC April 9, 2019

vtcynic.com

Drag workshop

Fighting on campus

At a makeup tutorial hosted

by UVM’s Queer Student Union, two queens taught students the basics of drag.

UVM’s Taekwondo club hosted their sixth tournament April 7. Competition spanned from sparring to form.

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Food insecurity 5 / Students invent board game 9

First-year nutrition major dies

sprinGfest lineup announced Full story on page 7

Julianne Lesch jlesch@uvm.edu

PHIL CARRUTHERS/The Vermont Cynic

Students wave their hands in the air to the music of Two Door Cinema Club at UVM Program Board’s annual SpringFest concert April 29, 2017. This year’s SpringFest features rap collective Beast Coast and takes place at 1:30 p.m. April 27, with doors opening at 1 p.m.

Police report reveals student’s final hours Sawyer Loftus swloftus@uvm.edu

Nearly two months after a UVM first-year was found dead in a snowbank, the Burlington Police Department has ruled the death accidental.

Burlington Police began investigating the death of firstyear Connor Gage Feb. 2 after receiving a 911 call stating there was a man lying in the snow.

Burlington Police officially concluded their investigation March 28 but didn’t make the police report available until April 1.

Gage was found lying faceup in the snow beside the fence line behind 294 North Winooski Ave., according to Burlington Police’s final report on his death.

According to the report, Gage died from hypothermia, which was worsened by being severely intoxicated.

Gage’s blood alcohol concentration, the percentage of alcohol in a person’s bloodstream, was measured at 0.2 percent, more than twice the Vermont legal limit of 0.08 percent.

Gage left his dorm in Central Campus Residence Hall

facebook.com/ thevermontcynic

Image Source: Lynsie Weigand

First-year Connor Gage died Feb. 2 in a North Winooski Avenue parking lot following visits to parties at Alpha Epsilon Pi and Delta Tau Delta. Gage died from hypothermia, which was worsened by being severely intoxicated. The Burlington Police Department have ruled the death accidental. before 9:45 p.m., if not earlier, with another friend the night of Feb. 1, according to the report.

A police interview with Gage’s roommate revealed he was heading to a “frat party” when he left that night.

When Gage’s roommate didn’t hear from him through

@vermontcynic

the morning, the roommate thought Gage had stayed overnight after the party.

His roommate said Gage rarely went out to parties, but Feb. 1 Gage went to a party at the Delta Tau Delta fratenity house with another friend, according to the interview.

@vermontcynic

At 9:48 p.m., Gage’s roommate received a Snapchat from another resident of CCRH who saw Gage at the same party she was at, according to the report.

Connor Gage continued on page 3

youtube.com/ cynicvideo

First-year Lauren Kerzhner died March 31.

Kerzhner, a New Jersey native, was majoring in dietetics, nutrition and food sciences in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, according to an April 1 email from Annie Stevens, vice provost for student affairs.

“Lauren was involved on campus as a writer for the Watertower, an intern for the UVM Real Food Challenge and was planning to be a Resident Adviser next year,” Stevens stated in the email.

A gathering was held April 2 in the Davis Center to celebrate Kerzhner’s life.

A memorial fund was started on the fundraising website GoFundMe in honor of Kerzhner. The page was created by Kerzhner’s uncle, Nick Kremer, the site stated.

“With great sadness we announce the passing of a beautiful girl, daughter, granddaughter, sister and a friend — Lauren Kerzhner,” the GoFundMe stated.

Kerzhner’s family was overwhelmed by the support shown to the family, the site stated.

“I’m shocked by the outpour of your sentiments and donations. It’s heartbreaking to see how much love you are sending to Lauren’s family in this time of sorrow,” Kremer stated in an update to the GoFundMe. Elizabeth Brand, Kerzhner’s mom, expressed her gratitude for everyone’s contributions in an update to the fundraiser.

“There is no real way to describe how much we appreciate the kind words, contributions and overall love and care that we have been receiving from our friends, family and even those who we have never met before,” Brand stated in an update to the GoFundMe. The GoFundMe has been shared over 853 times on Facebook and currently no longer accepting donations.

Students and faculty in need of professional counseling should contact UVM’s Counseling and Psychiatry Services at (802) 656-3340 (for students) or Invest EAP at (802) 864-EAPØ (3270) or toll free at 1-866-660-9533 (for employee assistance).

www.

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NEWS

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The Vermont Cynic

April 9, 2019

SGA election applications at a high Lee Hughes ehughes7@uvm.edu

Get the full story at vtcynic.com Sports

Men’s lax defeats conference rival

Last season, UVM was eliminated from the America East Championship by the University at Albany. UVM beat Albany for the first time in five years April 6.

Podcast

Stressed students and therapy dogs Therapy dogs are all around campus at UVM. In this podcast, meet Ella, the therapy dog at Living Well in the Davis Center, and learn how she helps students.

Video

This year’s SGA senate elections are contested for the first time in two years.

By 4 p.m. April 5, senior Meghan Driscoll, SGA Elections Committee chair, received 49 election packets of those competing for the 39 senate seats, she said. Driscoll attributed the number to increased campus engagement.

“This is the most we’ve seen in a little while, so we’re really excited,” Driscoll said.

The candidates’ platforms can be found April 8 on SGA’s website, she said.

A link will be sent out to students’ emails the morning of April 9, opening voting until it closes April 10, when those elected will have 24 hours to accept their positions.

“If you want to have your voice and your problems and your suggestions heard, then it’s important to look closely at who is running,” Driscoll said.

“Look at what all of these candidates have to say.”

Daphne Wells, director of student life, said SGA elections give students a say in how things like how their student fee money gets spent, what issues to bring before administrators and more.

“Any suggestions, concerns, wants or needs that the student body has, ideally SGA will be connected enough to the student body via their senators and their committees to know what those are,” she said.

ALEK FLEURY/The Vermont Cynic

With SGA senate elections coming up April 9 and 10, SGA President Ethan Foley, a junior, makes a speech at the SGA meeting April 2. The election is contested for the first time in two years with 49 candidates vying for 39 seats.

SGA is supposed to help bring the issues raised by students and activists on campus to administrators and help them see what can be done to address those issues, Wells said.

Sophomore Aidan Doherty, current chair of the Student Action Committee, is running for reelection as a senator.

He plans to run within SGA for the position of speaker if he wins his senator election, he said.

Doherty sees SGA as the

way for students to amplify their voices and make change on campus, he said.

“Don’t do it for you. Do it for the people whose voices aren’t being heard,” he said.

Voting is important both for individuals and for helping those who are especially vulnerable or overlooked on campus, he said.

“The best way to address those issues is through the senate. There is no organization whose goal is to so holistically look out for the University of

Students’ hearings conclude conduct violation case Lee Hughes ehughes7@uvm.edu

Students and faculty protest budget cuts

The faculty union held a rally March 26 on the Waterman Green to protest cuts to the College of Arts and Sciences faculty and programs in the humanities.

News

Column replacement leads to controversy In recent months, efforts to replace the columns in front of UVM’s historic Ira Allen Chapel were halted after objections from historic site preservation groups.

Vermont student.”

SGA can help students navigate the University bureaucracy and get the issues they care about addressed by administrators, Doherty said.

“Go to your regular Queer Student Union meeting, continue voting in your local elections and continue playing your instrument down at the music hall, but at the end of the day we all need to come together for SGA. “It has to be SGA in the coming years,” he said.

A group of students was found responsible for violating University policy following a Feb. 26 rally in Waterman, concluding a three-week conduct process.

The students spoke at a Feb. 26 NoNames for Justice rally that celebrated the oneyear anniversary of the 2018 Waterman takeover, resulting in conduct proceedings for nine speakers.

Those found responsible received an official warning to not violate policy again, said sophomore Syd Ovitt, who was tried during the April 4 hearing.

Not all of the nine were found responsible, she said.

“I’m relieved that it’s over but still angry,” Ovitt said. “It’s kind of traumatic, a little bit.”

Three students had their hearings April 1 and the rest had hearings April 4, leading to the April 5 decision, Ovitt said.

Thirty students and faculty waited for four hours outside the April 4 hearing to show their support, with English professor Nancy Welch buying pizza for the students in the meeting and waiting outside.

The two charges were: vi-

ALEK FLEURY/The Vermont Cynic

Protesters, including junior Alexander Smith and English professor Nancy Welch, listen to senior Scarlett Moore recount the events of the trial April 4. “I’m here because, number one, I think this is a really egregious attack on free speech and specifically the free speech of queer students and students of color,” Moore said. olating University policy and “public order/University order offense,” according to an April 5 letter obtained by the Cynic.

Annie Stevens, vice provost for student affairs, said it is her duty to maintain University policy.

“It is my goal professionally to support students in speaking out and their right to do that,” Stevens said. “That will be the balance ahead for all of us.”

Stevens declined to comment on the specifics of this decision, but respects the student

conduct process, she said.

“The events of last year showed us that that’s a tricky space, because people were disrupted,” Stevens said.

Junior RiRi Stuart-Thompson, one of the students tried April 4, said although she does not like them and believes UVM’s practices need improvement, she understands the reasons for University policy.

An example Stuart-Thompson gave was how the documents the nine students were asked to sign admitting that

they were responsible did not equally pertain to all of them, since they had different levels of involvement during the rally, she said.

The conduct process has increased the sense of mistrust activists have long felt with the administration, Stuart-Thompson said.

“The University has broken a lot of trust and communities,” she said. “That has been a big word: compromise. How can I compromise when the impact of this trial has hurt me so much that I can barely get out of bed?”

Stuart-Thompson believes that administrative transparency to include more students is important to beginning to heal, she said.

Sophomore Jordyn King, who was tried at the April 4 hearing, said this process has changed their perception of UVM and weighs on their decision as to whether they should transfer.

“It doesn’t feel like I have a place on this campus,” King said. “[This process] has dismantled all of the truths that I held about this University.”

The Center for Student Conduct declined to comment, citing student privacy concerns.

The Vermont Cynic

NEWS

April 9, 2019

Connor Gage continued from page 1

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CONNOR GAGE'S DESTINATIONS THE NIGHT OF HIS DEATH

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4 294 North Winooski Ave. The party was at the DTD house on Weston Street, the At 1:08 a.m. a security camera picks up first of two fraternities Gage footage of Gage in a parking lot. At 10:48 a.m. a nearby property owner calls to visited that evening. report Gage’s body found.

Police interviewed members of DTD, who told them they knew who Gage was and they had first met him a week earlier.

One member of DTDNort de- h St scribed the event at the DTD 2 Delta Tau Delta House house as a “rush event” with bee tween 30 to 35 people.

Between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. Gage is at Delta Tau Av r e Members of DTD told police Delta’s house on Weston Street. A Snapchat st he shows Gage at the house at 9:48 p.m. At 11 p.m. c they were just serving beer, but l Co Gage leaves DTD and heads towards Alpha Gage told some members that Epsilon Pi’s house on Buell Street. he had a “really cool bottle of whiskey” that he got from his parents, the report stated.

Police interviews with Gage’s stepfather reveal that he sent Gage back to BurlingUniversity of 3 Alpha Epsilon Pi House ton with a bottle of alcohol as a Vermont After an eight minute walk, Gage arrives gift for his friend who picked up at Alpha Epsilon Pi’s house at 86 Buell Gage from the bus stop.

St. Gage is last seen at AEPi by DTD 1 Central Campus Residence Hall The stepfather’s friend told members at 1 a.m. Feb. 2. police he had no knowledge of First-year Connor Gage leaves his room at Central Campus Residence Hall shortly the alcohol, but did know that before 9:48 p.m.

Gage felt lonely and was considering joining a fraternity to make friends, the report stated.

Main St Around 11 p.m. Gage, along with four to five other members of DTD, left and walked eight and scratches on Gage’s arms were unable to bring Gage back remembered or recognized to the DTD house. minutes to the Alpha Epsilon A security camera at North and hands after trying to walk to life.

Gage, according to the report.

Burlington Police DepartPi fraternity on Buell Street, acAt or around 12:30 a.m. to Winooski Avenue picked up vid- through thorny bushes and ment considers the case closed cording to the report. climbing the fence.

12:45 a.m., members of the AEPi eo of Gage at 1:08 a.m.

Members of AEPi confirmed Blood was found on top of and ruled Gage’s death was an The footage shows Gage house broke up the “gathering.” to police there was a “gatherThe group Gage was with climbing a snowbank before the fence, according to the re- accident.

The University of Vermont ing” in their house that night port. took an Uber back to campus af- running into a fence. but denied serving alcohol, citA nearby property owner gave recognized fraternities, exGage then laid down in the ter leaving the AEPi house. ing an internal policy against it.

Gage left to walk back to the snow for several minutes before called 911 at 10:48 a.m. Feb. cept DTD, a pathway to restart A spokesperson for AEPi DTD house to get his backpack, trying to make one last attempt 2 after he discovered what he activities on campus again.

AEPi has been unrecognized International told the Cynthought was “a pile of junk,” to hop the fence. according to the report. ic March 27 that there is not a Giving up, Gage laid down in which turned out to be a male’s since 2014.

Investigators stated in the Both DTD and AEPi are curspecific policy against alcohol in report the path Gage walked in his final resting place where he body, according to the report. chapter houses.

Burlington Police and Fire rently under investigation and the early morning hours is con- froze to death.

No one from the AEPi house Investigators found scrapes Department responded and do not have action plans. sistent with the way to get back Battery St

SGA passes historic resolution denouncing database Maeve Gurnis mgurnis@uvm.edu

SGA unanimously passed a resolution April 2 to protect students' free speech.

SGA’s resolution condemns Canary Mission, an online database of individuals and organizations that have expressed criticism of Israel.

Canary Mission is a database founded in 2014 that documents individuals and organizations at North American universities it considers to be anti-Israel or anti-semitic, according to its website.

The resolution states that Canary Mission relies on peer-informants, students at universities looking for people expressing anti-Israel views: any sentiments critical of the state of Israel.

Junior Tali Friedman, an SGA senator on the Student Action Committee, helped write the legislation.

“Activists were feeling that they can’t say anything remotely anti-Israel because they could be spied on by their peers and personal information could be submitted to this blacklist site,” she said.

On its website, Canary Mission claims it documents people

and groups that promote hatred of the U.S., Israel and Jews. Informants submit evidence of this to the site.

The evidence could be in the form of photos, video, social media posts or written or vocal statements.

The group then posts the identities on its blacklist, often jeopardizing people’s safety or job prospects, Friedman said.

Denouncing Canary Mission is an effort to maintain students’ right to free speech and feeling of security on campus, according to the resolution.

Fears of blacklisting affect students’ willingness to express their opinions or participate in acts of protest, according to a November 2018 Cynic article.

One of the potential consequences of being blacklisted is that individuals could be prohibited from traveling to Israel, said Junior Danielle Jabbor, a senator on the Committee on Diversity, Inclusion and Equity, who also worked on the legislation “I don’t share the same fears or worries about repercussions because I carry a Syrian passport. I can’t go to Palestine, Israel, whatever you want to call it,” Jabbor said.

Jabbor said increased stu-

SAM LITRA/The Vermont Cynic

Members of the SGA senate listen at a November 2018 SGA meeting. SGA passed a resolution April 2 condemning Canary Mission, an online database of individuals and organizations that have expressed criticism of Israel. dent safety was the action committee's goal.

“It was really about standing against the negative, threatening environment that Canary Mission carries,” she said. “We don’t want that on our campus.”

UVM is the second university in the U.S. to have passed a resolution denouncing Canary Mission. The first was University of California Davis.

“It’s a pretty big statement about our student body,” SGA President Ethan Foley, a junior, said. “Students have brought a

serious issue to SGA. This truly is a great example of the power of student voice.”

The resolution comes at a time when tensions are high around the Israel-Palestine debate on campus.

This year, a grant was given to UVM Hillel by Maccabee Task Force, a pro-Israel group trying to combat the Boycott, Divestment and Sanction movement on college campuses.

Critics of the funding say that it is an effort to silence activists on campus, according to

a November 2018 Cynic article.

On its website, BDS describes itself as a Palestinian-led movement that attempts to challenge Israeli occupation.

“We don’t support or condone hate speech, but if you want to say ‘there are issues in Israel’ and you fear that you can’t even say that out loud, that’s an issue,” Friedman said.

One aim of the SGA resolution is to give resources to anyone at UVM targeted by Canary Mission.

Being on a database like Canary Mission can make employers reject candidates, Friedman said.

“If someone is blacklisted, hopefully they can print out this resolution and say ‘look, my institution condemns it, other institutions condemn it, maybe you can reconsider your evaluation of my being blacklisted on this,’” Friedman said.

The resolution states that when students submit information to Canary Mission, they are compromising their community members’ safety, which is in violation of the values outlined in Our Common Ground.

Senior Aaron Goren, president of pro-Israel student group Catamounts Supporting Israel, declined to comment.

OPINION

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EXECUTIVE Editor-in-Chief Greta Bjornson editorinchief@vtcynic.com Managing Editor Ben Elfland newsroom@vtcynic.com

OPERATIONS Operations Manager Sorrel Galantowicz operations@vtcynic.com Marketing Daniel Felde dfelde@uvm.edu

EDITORIAL Copy Chief Sophia Knappertz copy@vtcynic.com Culture Bridget Higdon cynicculture@gmail.com Features Kian Deshler cynicfeatures@gmail.com News George Seibold news@vtcynic.com Opinion Mills Sparkman opinion@vtcynic.com Podcasts Chloe Chaobal vtcynicpodcasts@gmail.com Sports Sabrina Hood sports@vtcynic.com Video Jordan Mitchell video@vtcynic.com Web Connor Allan web@vtcynic.com

Layout Kyra Chevalier layout@vtcynic.com Photo Alek Fleury photo@vtcynic.com Assistant Editors Henry Mitchell (Opinion), Allie O’Connor (Culture), David Cabrera (Podcasts), Nickie Morris (Sports), Lee Hughes (News), Sam Litra (Photo), Liv Marshall (Copy), Caroline McCune (Layout), Sophie Spencer (Illustrations) Copy Editors Lindsay Freed, Dalton Doyle, Kelly Turner, Isabel Coppola Page Designers Lindsay Freed

ADVISING Faculty Adviser Chris Evans crevans@uvm.edu

April 9, 2019

We need higher standards in 2020 HOLLY COUGHLAN

Staff Editorial

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lthough we’re still on year three of President Donald Trump’s term, everyone seems to be looking at the Democratic Party for what their next step is in the 2020 race.

And until very recently, former Vice President Joe Biden was a likely frontrunner, although he has yet to announce his bid for the presidency. Biden, with his memes, ice cream cone affinity and warm, wide smile, appealed to millenials and baby boomers alike.

Recently though, accusations from women saying he has inappropriately touched them have been flooding in.

In response, Biden posted a video to his Twitter.

“Social norms are changing.

I understand that, and I’ve heard what these women are saying,” he said in the video.

“Politics to me has always been about making connections, but I will be more mindful about respecting personal space in the future.”

Although he acknowledged his actions, he did not apologize. If “making connections” means making a person uncomfortable, Biden needs to rethink his interactions.

Our current president frequently boasts about his exploits with women and has expressed that he thinks women are inferior.

We can’t propose a candidate like Biden and forgive his actions because of his seemingly approachable, goofy exterior.

If we are going to criticize Trump for his behavior — not to say these men committed the same acts — we need to examine what Biden has done as well. We deserve a candidate who is honest, upfront and respectful of everyone.

Democrats need to find a candidate who embodies the values they claim to support.

Biden can’t be a strong contender if he has invaded the privacy and personal space of multiple women.

Thanks to the #MeToo movement, women have become more vocal about their lives and the assaults and uncomfortable situations they have endured. Biden needs to recognize this movement and

respect the gravity of its voices.

These women are not going away. Although the interactions he had with them may have just been politics to him, to these women, it was a defining moment, and one that clearly moved them enough to speak about it on a national level.

If Biden’s reaction to these claims tells us anything, it’s that he views it as a small inconvenience.

“I’m not sorry for anything I have ever done,” he said in an April 5 speech in reference to the accusations.

At this point, Biden has removed himself from the controversy and suggested he is above it, which you can

do when you’re not the one who is feeling objectified, but the one who simply was “making connections” through unwanted touch.

Come 2020, we need a candidate without a checkered past and questionable morals — it shouldn’t be too much to ask for.

Staff editorials officially reflect the views of the Vermont Cynic.

Signed opinion pieces and columns do not necessarily do so.

The Cynic accepts letters in response to anything you see printed as well as any issues of interest in the community. Please limit letters to 350 words. The Cynic reserves the right to edit letters for length and grammar. lease send letters to opinion@ vtcynic.com.

Why Trinity campus is perfect for first-year students Emily Johnston

Social Media Peter Hibbeler socialcyniceditor@gmail.com Illustrations Holly Coughlan illustrations@vtcynic.com

The Vermont Cynic

ejohnst2@uvm.edu

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uring the room selection process for rising sophomores, it became clear that most students didn’t want to live on Trinity campus. Yet, Trinity campus allows first-years to succeed.

The Residential Life website’s Returner Room Selection page used to say students living in traditional housing could choose to live in “various locations across campus.”

For 2019-2020, the only options for students in traditional housing are Jeanne Mance, Mercy and the Trinity Back Five: Hunt, McCann, Ready, Richardson and Sichel. This change occurred the morning traditional housing lottery numbers were sent out.

It’s understandable why rising sophomores might be upset about this. But for first-years, living on Trinity gives them an opportunity to adjust to col-

lege life in a smaller space than dorms on Redstone or Athletic campus.

With a small number of dorms, Trinity is less intimidating. Plus, it also allows first years to bond with one another. McAuley Hall is already first-year only and provides an inclusive experience for students.

“It’s good to live with people who are in the same boat as you,” said first-year Sydney Vincent, a current McAuley resident.

Imagine a tight-knit community of people formed in that hall, all experiencing college for the first time. Creating more first-year only dorms will foster connections between students that last even after they move to the main campus.

At Emory University, they created a separate campus for underclassmen: Oxford College in Oxford, Georgia.

Oxford is separate from the main Emory campus and dedicated to first- and second-year students, according to its website.

VALENTINA CZOCHANSKI

At Oxford, students foster relationships that translate to success once they move to the big campus in Atlanta.

If the traditional or unprogrammed housing and the Arts and Creativity learning communities joined to create a first-year only campus on Trinity, it would be ideal for both.

The two communities already intermingle in McAuley Hall.

Once sophomore room placement rolls around, students should “graduate” to Ath-

letic or Redstone campus, places that could be overwhelming for first-years.

While this may be impossible with learning communities dictating where one lives, I think an all first-year campus would benefit UVM’s community and create a cohesive environment for first-years.

Emily Johnston is a firstyear environmental science major. She has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2018.

The Vermont Cynic

April 9, 2019

OPINION

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Extra swipes won’t fix food insecurity Kim Henry kchenry@uvm.edu

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hen my friend told me about the University’s Swipe Out Hunger program, I thought UVM had finally solved my biggest grievance: eating on campus.

I live off campus, so it’s hard to prep enough food to get through long days. I wouldn’t identify as “food insecure,” but I definitely can’t afford to eat on campus, which makes me wonder how people with fewer resources than I have manage.

The Swipe Out Hunger program seemed like a good response from the University after a spring 2019 study from the Food Insecurity Working Group found that 20% of UVM students are food insecure.

That impression faded once I looked into the program.

Though the University acknowledges that the program is intended for students in “short term financial crisis,” it only provides up to 14 meals per year, according to the Center for Health and Wellbeing.

That comes out to one swipe a day for one week per semester, which isn’t only pitiful, but also ignores the reality that food insecurity is, more often than not, chronic.

Students living off campus often have to choose between studying hungry or losing study time to go home to eat because campus options are so expensive.

Students living on the points plan skip meals regularly to stay within the Universi-

Photo Illustration by ALEK FLEURY

ty’s suggested budget, meaning UVM is putting students on a meal plan that causes food insecurity.

The “short term financial crisis” is only one part of food insecurity at UVM. And the relief Swipe Out Hunger provides does not cover enough meals.

If you think that the limits of Swipe Out Hunger shows UVM’s unwillingness to spend money to address a major campus health issue, think again.

The University isn’t paying at all. Students are.

The free swipes that the

program allocates are donated by students during meal donation drives held at the end of each semester. Only those on the unlimited meal plan can donate swipes, and only from the three to six guest swipes allocated per semester.

The University has turned to student charity to solve a campus health crisis caused by their own skewed priorities.

Since the University has put responsibility on students, of course we should donate swipes to help our community.

However, we shouldn’t have to

make that decision in the first place.

We already pay increasing tuition and fees to be here. We shouldn’t have to pay to solve the campus’ budgeting problem.

Budgeting includes making sure food prices don’t surge food insecurity to more than twice the statewide average, according to the same spring 2019 study.

The University admits Swipe Out Hunger is a temporary solution and that they are looking for a more sustainable,

long term approach.

But if the University has enough money to pay our new president $200,000 more than President Tom Sullivan gets now, we might have some lying around to provide relief to students.

Until then, students can skip lunch, and the University can pay the new president a $630,000 salary.

Kim Henry is a senior English major. She has been writing for the Cynic since spring 2017.

Extending dining hall hours is harmful to employees Chris Harrell crharrell@uvm.edu

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e’ve all been there: hungry and tired, facing a closed dining hall. It’s easy to say that the dining halls should close later.

But there’s more to the picture than simply keeping the lights on for an extra hour.

Every extra minute that we keep the dining halls open is an extra minute’s labor for dining workers. Many of these workers are full-time employees who rely on their job as their only source of income.

Closing a dining hall takes time and effort. While dining halls might be closed to students at 8:30 p.m. sharp, there are many employees staying after to clean up after us.

According to a Feb. 20 Cynic article, employees in Central Campus Dining Hall recently had their hours scaled back due to staff fatigue. Adding hours

would make this worse.

If a dining hall closed at 10 p.m. for students, workers wouldn’t get home until nearly midnight. And if you’re a full time employee, you could be expected to open at 7 a.m.

That’s a punishing work environment which could cause long-term health issues for employees, particularly the elderly, disabled or otherwise vulnerable groups.

Working later shifts and getting less sleep can substantially increase mortality rates and lower life quality for the elderly, according to a 2014 NCBI study.

UVM Dining doesn’t release employment statistics, so we can’t determine how many people are part of these vulnerable groups. But according to the most recent U.S. Census data, dining services is one of the top three sources of employment for elderly Americans.

Some employees may want extra hours, but UVM Dining employees already made their position clear on adding hours:

they don’t want it.

In fact, when Sodexo tried to increase the number of hours for full-time workers, they threatened a strike, according to a Sept. 2014 Burlington Free Press article.

There are better ways to increase access to food on campus. Food insecurity is a huge issue, with up to one of every five UVM students suffering from it, according to a spring 2019 study from the Food Insecurity Working Group.

SGA has taken steps to address the problem, including a campus food pantry and meal swipe bank, according to the same Cynic article.We have the ability to wipe out campus hunger altogether. But extending dining hall hours will not do that.

We can build on programs twe already have and introduce more, like increasing the availability of cheap bulk food on campus and making it easier for students to prepare food in their dorms.

Keeping dining halls open

JULIA BLISS

later would require increased costs for staff and food prep.

This financial stress could reduce resources for programs that will actually help.

Worse working conditions for vulnerable groups is not a

price we should be willing to pay for an extra hour to eat.

Chris Harrell is a junior political science major. She has been writing for the Cynic since spring 2019.

CULTURE

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The Vermont Cynic

April 9, 2019

Comedians tell life stories for laughs Anna Kolosky akolosky@uvm.edu

The Grand Maple Ballroom buzzed with excitement as a tall comedian with long, curly hair and a Hawaiian shirt jumped on stage to announce himself as the night’s host.

The April Fool’s Comedy Show began with a stand-up routine by Kendall Farrell, the show’s host and winner of Vermont’s Funniest Comedian.

UVM Program Board hosted comedian Rachel Feinstein as the headliner for the annual April Fool’s Day Comedy show April 3.

Feinstein is best known for her three Comedy Central stand-up specials, appearances in Amy Schumer’s film “Trainwreck” and Judd Apatow’s TV show “Crashing.”

Before Feinstein took the stage, Farrell cracked jokes about his experience as a gay man.

“I went to my high school reunion recently, just to see who else is gay now,” Farrell said. “It’s never who you hope it’s gonna be. It’s never a football or soccer player. It’s the entire ultimate frisbee team.”

Farrell also related about the struggles of online dating and how hard it can be to get a good photo.

“I recently lost 20 pounds,

and I feel like I’m taking nudes with a sense of urgency,” Farrell said. “It’s like, how long will this really last, you know?”

Farrell warmed the audience up with his commentary, and then introduced the second comedian of the night, Irene Bremis.

Bremis related to the struggles of college students when she joked about having to eat terrible dining hall food.

“In college I ate Mitsubishi tuna fish,” Bremis said. “You know what Mitsubishi is? It’s a car manufacturer, and I’m pretty sure it was packaged in car oil.”

Bremis also had the audience in stitches with her stories about her Greek family, her hatred of the Kardashians and her life on Staten Island, New York.

After her set, Farrell came back on and introduced the night’s headliner.

Feinstein has also been on “The Tonight Show,” “Conan” and has two specials on Netflix.

A self-described “semi-famous Jewish jokester,” Feinstein took to the stage, poking fun at herself and her habits.

“I got married a while ago, and being a wife hasn’t made me any more responsible,” Feinstein said. “I’m still an animal. I lose a debit card a week.”

Feinstein did impressions of her mom, grandmother and

MEREDITH RATHBURN/The Vermont Cynic

Sophomores Julia Roy and Callie Kotzan share a laugh April 3 at UVM Program Board’s April Fool’s Day Comedy show featuring comedian Rachel Feinstein. “I got married a while ago, and being a wife hasn’t made me any more responsible,” Feinstein said. “I’m still an animal. I lose a debit card a week.” husband while telling stories about their most embarrassing moments.

She captivated the audience with her honest humor, talking about her mom’s habit of befriending everyone while wearing a cape with excessive jewelry.

Senior Anna Renzi said she knew about Feinstein before coming and found her set to be

as good as she expected.

“I knew she would be good, but I was really impressed with her jokes and how funny she was,” Rezzi said. “It was pretty funny overall, and my favorite part were the jokes about her husband.”

Junior Claire Drouillard said she didn’t know anything about Feinstein before the show, but found the show thor-

oughly engaging and amusing.

“I wasn’t sure what to expect when coming, but she turned out to be super funny,” Drouillard said. “I really enjoyed it, and I’m glad I decided to come.”

At the end of the night, the room echoed with laughter while Feinstein was given a round of applause as she thanked the audience for coming.

minor in...

REPORTING &

DOCUMENTARY STORYTELLING uvm.edu/cas/storytelling

Whether you want to make documentary videos or learn to write different kinds of magazine essays, study the podcast or put together the photographic essay, dig through the archives to find forgotten stories or blaze new trails in multi-media digital spaces, RDS encourages students to observe, engage, interpret, and create.

The Vermont Cynic

April 9, 2019

CULTURE

7

Spring concert strives for festival feel Cyrus Oswald coswald@uvm.edu

This year’s SpringFest will put the emphasis in “fest.”

Multiple headliners will bring a festival vibe, said sophomore Sean Brewer, a member of the UVM Program Board’s concert commitee.

SpringFest 2019 will be headlined by rap collective Beast Coast. The group is comprised of Joey Bada$$, Flatbush Zombies, The Underachievers, Kirk Knight, Nyck Caution, Powers Pleasant and CJ Fly. After a successful collaborative tour in 2013, Beast Coast is back with new music and an expanded lineup.

Maryland rapper Rico Nasty will open, as well as student band Juice Box, winner of Battle of the Bands.

Brewer said that this year the vision was to make SpringFest into more of a festival than in the past, with food and an arts vendor series to accompany the performers.

“It definitely gives SpringFest more of a festival vibe, when there’s multiple headliners,” he said. “This hasn’t been something that’s typically been done before, but we’re very excited to try it out.”

Traditionally, the headliner for SpringFest is announced at the Battle of the Bands. This

year it was not.

The announcement broke on April 2 over social media due to contract obligations, Brewer said.

“It’s time. It’s a process,” he said. “A lot of people always forget that there’s a nitty gritty side to it.”

Because of the contractual and “nitty gritty side,” Brewer couldn’t share some details.

“Well, we’re deciding between this artist and Beast Coast, and I think this artist would do well, but Beast Coast is like, a name, Beast Coast has recognition, Beast Coast is new,” he said.

Brewer couldn’t specify who the other artist was.

UPB tries to make the best decision they can for the student body, he said.

“I really only can make a decision I think will make the public happy,” Brewer said.

“I’m the voice of the students.”

Brewer couldn’t speak fully to the amount of money UPB spent to bring the Beast Coast super-group to campus, he said.

“It’s a fund we have to keep in case we have to move inside or [anything,]” he said. “I can’t really speak to the details behind that.”

Secrecy isn’t easy for Brewer, especially in the week leading up to the announcement of the headliner.

Samples, education and music at 2019 Hair Expo Staff Report A sign perched on a table at the Natural Hair Exposition read “I am natural because... black is beautiful.”

The April 5 event, called Thank God We’re Natural, was organized by the Womyn of Color Coalition and the UVM Women’s Center. Prominent female black artists, like Kari Faux and Leikeli47, played over the speakers in the Silver Maple Ballroom while students visited various tables.

Vendors showcased their products, offered samples and demonstrated tutorials of their products, like castor oil, scalp ointment and hair lotion.

According to the WOCC, the event “celebrates those who embrace the various textures of their hair and promotes healthy self-care and wellness through preventive care while providing resources, discussions and free samples and prizes.”

The free event drew in both students and Burlington community members.

A braiding station run by Burlington’s Diversity Hair Salon offered services to attendees, and students also ran workshops, including juniors Ama Sika and RiRi Stuart-Thompson.

LILLY YOUNG/The Vermont Cynic

Junior RiRi Stuart-Thompson fits a headscarf on a volunteer for a tutorial at the Natural Hair Exposition April 5.

The event was intended to celebrate natural hair, but also to encourage proper care for it.

A poster encouraged attendees to think of their own hair and determine what the porosity, curl pattern/type and hair density in order to find the right products and treatment for their weekly hair routine.

The WOCC hosted the first Natural Hair Expo in 2017.

They have also hosted the UVM SlutWalk to raise sexual assault awareness, and earlier in 2018 held the first Crowned in Culture Ball.

PHIL CARRUTHERS/The Vermont Cynic

Students painted letters in Jeffords parking lot to be displayed at SpringFest April 29, 2017. This year’s headliner, Beast Coast, is a group comprised of Joey Bada$$, Flatbush Zombies, The Underachievers, Kirk Knight, Nyck Caution, Powers Pleasant and CJ Fly with openers Rico Nasty and Juice Box, winner of Battle of the Bands.

“I am a talker, dude. I can chat your head off about literally anything,” he said. “And I loved people just coming to my room and asking me questions and just being like, ‘I can’t. I’m sorry, you’re going to have to wait.’”

Some students don’t know who the Beast Coast collective is, but they are familiar with the individual artists within it. Many seem excited for the

event.

Sophomore Claire Smith had not heard of Beast Coast, but was familiar with Joey Bada$$ and the Flatbush Zombies.

“I’m hyped,” she said.

First-year Jacob Mintz Roberts said he is sure SpringFest will be a good time.

“Joey Bada$$ — very excited about Joey,” he said.

Brewer is pleased with the

response he’s gotten so far from his peers.

“I think that overall, there’s been a positive response from everyone on campus about it.” he said. “Those names individually were big, but we didn’t know what the actual collective would bring.”

SpringFest 2019 will take place at 1:30 p.m. April 27, in the Jefford’s parking lot.

Doors will open at 1 p.m.

CULTURE

8

The Vermont Cynic

April 9, 2019

Queens teach glamour with makeup Keely Lyons klyons12@uvm.edu

Pink eyebrows and laughter filled the Davis Center at the latest installment of the Drag WERKshop series.

Fifteen participants sat behind vanity mirrors as they learned the essentials of drag makeup.

UVM’s Queer Student Union, in collaboration with Student Life, the Arts and Creativity learning community, and the Cultural Crossroads learning community hosted the Feeling the Fantasy Makeup tutorial April 4.

The tutorial was led by local drag queens Nikki Champagne and Emoji Nightmare.

The QSU is an activist, social programming and educational group, junior Carter Shapiro, the club’s president, said.

“This workshop series, and this one in particular, is a way that we can educate people and bring people together,” Shapiro said. “You can look at it as activism, because all the people that are participating, not all of them are gay, cis men.”

The tutorial was the second event in the four-part WERKshop series. The first event, “Strut Your Stuff,” involved a discussion on the complicated history of drag and a lesson on common drag choreography, Shapiro said.

“Drag has a pretty big history with transphobia and racism, and all that stuff,” Shapiro said.

“It’s hard, because how do you consume something and take part in something that is super problematic in many aspects?”

The group discussed this

question at the previous workshop.

Participants at the WERKshop had varying experience with makeup and drag. Burlington resident Amber Lampman first got into drag through “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” they said.

“My skills aren’t as refined as I’d like them, so I figured coming to a class setting would be a good idea, because I can only learn so much from a YouTube tutorial,” Lampman said.

According to Champagne, they taught what is called the “standard pretty face,” or SPF. While the SPF was a femme look, Champagne and Nightmare emphasized that participants could alter their instructions to suit what they were looking for.

“There is no permission in drag,” Champagne said.

The workshop began as participants took a glue stick and ran it against their eyebrows, pinning them to their face before covering them with foundation so that they could be drawn over later.

The WERKshop was sophomore Alex Escaja-Heiss’ first experience with makeup.

“I’m not used to trying to adjust my appearance in such a drastic way,” Escaja-Heiss said.

“It’s weird to look in the mirror and not see me.”

The event boosted queer visibility on campus, Shapiro said.

“I think it’s really revolutionary for someone to show up to something like this, with all of the stigma,” Shapiro said.

“It’s mainly just revolutionary for the people who come and partake in this.”

BARBARA BANCHIK/The Vermont Cynic

Drag queen Emoji Nightmare demonstrates the essentials of drag makeup on a willing volunteer April 4 at the Queer Student Union’s Feeling the Fantasy Makeup tutorial. The tutorial was the second event in a four-part Drag WERKshop series.

Billie Eilish mixes youth and maturity for first album Sarah Robinson srobin14@uvm.edu

A

s is always the case, young women are running the pop music

scene.

From Lady Gaga to Ariana Grande, the biggest pop stars today must think about what songs will please their listeners while still maintaining their individuality and creating art that is meaningful to them.

Seventeen-year-old Billie Eilish isn’t seeking to please anyone. Eilish’s debut album “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” features 14 tracks that are catchy, emotional and are somehow equally tough and vulnerable.

The promising young musician became popular with her single “Ocean Eyes” in 2016, and hasn’t slowed down since.

Her 2017 EP “dont smile at me” features hits such as “bellyache” and “idontwannabeyouanymore,” but “When We All Fall Asleep” takes a stark-

ly more daring and dark approach while maintaining essential core pop rhythms and beats.

The second track, “bad guy,” perfectly demonstrates a unique take on pop music that is energetic but almost sinister.

Eilish is not your typical teenybopper in that her music is distinctly her own. She stands up next to her older and more popular peers.

“Xanny” is almost dreamlike, with a buzzing bass line that pounds throughout. The lyrics refer to the recreational use of the prescription drug Xanax, which Eilish has seen kill her friends.

In the chorus she sings, “On designated drives home / only one who’s not stoned / don’t give me a Xanny now or ever.”

This was the song that sold me on the album, because it reminds us that Eilish is a teenager who is immersed in a business that has destroyed young people in the past. Too many artists, like Lil Peep and Mac Miller, have fallen victim to recreational drug use.

“Xanny” also reminds us

that while Eilish is still a teen, she is in no way juvenile.

While Eilish’s snippets of “The Office” and interludes of her own speaking voice might give snottier music critics pause, I think that she is speaking to her generation in a way that is unique and relatable.

Her music deals with things that all teenagers deal with, like first love and heartbreak. But it also confronts themes that people of any age can relate to if they keep an open mind.

I think “When We All Fall Asleep” gives us a look into the future of pop music, which is incredibly exciting and refreshing.

My favorite tracks on the album are: “bad guy” for its dark melody and because it’s just so catchy; “Xanny” for the beauty of the song itself and emotion in the lyrics and “My Strange Addiction” for its fun and unique structure — though the incredibly diverse album has something to offer all listeners.

The young artists who are running the pop scene will dictate the future of music.

COLE THORNTON

Eilish’s debut album shows that she is becoming a serious force in the music industry and that it is possible to balance adolescent enthusiasm with maturity and depth.

Eilish’s talents result in a way of approaching music that

I think many pop artists should learn from.

Sarah Robinson is a sophomore English and Spanish double major. She has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2017.

The Vermont Cynic

April 9, 2019

CULTURE

9

Student gamers present work at show Allie O’Connor aoconno8@uvm.edu

From game nights in Living/Learning Center to a weekend of exposure and success in Boston, a UVM-based board game development team is taking their game to the next level.

A group of students traveled to Boston March 28 to 31 to present their game, Hexix, at PAX East, a large gaming convention where developers of all sizes can showcase their projects.

At PAX East, Hexix was the best-selling game out of the 20 other games brought to PAX by Knight Moves Cafe, a gaming cafe.

Hexix was also the best-selling of the “True Indie” games, which are games that have not yet seen store shelves.

The team presented Hexix several times over the course of the convention, and their game was also available for attendees in a “free play” area.

Junior Brandon Levesque, head of operations for the Hexix team, said the game began as a collection of ideas from M. Stephen Walker, a former UVM student.

Hexix has a relatively basic concept; each player sets dice in a path across the board in order to claim their opponent’s home space.

“We wanted something that was simple yet had some complexity to it, like chess or Go,” Levesque said. A lot of games that we were playing at the time were luck based, so we wanted to steer away from that.”

To produce the game, the team uses an online supplier for boxes and game boards, custom dice, dice bags from an Etsy

STEPHAN TOLJAN/The Vermont Cynic

Sophomore Brandon Levesque demonstrates how to play Hexix, a new board game he and his team created. The Hexix team traveled to Boston March 28 for PAX East, a gaming convention where a variety of developers showcase their games. shop and a Greenfield, Massachusetts, printing shop for rule sheets. All of these components are then collected and assembled by hand.

Levesque described the early interest that other students had in their game as a little hesitant.

“We had a lot of people on campus who were curious about what we were doing, but we were still early in development and we didn’t quite know where it was heading,” he said.

The Hexix team relied on both the UVM Gamer’s Guild, a student club focused on board and video games, as well as UVM’s Global Gateway Program, a program for international students to study at

UVM. The two organizations helped to expose the game to as many students as possible, Levesque said.

“Not only were they great at helping us practice presenting and explaining rules, but they really reaffirmed Hexix as a good idea before we brought it anywhere,” he said.

Sophomore Dennis Zheng, one of the students that introduced Hexix to GGP Game Nights, commended the effort put into the game by its creators.

“I think the game is really well crafted,” Zheng said. “It was definitely challenging, and I had to be very attentive and concentrate on it.”

While the game is complex, first-year Stanley Chen agreed that it’s well-designed.

“I think this game is wonderful,” Chen said. “I have never seen this kind of game before.

“Players need to consider many rules while they are playing, and it needs a lot of attention and patience.”

Levesque said being able to present at PAX as a small group of indie developers was really beneficial.

Even though the event was primarily about marketing and getting the Hexix name out into the open, Levesque emphasized building a lasting connection with PAX players and fellow creators alike.

“Most games nowadays are produced by some sort of large corporation, not just by one person or one small group,” he said. “You don’t see the personal connection with that.

“When it was just our team presenting a game, we were able to develop a lasting connection with players. ” To any students who have an idea they want to spread, Levesque recommended that they go for it, but he emphasized finding a balance between being committed to pursuing your passion and overworking yourself.

Levasque said the Hexix team plans to create more games in the future.

Inaugural Creative Arts Expo celebrates artistic vibes Jean MacBride jmacbride@uvm.edu

The Great Room in McAuley Hall was turned into a bustling artist’s market and open mic last week.

The first-ever Creative Arts Expo was held March 29 on Trinity campus.

At the expo, student artists sold their own work, and student musicians and poets were given an opportunity to perform on stage.

Over 200 people attended the expo and 50 participated in the open mic, according to the event’s Facebook page.

The Creative Arts Expo was hosted by the Arts and Writing Council, a collective of the University’s arts and writing organizations.

Rap & Spoken Word, the Creative Writers Guild, The Gist, Crossroads magazine, Headwaters Magazine, UVM Film Club and Free Verse, all members of the Council, contribted to the planning of the event.

Image courtesy of ALEX SOYCHAK

Sophomore Emily McDonnell strums a guitar and sings at the The Creative Arts Expo on Trinity campus March 29. Over 200 people attended the expo and 50 participated in the open mic.

Senior Seth Wade, co-editor -in-chief of The Gist, UVM’s literary arts magazine, was one of the organizers of the event.

“We noticed there’s a lack of awareness regarding the arts and writing opportunities for students,” he said. “We wanted to connect with the downtown Burlington scene and celebrate student art.”

Sophomore Diane Fenner, president of the Creative Writers Guild, said Wade had asked her and other groups back in January to be a part of the event.

“I thought it was a great opportunity to spread awareness of all of our clubs to the UVM community,” she said.

Fenner said the commu-

nication between arts-related clubs had not been great in the past, and she was glad that this event had brought them together.

Sophomore Liam O’Connor -Genereaux explained why he came to the expo, saying that, as a transfer student, there were not many ways to engage with the community.

“This has been my first idea of how big UVM’s creative community is, and it’s pretty cool,” he said.

First-year Daisy Hutter was selling bottle cap earrings and buttons at the event.

“Since 2016, I’ve been making bottle cap jewelry,” she said.

“I would just go to bars and diners and collect what would otherwise be thrown in the trash.

It’s a sustainable process and it brings a lot of joy to people.”

Hutter said she has big ambitions to expand her hobby and thought that UVM provided the resources to connect to internships to achieve them.

“I really want to be an art therapist and combine my ma-

jors, art and psychology,” she said. “I’ve got big dreams.”

Events like the Creative Arts Expo make Hutter feel like she chose the right school, she said.

“I think the culture of Burlington and its coolness makes UVM naturally great at art,” Hutter said.

Senior Giannina Sol, Full Walrus, J Bengoy and Jackie & The Treehorns all performed their original music on stage.

Senior Natalia Bastante said they felt the UVM administration was not receptive to artistic events.

“It sucks that they claim they support the arts but they’re actually defunding them,” they said. “For example, my adviser is retiring and they’re not replacing him, which puts my capstone project in danger.”

Bastante said they thought the UVM administration didn’t have the right priorities.

“We just need to cling to our art and our University, and say no. Our art, our voices, our University,” they said.

FEATURE

10

The Vermont Cynic

April 9, 2019

Craft beer and pinball machines meet at The Archives Caroline Slack cslack@uvm.edu

From the windows outside The Archives, lights from rows of arcade games glitter through the glass.

There’s an instant sense of childhood nostalgia — but it’s presented alongside a sophisticated selection of grown-up drinks.

The Archives, a bar located on 191 College St., just celebrated its three-year anniversary and in that time has become an icon in the Burlington bar scene.

The Archives serves craft beers and artisan cocktails.

Its walls are lined with arcade games like pinball and Tetris that patrons can play while they enjoy their drinks.

Many Burlington bars reflect the city’s significant college-aged population.

At downtown bars like Rasputin’s, the selection includes a drink called the “Trash Can,” a mixture of Red Bull and hard alcohol.

The Archives is a noticeably calmer environment, one where music from artists like Nirvana

and Elliott Smith quietly graces the speakers, and customers kick back by grabbing hold of joysticks.

“The Archives is really fun,” senior Yael Dormont said. “I love going there not just for a drink, but also to have a good time.”

This vibe is exactly what the staff of The Archives is aiming for.

“The crowd is really laid back,” Beverage Director Sean McKenzie ’08 said.

Owner Matthew Walters and two of his business partners are alumni of Burlington College.

The idea for The Archives was inspired by a Brooklyn beer-style bar called Barcade.

“It was the greatest thing that we’d ever seen because we all love arcade games, and we always loved beer,” he said.

When The Archives opened, there was an emphasis on providing a great beer selection, but recently the menu also expanded to artisan cocktails and a small wine selection.

The Archives sees many customers, both locals and travelers, who come specifical-

CAROLINE SLACK/The Vermont Cynic

(TOP) Classic arcade games like Judgement Day, Rampage World Tour and NBA Jam Tournament Edition can all be found at The Archives bar on 191 College St. (MIDDLE) Customers hang out at the bar and enjoy their drinks in a calm environment while the music of Elliot Smith and Nirvana plays through the speakers.

(BOTTOM) The Archives has a wide selection of craft beers that range from $6 to $13. ly for their beer offerings, Walters said.

“Vermont in itself gets people from all over the country, all over the world, because of the beer that’s available here,” Walters said.

Walters’ favorite cocktail on their menu is a concoction created by McKenzie.

It’s called “Black Gold” and is a rum drink infused with cold brew coffee and vanilla.

“He’s an incredible bartender,” Walters said of McKenzie.

Most patrons of The Archives are a bit above the college age range — around 25 to 35 years old.

It certainly isn’t a college bar, but the bar attracts a range of ages, from college students to people in their 50s to 80s.

“When I was a kid, we used

to play arcade games all the time,” Walters said. “For people [of college age now] it’s much more of a novelty.”

He said that sometimes he’ll see college kids who haven’t played arcade games before come into the bar and struggle to locate the start button on a pinball machine.

But other times, the bar’s unique format is a way for generations to bridge their age gaps and enjoy drinking together, he said.

“When you see grandparents and parents come in with their kids, it’s always a kick because they sort of don’t want to be there,” he said. “Then, once they start playing a game they really get into it.”

The way people drink at The Archives is different from

binge-drinking culture that dominates college, and Walters loves seeing college customers appreciating artisan beer without the intention of getting wasted.

“There’s nothing better than seeing someone [of college age] come in and spend a decent amount of money on a good, quality beer,” he said.

The presence of the games helps slow down the drinking process and eases the tensions that can come along with drinking.

“You can have a good time if you come in to play games, you can have a good time if you come in for a drink and you can have the best time if you do both,” McKenzie said.

The Vermont Cynic

April 9, 2019

SPORTS

11

Martial arts on campus

Taekwondo club hosts tournament in Vermont Stephan Toljan stoljan@uvm.edu

Personal expression through a painting, a song or a sculpture is only one form of art. For a group of 14 UVM students, they think differently, and embrace martial arts.

The UVM Taekwondo club hosted its sixth tournament April 7 at Patrick Gym for the Eastern Collegiate Taekwondo Conference.

The tournament included competitors from other colleges in the Northeast, including Cornell University and the United States Military Academy West Point. UVM had 13 students compete in the tournament.

The UVM Taekwondo club includes students with a range of skill levels, from beginner to master, club trainer Ernest Hart ’95 said.

“We’ve had people come in with no experience, and we’ve had people come in having done it their whole lives,” he said. “Anyone can join.”

First-year Sara Music said she fell in love with taekwondo five years ago in a South Burlington gym.

“People are fighting, but they aren’t mean about it,” she said. “It gets you exhilarated.”

First-year Suzanna Hamal had a martial arts background before coming to UVM. Hamal said that one of the reasons she joined the team was because she enjoyed working out, which she does on her off-days.

The tournament is comprised of two sections. The first is a “poomsae” competition, in which individuals perform different poses and forms. The second half of the tournament is sparring, which is the handto-hand combat part, club pres-

ident Katy Czar, a senior, said.

“We start at 9 a.m. and then go until the sparring is over, which is usually around 5 p.m. or 6 p.m.,” she said. “We usually do poomsae in the morning, and then our sparring in the afternoon.”

The scoring of the poomsae part of the competition is based on criteria within the accuracy and presentation categories, according to the USA Taekwondo competition rules.

Competitors can earn a maximum of four points in the accuracy category and six points in the presentation category, making for a combined maximum of 10 points, according to USATKD competition rules.

“For [accuracy], it’s about having correct stance, all the right motions, having your fist in the right place after you punch. It can get really minute,” Czar said. “Presentation is about rhythm, timing and how ‘taekwondo-y’ it is.”

The sparring score is based on the number and types of hits used in the match. These hits are scored as points and the winner of the match advances in the competition as depicted on the bracket, she said.

The competitor who has the most points at the end is the winner, Czar said.

According to the USATKD competition rules, valid hits are scored from one to five points, based on the complexity of the move.

For example, a turning kick to the head is worth five points, where a standard punch to the body is worth one point, according to the USATKD competition rules.

Two fighters spar for three rounds. The sparring winner is determined by who has the

STEPHAN TOLJAN/The Vermont Cynic

(TOP) An opposing competitor throws a kick during a sparring session at the Eastern Collegiate Taekwondo Conference April 7 in the Patrick Gym. (MIDDLE) Master trainer Ernest Hart ’95 speaks to first-year Sara Music in between rounds.

(BOTTOM) A fighter blocks a kick to the body during a sparring session. most points at the end.

“We have brackets, but the way we do it is that we have three-person teams in separate divisions,” she said. “The teams fight best two-out-of-three.”

At the end of the tournament, the winning team is the

one with the most points.

Hart said that his favorite part of the team is the comradery.

“Everybody has got each other’s back,” he said. “It’s not just about the hour of practice, and then everybody disperses.

That’s why, when we get people, they tend to stay.”

Free taekwondo classes are available to UVM students at various times throughout the week during the academic year., according to the Taekwondo Club Lynx page.

SPORTS

12

The Vermont Cynic

April 9, 2019

Former dancer shatters track records Nickie Morris nrmorris@uvm.edu

After 12 years of competitive dancing, senior Lauren Trumble of Ithaca, New York, chose UVM to persue a collegiate running career on the track and field team.

Trumble later rose to track captain and broke the America East Championship record in Feburary 2019, according to UVM athletics.

She also earned most outstanding performer with a personal best in the 1,000 meter run this season, according to UVM athletics.

With about one month left in her career as a middle-distance runner, she said she would like to break a few more records.

“I’d like to lower my 800 by two seconds and my 1500 by 15 seconds,” she said. “Another America East title would be great. It’s going to be hard, but I know I can put the effort in.”

She began her running career after she decided to stop dancing during middle school, Trumble said.

“I used to competitively dance and then my parents told me I had to do a middle school sport,” she said. “I chose running, and my dad ran in college so I ended up being good at it.”

Head coach Matt Belfield said he feels fortunate that Trumble is on the team.

Image source: UVM Athletics

Senior Lauren Trumble, a middle-distance runner and captain of the track team, runs alongside her teammate, first-year Dina John.

Trumble broke the America East Championship record Feb. 23 and hopes to break more records before she graduates.

“She’s one of the best and we’re grateful for her in our middle-distance program,” Belfield said.

In the program, runners train together in small groups with others who compete at the same distance.

Trumble’s success in middle -distance running is part of a greater picture of the team’s his-

tory, Belfield said.

“Our team has a strong middistance program, while southern schools tend to be more focused on sprinting,” he said.

Fellow middle-distance runner Caroline O’Shea, a sophomore, admires both Trumble’s running and leadership.

“She’s one of the best leaders I’ve ever seen, and she’s willing

to say what needs to be said for the good of the team,” O’Shea said. “She also really gets the job done with no drama and does what she has to do while being calm, cool, collected and humble.”

As a biology major, Trumble wants to be a physician and doesn’t want to pursue a professional running career, she said.

“I’ll run for fun after college,” she said. “I don’t know if I’m the type of person that can go back and run 20 or 30 seconds slower.”

The track and field team will have their only home meet, the Catamount Heptathlon, April 13 and 14.