The Vermont Cynic APRIL 3, 2018
VOL. 134 – ISSUE 26
VTCYNIC.COM
SGA elect stresses transparency Carly Fredrickson Staff Writer Lee Hughes Staff Writer Sophomore Ethan Foley and junior Gillian Natanagara were elected SGA president and vice president. Natanagara and Foley ran against sophomores Jamie Benson and Reginah Mako in the March 26-27 election. Natanagara and Foley’s platform includes plans to address the affordable housing crisis in Burlington, bring more resources to Student Health Services and Counseling and Psychiatry Services and introduce restorative practices to the University. Restorative practices are a way to acknowledge social power dynamics and mend social rifts, Natanagara said. Sophomore Maggie Hirschberg said she voted for Foley and Natanagara because of how their platform focused on sustainability. The two plan to meet with students, campus leaders and senators before their term, Natanagara said. Natanagara said they are looking into creating a blog to update students about SGA developments. She and Foley both stressed the importance of transparency and communication with the student body. “I have the utmost respect for every student of this campus and I want to make sure every group feels represented and feels included in the deci-
SAM LITRA/The Vermont Cynic Sophomore Ethan Foley and his running mate, junior Gillian Natanagara, were elected SGA president and vice president March 27. sions we make,” Foley said. Foley is a political science major from Grove City, Pennsylvania. He served on the SGA Committee on Legislative and Community Affairs this year. Natanagara is an environmental studies major from Wanamassa, New Jersey, and served two years on the Committee on the Environment. “I love, and I have worked closely with ... Jamie Benson and Reginah Mako,”she said. Benson and Mako have been on SGA for two years and have both served this year as chairs of their respective committees: Academic Affairs and the Committee on Diversity, Inclusion and Equity. Their platform goals were to improve communication
between campus groups, promote student mental and physical health and address equity issues. Junior Alex Howe said he voted for Benson and Mako because they support social justice organizations. The president and vice president work with the SGA body to represent students. “Traditionally, folks look to the president of the SGA as the voice of representing all students,” student life director Pat Brown said. The vice president oversees SGA operations and assists with presidential responsibilities, he said. Foley said the election was a hard race, and he can’t wait to begin his term as president.
Activists demand removal of downtown art Lily Young Staff Writer A Church Street mural may be taken down after community backlash. Artist Pierre Hardy’s “Everyone Loves a Parade” is meant to represent Vermont history, but people of color and other marginalized groups are not depicted in the mural, Burlington City Councilor Ali Dieng said. While Hardy is not opposed to the modification of the mural, he feels the complete removal of it would be a “sad outcome,” according to a Feb. 2 VTDigger article. The mural is meant to be used as a historical learning opportunity, Dieng said. The piece was vandalized Oct. 9 by Albert Petrarca, a member of the Off the Wall coalition, a group that objects to the mural as a symbol of white supremacy. Petrarca spray-painted the words “Off the wall” across the mural to protest the lack of representation, according to
SAM LITRA/The Vermont Cynic The mural on Church Street titled “Everybody Loves a Parade” by Pierre Hardy may be taken down due to community backlash over the mural’s lack of diversity. an Oct. 9 Seven Days article. Because of protests over the mural’s content, Dieng created a resolution called “Removal of the ‘Everyone Loves a Parade’ Mural” that tasks City Attorney Eileen Blackwood with determining the legal processes to
remove the mural, he said. Community members are protesting because the mural does not represent people of color, the refugee community, people who identify as LGBTQ, people with physical and intellectual disabilities and the
Abenaki tribe, Dieng said. Dieng said the community made a mistake by allowing a non-inclusive mural to be displayed in the heart of downtown. The city council and Mayor Miro Weinberger will appoint
a committee of nine members that represent the diversity of Burlington to determine how a new mural should be designed, created and funded, Dieng said. “[The mural] is not a case of racism, it is a case of misrepresentation and lack of inclusivism because the mural focuses on white American history, which is the problem,” said junior Starr Cobb, a social activist at UVM. Cobb said Hardy should let the city take it down and paint a new mural that includes the narrative of the black community in Vermont. Weinberger is supportive of this new resolution, said Katie Vane, communications director for the mayor. He looks forward to Blackwood reporting back to the council, Vane said. “I think the city council will have a difficult time finding a solution everyone is happy with, considering the rights of the artist and free expression,” SGA President senior Chris Petrillo said.
NEWS
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Digital Exclusive Content Students showcase tattoos and their stories We talk to three students about why they got inked and what their body art means to them.
In the Raw podcast: Jake Potts chats about poetry Sophomore Jake Potts talks about poetry and how a writer can use it to grapple with loss, reflect on life and honor loved ones.
2018 Champs: The Boston Red Sox will win next year Sports writer Curt Berry predicts a winning season for Boston’s baseball team for the 2018 World Series.
Yankees roster ensures future team success
Sports columnist Nicole Morris praises the Yankees for their historic victories and bright upcoming season.
Herstory celebrates the role of women in our lives This video captures the March 26 event hosted by University Program Board in honor of Women’s Month.
Prime Time Cats: Gun Control
The podcasting team talks about when classrooms and gun control collide.
Get the full story at vtcynic.com
The Vermont Cynic
April 3, 2018
Community investigates pipeline Joey Waldinger Assistant News Editor A natural gas pipeline running through Vermont is being investigated for safety violations. The pipeline runs from Alberta, Canada into Vermont and is 43 miles long. The pipeline transports natural gas. This effort began after it was discovered that a section of the pipe that ran through New Haven, Vermont had not been buried deep enough, said Vermont lawyer James Dumont. In response, the Department of Public Service began an investigation, Dumont said. The potential safety issues were uncovered by a group of Vermonters that read through Vermont Gas’ construction documentation. The group found areas that did not meet federal policies, UVM alum Julie Macuga ’17 said. “The violations that we’re seeing in Vermont are eerily similar to violations that were in San Bruno, California,” where a 2010 pipeline explosion killed eight people, Macuga said. Macuga went to the annual shareholder meeting of Enegir to voice her worries, she said. Enegir is a Quebec company that owns Vermont Gas Systems, which built the Addison Natural Gas Pipeline. She discussed the pipeline at last year’s meeting, but since then her fears have only grown, Macuga said. “First, my concern was
long-term harm to the environment,” Macuga said. “Since then, my focus has shifted to more pressing risks to human health and safety.” Macuga sees many similarities between this pipeline and others that have had dangerous accidents, she said. Activists conducted their own research, which Dumont used in a Feb. 28 request to the Public Utilities Commission. The request was intended to have the investigation include the seven violations the activists believe they have found, Dumont said. “Ultimately, intervenors will ask the Commission to decide whether or not to order immediate cessation of the Addison Natural Gas Pipeline operation until the pipeline has been excavated and inspected,” the request stated. Several of the claims are inaccurate or incomplete, and others have been investigated by the Department of Public Service’s engineering staff, according to a March 22 Vermont Gas memo. Vermont Gas is confident in its pipeline and is committed to resolving these concerns, spokeswoman Beth Parent said. “We take the issue of safety seriously,” Parent said. “That’s why we’re ready to have the department or Public Utilities Commission conduct an independent review so we can all move forward.” The Department of Public Service oversaw of the pipeline’s construction, including
Courtesy of Julie Macuga
UVM alum Julie Macuga ’17 protested the Addison Natural Gas Pipeline over potential health and safety concerns. A group of Vermonters claims the gas company is violating federal safety regulations. the hiring of a pipeline safety expert. They also issued several notices of probable violations for potential flaws in the pipeline, according to a March 22 memo. “Therefore, there is little, if any, need to expand the scope
of this [investigation],” the memo stated. However, the Department is prepared to hire another independent consultant to review the pipeline’s installation, the memo stated.
Student entrepreneurs compete for cash Ben Elfland Senior Staff Writer A team of student entrepreneurs will be awarded up to $10,000 this month. The Catamount Innovation Fund is a new, student-based accelerator program in its that will award one of six teams of students a $10,000 award in the coming month. The award is given to the team who best achieves a set of goals they set for themselves when the program began in November, said third-year medical student Al Marchese, the CEO and co-founder of CIF. When the program began in November, each team created a set of goals they hoped to achieve by the time the program ends in April, said third-year medical student Al Marchese, the CEO and co-founder of CIF. The team who most closely meets these goals when the program ends will receive the award, he said. The funding comes from the University of Vermont Foundation, based on donations from alumni, friends of UVM and SGA. Future iterations of the program will award up to $10,000 to each team, Marchese said. “We’re considering different styles [of payment]— in
the next couple years, we may give the money upfront so that teams can spend to develop their product,” he said. The program culminates with a pitch competition in which each team gives a 12-minute presentation on their project, Marchese said. This year, it will be held April 13 in the Livak Ballroom and will be open to the public. The awards will be given separately from the pitch competition in order to “keep the focus on the presentations and the community,” he said. During the program, teams are provided with student analysts, workspace in the Hills building and workshops led by local entrepreneurs and mentors, Marchese said. Current undergraduate students, graduate students and alumni from the past five years are eligible to apply, he said. Junior Will Lippolis is the co-founder and lead developer of an app called Rhume that allows students to find and book open rooms around campus for group work. Lippolis and his team are one of the groups competing for the award.
Read the rest of this story at vtcynic.com
BEN ELFLAND/The Vermont Cynic
Al Marchese, CEO of the Catamount Innovation Fund and thirdyear medical student, meets with program participants junior Will Lippolis and third-year medical student Sam Logan to chat about their projects.
The Vermont Cynic
OPINION
April 3, 2018
The Vermont
CYNIC
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How to engage SGA voters Staff Editorial
The intern generation
I EXECUTIVE Editor-in-Chief Erika B. Lewy editorinchief@vtcynic.com Managing Editor Greta Bjornson newsroom@vtcynic.com OPERATIONS Advertising Manager Kaysie Smith ads@vtcynic.com Distribution Manager Brittnay Heffermehl distribution@vtcynic.com PR Manager Sara Klimek cynicpr@gmail.com Social Media Sorrel Galantowicz socialmedia@vtcynic.com EDITORIAL Copy Chief George Seibold copy@vtcynic.com Culture Bridget Higdon arts@vtcynic.com Izzy Siedman life@vtcynic.com Features Maggie Richardson bside@vtcynic.com News Lauren Schnepf news@vtcynic.com
f we were to write the staff editorial expected of this paper, we would say that only 20 percent of the student body voted in the SGA presidential election, and isn’t that a shame. We would wag our fingers at our fellow undergrads, and point out that an SGA president elect received only 1,124 votes, so only 11 percent of the UVM students voted for him. But when we did a straw poll of who voted in the Cynic office, we found less than half of our editorial board voted. We realized that it wasn’t that students are apathetic about getting civically engaged, it’s that the candidates platforms were similar to each other and what’s come before: status quo. It’s not that students aren’t engaged in the community: look at the NoNames for Justice movement striving racial justice reform on campus, or the Student Climate Culture group calling upon the board of trustees to divest from fossil fuel. Students care a great deal about the environment, gender and social equality issues. And it’s not that UVM isn’t a politically active campus — we
Sports Eribert Volaj sports@vtcynic.com Video Kailey Bates video@vtcynic.com Web Connor Allan web@vtcynic.com Illustrations Genevieve Winn illustrations@vtcynic.com Layout Eileen O’Connor layout@vtcynic.com Photo Alek Fleury photo@vtcynic.com Assistant Editors Henry Mitchell (Opinion), Locria Courtright (Sports), Kyra Chevalier (Layout), Katie Brobst (Life), Joey Waldinger (News), Addie Beach (Arts), Caroline Slack (Features), Sophia Knappertz (Copy), Oliver Pomazi (Photo) Page Designers Meg Stevens, Lindsay Freed, Brandon Acari Copy Editors Clare Abbatiello, Izzy Abraham, Lindsay Freed, Sabrina Hood, Haley Stern ADVISING Faculty Adviser Chris Evans crevans@uvm.edu
“ HOLLY COUGHLAN are. The campus Progressives and Democrats were both active in the recent Ward 8 and mayor elections. Junior JF Carter Neubieser ran for a city council position. So why did so few students vote? The truth is, the SGA election was boring. Both candidates ran similar campaigns. They said they’d improve health services on campus. They spoke about supporting students with marginalized identities, but didn’t lay out radical plans to redraw SGA. There was no risk for students voting in the election. Both pairs of candidates seemed equipped to lead the student body and act as a student voice in conversations
with administration. And neither pair of candidates’ platforms had anything that came as a surprise. So, while the Cynic supports political activism and civic engagement, we can’t find it in our hearts to get fired up about how few students voted. If SGA wants more students to get out and vote, candidates should be brave: outline bold plans and ambitious goals. If candidates want more student engagement, they can’t be afraid to make waves. Staff editorials officially reflect the views of the Vermont Cynic. Signed opinion pieces and columns do not necessarily do so. The Cynic accepts letters in response to anything you see printed as well as any issues of interest in the community. Please limit letters to 350 words. The Cynic reserves the right to edit letters for length and grammar. Please send letters to opinion@vtcynic.com.
When we prescribe too quickly Lilly Sharp Opinion Writer
Opinion Sydney Liss-Abraham opinion@vtcynic.com Podcasts Chloe Chaobal vtcynicpodcasts@gmail.com
Mills Sparkman Opinion Writer
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round 36.4 percent of college students suffer from depression, according to the American Psychological Association. Today’s most popular treatment method is antidepressant drugs according to the National Institute of Mental Health. The idea behind antidepressant drugs is that depression is caused by an imbalance of chemicals in the brain. These drugs theoretically correct that imbalance. The key piece of information most people are missing is that it has never been proven that depression is truly caused by low levels of serotonin or any other neurotransmitter. “Many of the biological aspects of depression remain uncertain,” according to Aaron Beck, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania, Antidepressants were not fully understood before drug companies latched onto them as a way to make money. The book “Bad Pharma” by Ben Goldacre goes in-depth on how drug companies overlook many issues. Direct consumer advertising allows drug companies to advertise prescription drugs. Studies from the National Institute of Health show this type of advertising leads to more
LINDSAY FREED people going to their doctors asking for a prescription thinking that it will make their life better. Since any doctor with a medical degree can prescribe antidepressants, this often leads to them being over-prescribed. The number of people taking antidepressants surpasses the number of people who would be diagnosable for major depression or other types of mental illness, according to research done in 2010 by Jay C Fournier, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh. On any given college campus, anywhere between 25 to 50 percent of students may be using antidepressants, according to a study done by University of Massachusetts researchers. These drugs have many
flaws including the side effects associated with them, and the disruption of natural neurotransmitter balances within the brain shown by Dr. J.M. Feurguson’s research in 2001. In other studies, antidepressants’ benefits have not been shown to be statistically significant compared to placebo pills. In reality, treatments like counseling or regimented exercise therapy are often as beneficial to the majority of depression cases. A study done at the National Institute of Public Health showed how light aerobic exercise classes helped to alleviate depression symptoms at the same rate or higher than antidepressants. Lilly Sharp is a sophomore psychology and film and television double major. She has been writing for the Cynic since 2018.
You think kids want to come with their parents and take fox-trot lessons? Trips to Europe, that’s what the kids want. Twenty-two countries in three days.” This line was uttered by hotel owner Max Kellerman in the 1987 film “Dirty Dancing,” and his sentiment of teenagers wanting different opportunities than their parents persists. While their parents worked at restaurants, camps or other seasonal jobs, today’s students tend to think outside the box, by necessity. According to a Pew Research Center study, the amount of workers in occupations that require more educational, professional and business services training, has grown from 49 million in the 1980s to 83 million today, a 68 percent increase. The amount of workers whose jobs required less preparation only grew 31 percent, which increases the motivation for students to go into more lucrative fields. Their parents grew up in a generation where the two sectors were more closely matched, and there was less opportunity and incentive to aim higher. Today, real career experience starts earlier, often through internships. The difference between an internship and a job is that an internship must have a learning component, according to America’s Job Exchange. Internships may seem beneficial because they give students real-world experience in their chosen field. But they are often unpaid or only offer academic credit. Today, students regularly have to choose between a paid job that does not help them with their future career, or an unpaid one that promises a learning experience and nothing else. Yet, there is a silver lining. With more students taking non-traditional paths to their careers, taking gap years and time to find what they really want, there is no single “right way” to success. In addition, students with more experience in diversified work environments have an advantage over those who only have experience in their fields. They can be flexible and apply their learned skills in many environments. The bottom line: whether students are paid for their efforts or not, if they work hard and have a goal in sight, there is a high chance of success.
Mills Sparkman is a first-year political science major. She has been writing for the Cynic since 2017.
FEATURE
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Tinder: Caroline Slack, 20 Feature Writer
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ophomore Lauren Chelel’s Tinder profile displays photos of her and her band, alluring selfies and her beloved pet frog, Ramona. Her bio talks about her love of art. A list of her top Spotify artists reveals her passion for the Grateful Dead, A Tribe Called Quest and Vulfpeck. But Chelel isn’t on Tinder to look for hook-ups and one night stands; in fact, she’s had a boyfriend for nearly two years. Chelel is one of many college-aged people who use Tinder to make friends. Chelel is shy and in a relationship. In another decade, she might have had a lot of difficulty making friends. But Tinder has given her an avenue to find new friends. “I’ve actually made a few really good friends,” she said. “Sure, there are lots of weird interactions and creepy guys, but I guess it’s not any different than real life.” This piqued my curiosity; even more than being useful as a dating app, it could be a powerful tool to meet friends that I might not otherwise come across. This year, I’ve been looking to make new friends. I had used Tinder briefly before, but hadn’t had a profile in over a year, so redownload the app. Junior Wyatt Garratt, Chelel’s boyfriend, is comfortable with his girlfriend’s excursions on Tinder, but is skeptical of the app itself. “Quite frankly, you’re attractive girls,” he said as I spoke with Chelel. He believes that friendships forged on the app — even if both parties claim to have platonic intentions — are often based on sexual tension rather than platonic compatibility. “As a moderately attractive person who had a Tinder, I have never had a slightly meaningful relationship on Tinder, nor even a single maintained conversation or interaction,” he said. “I’m a little salty about it.” Maybe Tinder is a marker of a shallow dating culture based on looks alone, but it could also be indicative of the new culture of online socialization. While most of us grew up learning we should never meet strangers online, the culture around meeting people on the internet is changing. The summer before my first year at college, my mother forbade me from getting on Tinder, telling me that I’d be around so many people my age that I was bound to meet plenty of singles. But a few months in, I
The Vermont Cynic
April 3, 2018
For when you want a friend, not a f@#!
hadn’t had any luck attracting a date. Cue an impulsive, late-night download of the app. I’ve never found myself to be cut out for the hookup culture, so I was nervous when I first downloaded Tinder. I had no idea what to expect, but figured I had nothing to lose by trying it out. While my shyness in real life can be a barrier to striking up conversations with interesting strangers, this app put me in a position to contact them directly. Swiping through Tinder at UVM, I see the faces of hundreds of my fellow co-eds. The app has achieved viral success since it launched in 2012, especially among younger adults. A 2015 Business Insider article reported that 38 percent of Tinder users are between the ages of 16 and 24. Though many of my peers use the app exclusively for hookups, this stereotype isn’t its only function. Some people, myself included, have found long-term relationships after meeting partners on the app, and others have found long-lasting, platonic friends. I realized that nearly half of the close friends I have at college now were initially people I met and talked to online before coming to school. After all, Chelel, who inspired my most recent Tinder excursion, was my firstyear roommate. We decided to live together before meeting in-person after she approached me on Facebook, and we are close friends to this day. The fact that I have met friends online absolutely does not mean that our friendships are less genuine in the real world. Similarly, I feel that Tinder relationships are no less genuine once matches meet in the real world. One of the people I met via Tinder turned out to have taken a lecture with me the previous semester, but we never met formally until we matched on Tinder and went to an open mic together. We’ve been friends ever since. As I write this, I have plans to hang out with three friends that I met on the app— friends that I never would have met had I not redownloaded Tinder a few weeks ago. It’s unrealistic to expect that you’ll come across every ideal friend or partner in your day-to-day interactions. The internet can be a powerful tool to discover people with similar interests. Tinder isn’t a direct path to meaningful connections; for every successful match, I have had many more dead-end conversations and lewd comments from strangers. But the real-life connections I have made through this platform, a relationship and many friendships included, have been overwhelmingly positive. Sure, looking through the app may feel like a strange little game. But behind the cards are real people, and I’d say it’s worth a shot to take a chance once in a while.
Maybe Tinder is a marker of a shallow dating culture based on looks alone, but it could also be indicative of the new culture of online socialization.
Caroline Slack is a sophomore English major. When she’s not scrolling through Tinder, you can catch her writing in the Cynic office.
Quick Opinions Mike Hurley, Sophomore “It’s easier to find people online. There’s also a risk, but I guess you always have that whether it be in real life or online dating.”
Tali Friedman, Sophomore
“I feel like as long as you set boundaries, it can be a quick and easy way to meet people. Just be honest, be respectful, and remember that no means no.”
The Vermont Cynic
April 3, 2018
CULTURE
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Debut event features English majors Sarah Robinson Staff Writer The silence of the Davis Center’s fourth floor was broken by the words of writers Emily Dickinson, James Baldwin and Mary Shelley. The English department hosted its first student symposium March 29 in the Davis Center Livak Ballroom. The event featured presentations by 27 students from the English department. The students submitted proposals about their papers and were chosen by professors to speak at the event. Grouped into panels, the students had the opportunity to read their work to a crowd of peers and professors. Panels were categorized into the fields of literary studies, creative writing and film and television studies. English professor Sean Witters ’98 was a coordinator of the event and gave the opening remarks to the symposium. “I urge all my students to find a life for their work beyond the classroom and to find a way to connect their work to their world and their lives.” Witters said in his remarks. As a graduate of the English program, he created this event because he knows what it’s like to do this work, he said. Witters said he was happy to see his students receive
ALEK FLEURY/The Vermont Cynic
Junior Cameron Bauserman (left), senior Kelly Gray (center) and senior Charlie Ross (right) present their papers at the first English department student symposium March 29. The symposium gave students an opportunity to present their work and receive the recognition they deserve, English professor Sean Witters said. the recognition they deserve. It was a special moment for him as an educator, he said. “It’s an affirmation of the amazing work that I see students do in classes all the time,” Witters said. Junior Cameron Bauserman presented her paper titled “Frankenstein, Femininity and Male Generativity.” Bauserman’s experience presenting was “nerve-wracking, but also really gratifying,” she said.
Bauserman said that she liked presenting her work to a crowd because it was more like a conversation and less of a one-way dialogue. “It was a more dynamic way of working with English,” she said. Sophomore Sunny Nagpaul showcased the creativity of nonfiction writing. The piece she presented, “Theoretical Danger,” is a lyrical essay about the assassination of Indian Prime Minister Indira
The beef with the beef industry Ali Barritt Culture Columnist
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he line at the grill is long at any dining hall on campus; there’s ample demand for beef. In fact, the US produced 99.8 billion pounds of meat in 2017, according to the US Department of Agriculture. Sophomore Julian Kafka eats meat because it tastes good and it’s widely available, he said. Would people still line up for burgers if they knew that the grain fed to cattle could feed 115 percent of the world’s population, according to a May 2017 One Green Planet article. Beef also has a remarkable impact on the environment. The U.N. Environment Programme states that most studies attribute 10-25 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions to the beef industry along with deforestation. First-year Madeline Reilly said the beef industry’s impact is something she “saw and couldn’t unsee.” To her, a hamburger “just isn’t worth being an active participant in the destruction of our planet and the torture of millions of animals,” she said. If the environmental im-
pact isn’t reason enough to reconsider beef, the impact on people’s wallets might be. The 2012 Journal of Hunger and Environmental Nutrition found that a vegetarian diet is cheaper than a meat based diet. First-year Charlotte Brennan dislikes the beef industry, but said that “the dining halls make it almost impossible to not eat it.” However, each dining space on campus provides vegetarian options according to the UVM Dining Services website. First-year Shania Benjamin grew up eating beef and now “cannot stay away from it,” she said. In moderation, she sees “absolutely nothing wrong with eating beef,” she said. The UVM campus dietitian, Nicole Rohrig said that beef can be part of a healthy diet.
HOLLY COUGHLIN
“There’s a spectrum of proteins that are going to be better for your body and also for the environment,” Rohrig said. She suggests a Mediterranean diet, which limits red meats to once a week and focuses on fish, legumes and grains for proteins, she said. “The goal is not to completely cut everything out,” Rohrig said. “But to instead make small shifts to decrease your consumption of beef, and to incorporate a wider variety of proteins.” If the environmental or human impact of beef ruins your appetite, set down the burger. Better yet, don’t get in line for one. Ali Barritt is a first-year anthropology major and has been writing for the Cynic since spring 2018.
Ghandi. Nagpaul said that at the beginning of the writing process, she intended for the piece to be a short story, but found that the story spoke for itself. “I’m not very used to performing anything,” she said. Nagpaul has attended open mic nights Mondays at the Lamp Shop in downtown Burlington, which she said have made her feel more comfortable presenting her work.
Although many students felt similar nerves, the symposium did not create competition between students, only community. “I hadn’t realized how much of a community I was part of before this event,” junior Anna Gibson said. “It was a reminder of how kind, smart, and special that group of people is.” Witters said preparations are under way for next year’s symposium.
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The Vermont Cynic
CULTURE
April 3, 2018
Did you forget to grab a free movie ticket this week? Don’t want to make the trek down the hill to the Roxy? Culture staff writers have you covered with five Netflix movies you can watch from the comfort of your own bed. Check the culture section weekly for our staff’s picks.
“Marie Antoinette”
“Inglorious Bastrards”
“Hell or High Water”
“Donnie Darko”
“Even the Rain”
Hunter McKenzie’s pick
Eleanor Webster’s pick
Allie O’Connor’s pick
Keely Lyons’ pick
Sarah Robinson’s pick
Director Sofia Coppola crafts not a dusty biopic, but a stylish coming-of-age story about one of history’s most iconic and controversial figures. “Marie Antoinette” is an empathetic portrait of the doomed queen prior to the French Revolution. It’s crafted with a punk-ish twist based around the destructive forces of luxury and privilege. The film is bold, lavish, largely overlooked and it’s also made by one of the best filmmakers working today.
Stylistically parallel to the majority of Quentin Tarantino’s work, “Inglourious Basterds” is a wildly exciting film that can appeal to all. This film delves into the world of alternative history when a group of Jewish-American soldiers plans to assasinate Nazi leaders. Christopher Waltz delivers an Academy Award-winning performance alongside Brad Pitt and Diane Kruger. Multiple plot lines bring together action, adventure, love and sorrow in this iconic World War II flick.
Tapping into the lawless style of the Wild West, director David Mackenzie delivers a refreshing heist thriller full of life and depth. “Hell or High Water” follows two brothers as they commit several bank robberies to save their family ranch. Lead actors Jeff Bridges, Chris Pine and Ben Foster shine in their flawed human roles. Instead of stuffing the script with cops vs. robbers-esque gunfights and chase scenes, the film explores the current crisis of post-industrial America through an old Hollywood lens.
Director Richard Kelly and Jake Gyllenhaal track a young man’s descent into madness with this cult classic. After a teenager survives a strange accident, he is plagued by visions of a man in a rabbit costume who forces him to commit a series of crimes. The circular plot line features themes of mortality, time travel and mental illness. The tone is dark, creepy and lingering. This film has to be watched twice, and maybe with the lights on.
This Spanish drama chronicles the journey of a movie crew as they work on a film about Christopher Columbus in Bolivia. Over the course of filming they are interrupted by Bolivians as they protest the privatization of water in their own country. “Even the Rain” draws parallels between Columbus and his exploitation of the Native people with the modern government’s exploitation of the Bolivian people. This film is great for anyone looking to dabble in a foreign-language film or anyone searching for an insightful political drama.
At Skinny P, laughs and snacks Addie Beach Assistant Arts Editor On a small stage covered in Christmas lights, comedians grabbed the attention of The Skinny Pancake audience. Comedy and Crepes is a weekly stand-up comedy series which meets 7 p.m. Mondays at the restaurant’s downtown location. Comedians Nicole Sisk and Carl Sonnefeld host the series, which began in June 2016. Sisk said that fellow comedian Kendall Farrell originally started the show to provide more opportunities for Burlington comedians to showcase their work outside of the Vermont Comedy Club. “It’s been cool to watch audiences come out in bigger numbers every week,” Sisk said. Sisk opened the show March 26 with a set that addressed bisexuality, buying condoms and her love of food. “I’ve noticed a thing where I sometimes have a tendency to confuse my feelings for food with my feelings for people,” Sisk said. “One time I developed a crush on a guy solely because he brought me delicious bread each day.” The night featured sets from local talent Nilima Abrams, Ty-
Community gathers to celebrate, share herstory Anna Power Staff Writer
LUC BURNIER/The Vermont Cynic
Nathan Hartswick, comedian and Vermont Comedy Club founder, performs March 26 at Comedy and Crepes, a weekly stand-up comedy series which meets Mondays at The Skinny Pancake.
ler Denton, Nathan Hartswick, founder of the Vermont Comedy Club, and Kathleen Kanz, winner of Vermont’s Funniest Comedian 2016. Each week, the series brings in a headliner. On March 26, the role was filled by Boston comedian Andrew Mayer. Mayer has a “quirky delivery and an offbeat sense of humor,” the Boston Comedy Festival website states. Mike Paternoster is a regular audience member. “It’s a really great show,” he said, citing both The Skinny Pancake’s great food and the consistent quality of the shows as reasons for coming back. Paternoster, who moved to
Burlington a few months ago, said that he immediately felt welcomed by the city’s comedy scene. He noted how organizations, such as the Vermont Comedy Club, took him in. “It’s really reflective of how Burlington is just a great community,” he said. Paternoster mentioned that he felt this spirit was true of Burlington overall. Comedy and Crepes starts at 7 p.m. every Monday night at the Lake Street Skinny Pancake with no cover charge.
Listen to the show at vtcynic.com/crepes
People gathered in Waterman to celebrate the achievements of women for the Herstory event. UVM Program Board hosted Herstory for Women’s History Month March 19. Event coordinator junior Flannery Mehigan said that Herstory focused on women who have shaped history but generally aren’t celebrated. “We often just think about famous women rather than the women in our own lives that have impacted us and shaped who we are,” Mehigan said. One of the event’s discussion leaders was Sarah Mell, Women’s Center education and outreach coordinator. Mell said that discussion often returned to how women are continuing forces of creation and change. “We are birthed into the world by a woman and then women also help us become the next incarnation of ourselves — our better and best selves,” she said. People shared how even seemingly ordinary women have made an impact. All too often women’s voices are silenced, so it’s import-
ant to highlight the impressions they make, Mehigan said. Women’s History Month celebrates the contributions that women have made to our nation by exploring their stories, according to the Women’s History Month website. Herstory tried to mirror that goal, Mehigan said. “Affinity spaces that focus on one type of identity are empowering, particularly if it’s an identity that has been historically marginalized,” Mell said. Senior Delaney Row said she valued the intimacy and influence of the discussions. “This event gave me an opportunity to see others’ personal value in important women in their lives,” Row said. Women’s History Month is an opportunity to both celebrate and progress, Row said. “It’s important to remind ourselves how far we have come but also how much more we need to do,” she said. Storytelling plays a key role in our daily lives, Mell said. “Ideally, as with any history month, we would celebrate women year-round,” Mell said. “It’s a springboard to start thinking about how we do or don’t make space for certain identities in our storytelling on a daily basis.”
The Vermont Cynic
CULTURE
April 3, 2018
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Hand-poked or pro: students get ink Paper and pen aren’t the only way to tell a story — some use needle and ink to create tattoos and share their narratives. First-year Isabel Fetter got her tattoo at Stone the Crow Tattoo parlor in her homestate of Maryland. Fetter got a mountain sunrise with the saying “way opens,” just over a year ago, she said. It cost $200 and took an hour to complete. Fetter said she likes the placement of her tattoo. “I can cover it if I need to, but I can also show it off,” she said. Its location also helps her dodge her family’s dislike of tattoos, she said. “My parents thought tattoos were dirty,” Fetter said. “Their generation really hates tattoos. My grandparents hate them too. My grandpa still doesn’t know I have this.” Fetter’s tattoo was inspired by her summer camp and designed by a friend from camp. “I love the outdoors and mountains, hence coming to UVM,” she said. “I went to a Quaker camp that began my love for nature.” Despite their disapproval, her grandparents were also a reason she chose the design. “My grandparents are a big part of the Quaker community and ‘way opens’ is one of our
sayings,” Fetter said. “Whenever you hit a block in the road, a way will open. There’s not just one set pathway in life.” Sophomore Cam Smith got a tattoo in memory of a family member. “My grandfather played a major role in my scouting life. I got this tattoo two years after he passed away,” Smith said. The tattoo features a fleurde-lis.
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It’s not always about seeing it — it’s about the fact that it means something. Cam Smith
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Lily Merriam Staff Writer
“I’ve been a Boy Scout for eight years,” he said. “The fleur-de-lis is the symbol for the highest rank: an Eagle scout. It symbolizes what I achieved.” On the left is his grandfather’s birthday and on the right is the date of his passing. Smith’s mother paid for the $400 tattoo. He got it with the same artist that did his father’s tattoos, Smith said. Smith said he chose to get the tattoo on his back because it was a good canvas. “I can only see it in the mirror or if someone takes a photo,” he said. “But I don’t think that matters to me. It’s not al-
ways about seeing it — it’s about the fact that it means something.” Smith said his tattoo was painful and “felt like a constant bee sting.” Unlike Fetter and Smith, who got professional tattoos, sophomore Anna Moore tattooed a stick-and-poke of a lavender leaf on her wrist. “Lavender is one of my favorite plants because it reminds me of my mom and of home,” Moore said. Moore says she has eight tattoos — both stick-andpokes and professionally done. The primary motive behind her tattoo was not meaning. “It was mostly just an impulse,” Moore said. Moore created the design and tattooed it the same day. “I was sitting in my dorm room with nothing to do and I was like, ‘fuck it, I’m gonna give myself a stick-and-poke.’ And I just did it,” Moore said. Moore’s stick-and-poke took an hour to complete and cost about 50 cents, whereas at a parlor it would have taken five minutes and cost $50. “It’s actually kind of therapeutic. You’re just sitting there, focused on one thing,” Moore said. Getting a stick-and-poke means imperfection, she said. “I am super proud of it. People are always shocked that it’s a stick-and-poke.”
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Sophomore Anna Moore (top), sophomore Cameron Smith (left) and first-year Isabel Fetter (right) are three people out of the 38 percent of 18-29 year olds who have at least one tattoo.
SPORTS
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The Vermont Cynic
April 3, 2018
Lacrosse senior dreams of pro future Maddie Allen Staff Writer Senior Ian MacKay’s collegiate lacrosse career will draw to a close this spring, but the captain isn’t done with the sport. Following his career as a Catamount, MacKay is hoping to play professionally. “The pro field draft is coming up in April,” MacKay said. “I definitely have that date circled in my calendar.” MacKay is also hoping to be drafted into the professional National Lacrosse League in September as well. “For field your name just goes in [to the draft],” MacKay said. “When you are a senior you become automatically eligible for the draft.” If MacKay is drafted in April, he will not be able to talk to his future team because he will still be in season for the Catamounts and gearing up for playoffs. For indoor lacrosse, there is a combine a few days before the draft, which is televised, MacKay said. MacKay is no stranger to playing lacrosse on a big stage. Prior to arriving at UVM, the Ontario native represented Canada on the U-19 National Team. “[Having] the opportunity to represent [your] country, not a lot of people can say they have done that before,” MacKay said. “Getting that call was definitely awesome and mak-
RYAN KIEL-ZABEL/The Vermont Cynic
Senior Ian McKay, captain of the men’s lacrosse team, works a Binghamton University defender March 24. McKay is optimistic about the team’s future this season.
ing the trip to Finland [for the World Lacrosse Championships] was really cool.” Prior to his arrival at UVM, MacKay played at the Hill Academy in Ontario, which he credits with shaping much of his athletic and academic success. He also spoke about the process of choosing UVM, and how the culture of the Univer-
sity as a whole influenced his decision to attend. “UVM was my first [Division I] offer,” MacKay said. “And when I came and visited Burlington it reminded me a lot of home.” Now in his senior season, MacKay has amassed a lot of experience on the field and is successful, despite redshirting last season due to injury.
“The adversity that he’s gone through as a player has really given him a lot of time to reflect on his impact on this program and how he can make the most of that while he’s still here,” head coach Chris Fiefs said. MacKay also recently recorded his 200th career point. This now places him third overall in UVM history for
points. He scored a career-high six goals against the University of Hartford in an 11-7 win March 31. So far this season he has scored 27 goals and added 12 assists. “He’s a dynamic athlete,” Fiefs said. “He’s a player who is a matchup nightmare for a lot of teams.” Both Fiefs and teammate Graham Bocklet noted that MacKay’s vocal leadership has steadily improved since his early years on campus. “As a teammate he holds himself to a high standard, which makes everyone else hold themselves to a high standard as well,” Bocklet said. “He’s very vocal which is needed on our team because kids like to listen.” Looking toward the rest of the season, UVM finds itself in a great place with a record of 9-1 with its only loss coming to top ranked University at Albany. The Catamounts are currently ranked No. 16 in the nation. “I think really the sky’s the limit for us,” MacKay said. “I think really the only team that is stopping us is ourselves.” Lacrosse hosts the University of Massachusetts Lowell, April 7 and travels to Stony Brook University a week later.
Underdogs bring the madness in NCAA tournament Locria Courtright Assistant Sports Editor
T
he NCAA men’s basketball tournament is the home of the unpredictable — they don’t call the tournament “March Madness” for nothing. This year’s tournament has lived up to the moniker in the form of two teams: the University of Maryland Baltimore County and Loyola University Chicago. The No. 16 UMBC Retrievers, who stunned UVM in the America East Championship on a buzzer-beater, looked doomed when the bracket came out and put them against the top overall seed University of Virginia. The Cavaliers were notorious for their stingy defense, which led them to a 31-2 record going into the tournament. But the Retrievers stunned the nation. Not only did they beat the Cavs for the first 16-over-1 upset in men’s tournament history, but they blew them out by
20 points, running away with a 74-54 win in Charlotte. Jairus Lyles, who had broken Catamount hearts a week earlier, became a national celebrity after scoring 28 points in the winning effort. Their run ended a game later when an inability to score led to a 50-44 loss to No. 9 Kansas State University. One Cinderella that persisted, however, was the Loyola Chicago Ramblers, who had won the Missouri Valley Conference’s auto bid and entered the tournament as a No. 11 seed. The Ramblers hadn’t made the tournament since 1985. A No. 11 seed is usually lucky to make the Sweet 16. But when the Final Four began in San Antonio, there were the Ramblers, duking it out against the Michigan Wolverines, the first 11 seed to make the Final Four since Virginia Commonwealth University in 2011. While the media buzzed around the Ramblers’ 98-yearold team chaplain, Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, the Ramblers players were able to execute on the court. Their run started with a last-second win in the first
GENEVIEVE WINN
round over the No. 6 Miami Hurricanes. They followed that up with another buzzer-beater to defeat the No. 3 Tennessee Volunteers to reach the Sweet 16. Loyola then edged the No. 7 Nevada Wolfpack by one to reach the Elite Eight — a round the Ramblers hadn’t made
since their sole 1963 national championship. In that Elite Eight, the Ramblers steamrolled Kansas State by 16, earning a place in the Final Four. Unfortunately for the Ramblers, the Final Four was where the run ended. Despite leading for stretch-
es of the game, they fell 69-57 to Michigan. But just as UMBC did, Loyola, 98-year-old basketball-loving nun and all, won the hearts of a nation. Locria Courtright is a junior English major and has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2017.