Best of Burly
Women on $20
See what voters have named the best spots in town
Harriet Tubman to replace Andrew Jackson
FEATURES
BURLINGTON, VT
VTCYNIC.COM
VOL. 132
facebook.com/ thevermontcynic
ISSUE 28
LIFE
PG. 6-7
@vermontcynic
PG. 8
instagram.com/ vermontcynic
youtube.com/ cynicvideo
W E D N E S DAY, M AY 4 , 2 0 1 6
SPRINGFEST See article on pg. 12
Crowds gather at the barricade for The Head and the Heart’s performance at SpringFest April 30.
PHIL CARRUTHERS/The Vermont Cynic
Bathroom laws ignite activism by marissa lanoff mlanoff@uvm.edu
On April 22, students gathered outside the Bailey/Howe Library, armed with megaphones and signs declaring “peeing is a right, not a privilege” and “#peeinpeace.” The issue of gender identity has been the subject of nationwide debate in recent weeks, sparking activism on campus. This occurred after North Carolina passed a law in March prohibiting transgender individuals from using bathrooms that do not match their biological birth sex, according to the Public Facilities, Privacy and Security Act. Junior Lindsey McCarron organized the rally to protest the absence of all-gender bathrooms in the library and express solidarity with those affected by this recent law. The protesters’ primary demand was the designation of two “all-gender” bathrooms on each floor of Bailey/Howe, McCarron said. McCarron said she prefers the term “all-gender” rather than “gender-neutral” because it doesn’t separate trans, queer, nonbinary or agender students from the general population. Wanda Heading-Grant, vice president for Human Resources, Diversity and Multicultural Affairs, sent a letter to the com-
Sophomore charged with vehicular homicide, DUI by Bryan o’keefe bpokeefe@uvm.edu
(left to right) Lindsey McCarron, Lee Bick and Riley Moseley protest for all-gender bathrooms at Bailey/Howe April 22. Photo Courtesy of Marylyn Rogel
munity April 29, reaffirming the University’s commitment to restroom inclusion. She further announced the creation of a task force that will review the protesters’ demands and attempt to make changes by the end of this spring, as well as more long-term changes encompassing gender identity.
“At this time, multi-stall all-gender bathrooms are on the rise in the United States, and I believe they will become more common here before long,” said Dot Brauer, director of the LGBTQA Center on campus.
SEE GENDER IDENTITY PAGE 9
Wearing a neck brace and sling, a sophomore appeared in a Massachusetts court to plead not guilty to vehicular homicide. Joseph Castano was released on $25,000 bail in Massachusetts following a deadly drunk driving crash April 22. The incident left passenger Craig Sampson dead, according to an April 26 Boston Herald article. Sampson, Castano’s childhood friend, was a student at Endicott College, according to the article. He was also a graduate of local Champlain Valley Union High School. Castano, who played on the UVM varsity soccer team in 2014, faces charges of vehicular homicide after crashing his father’s BMW into a utility pole while leaving Endicott, according to Salem News. Castano was no longer on the team prior to the start of the 2015 season, Alastair Ingram, director of media relations and sports information for UVM athletics, confirmed in a May 2 email to the Cynic. Son of Assistant Provost Kerry Castano, Joseph Castano was found to have a blood alco-
Photo courtesey UVM Athletics
hol content of .22 percent after the crash, according to Salem News. His trial begins in June, according to Salem News. Until then, he will be allowed to return home to Williston, Vermont. Junior Lynden Prior attended Champlain Valley Union High School with both Castano and Sampson, but said he only knew them in passing. “They were both well-loved in high school and college from everything I knew about them,” Prior said. “I can’t even imagine what both families are going through,” he said.