THE VERMONT
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CYNIC A Look at UVM’s DRUG USE April 23, 2019
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reported knowing someone who uses recreational substances, including alcohol and tobacco.
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SAM LITRA/The Vermont Cynic
ed using psychedelics like LSD or psilocybin mushrooms. The most reported psychedelic was mushrooms, with nearly 39%, and LSD in second with 35.3% reported use. Additionally, nearly 7% reported using amphetamines like prescription Adderall, and 5.5% reported using cocaine. About 73% of student respondents reported that there is a culture around drinking at UVM. Rougly 97% of students reported that there is a culture around cannabis at UVM. Among students who reported using cannabis, about 27% were first-years and about 33% were sophomores, while 22% were juniors and 18% were seniors.
Nearly 95% of UVM students who responded to a Cynic survey reported they use or have used recreational drugs. Over 200 undergraduate students were surveyed to gauge the drug culture at UVM. Of the responses, 99% reported knowing someone who uses recreational substances including alcohol and tobacco. The drugs on the survey ranged in popularity of usage, with alcohol being No. 1, followed by cannabis. Of students who reported using cannabis, 18% of students reported using one to four days a week. After nicotine, which made up a combined 27.4% of the responses, 7% report-
How often do you... Drink alcohol
32.8%
19.7%
15.3%
once a year
use tobacco products
use cocaine or methamphetamines
take prescriptions that aren’t yours
81.7%
76%
27.5%
13.1% 13.1%
31% never
use cannabis products
17.9%
every 2-6 months
15.3%
every 1-3 weeks
58.5%
every 5-7 days
every 1-4 days
multiple times a day
Other
NEWS
2
The Vermont Cynic
April 23, 2019
Recovery program challenges stigma Julianne Lesch jlesch@uvm.edu
The Catamount Recovery Program works to redefine the typical college experience by helping those in recovery and promoting a substance-free life on campus. The Catamount Recovery Program began in 2010 and is located in Living Well on the first floor of the Davis Center, The program helps those in the UVM community who are in recovery from substance use disorder, CRP Director Amy Boyd Austin said. “My original conception of the Catamount Recovery Program was about creating a safe space for students in recovery from substance use disorders,” Austin said. ”I think that the college campus is a pretty hostile environment.” Austin said a challenge that CRP has been dealing with is breaking through the stigmas and preconceived notions while helping people recognize biases about recovery. “There’s an expectation that you party in college and that getting into trouble, missing class, being hungover,” she said. “All those consequences are thought of as rites of passage as opposed to indicators that maybe it’s a problem. “And it’s not a problem for everybody.” The Catamount Recovery Program is meant to show that a complete college experience doesn’t need to be include substance use, CRP Coordinator Joy Solomon ’18 said.
Image source: Facebook
The UVM Catamount Recovery Program poses for a photo with recovery programs from other schools across the country at UNITE to Face Addiction Oct. 5, 2015. CRP began in 2010 and is located in Living Well on the first floor of the Davis Center. Substance abuse affects many people and is incredibly prevalent among college students, Solomon said. “It’s like 9.3% of Americans struggle with substance use disorder,” she said. “Eighty percent of that is between ages 18 and 25. “We’re looking at at least 6% or 7% of our campus.” There are around 30 to 40 students currently in the program, which is far less than the projected number of students on campus struggling with substance use, Solomon said. A student in CRP who wish-
es to remain anonymous said she wants more awareness of the program. She only found out about CRP after she left school to get sober, she said. “There’s so many people who don’t know the first steps of getting help,” she said. “If that was more well-known, we would have a lot more people who chose to not always participate in substances.” Visibility on campus is something CRP is actively working on by tabling in the Davis Center every Monday, Solomon said.
We need to be having open conversations concerning addiction and substance use on campus, said another student currently in the Catamount Recovery Program. This program has allowed students to find community among people who understand what they have gone through, one student in CRP said, and a discussion-based class has allowed for students to talk about topics concerning their recovery. “It talks about how to date sober and how to have interactions with people that you may
have hurt in the past because of your actions and how to mend those relationships,” she said. Austin has worked in the recovery feld in the prison system previously. Later, Austin served as president of the Association of Recovery in Higher Education, an organization that represents collegiate recovery programs. As a current grad student, Solomon has witnessed CRP from both sides — as a student in long term recovery at the University, and as an employee working for the program.
Suspects arrested after a fatal shooting near campus Lee Hughes ehughes7@uvm.edu
Following a shootout near UVM’s campus, four suspects in the murder of a 23-year-old man have been arrested. The shootout occurred 3 p.m. April 16 on North Willard Street and resulted in multiple CatAlerts warning students to avoid the area, until the 5 p.m. alert opened the area for regular traffic. Victim Benzel Hampton, originally from Florida, was fatally wounded, and one of his suspected attackers, 36-yearold James Felix, was also injured, according to an April 18 press release from Burlington Police Chief Brandon del Pozo. Hampton leaves behind two children. The Burlington Police Department has spoken with his sister, girlfriend and estranged wife, the release stated. Brandon Sanders, 18, Johnny Ford, 32, and Felix allegedly attacked Hampton while Hampton was involved in a drug deal at 235 North Willard st. Lesine Woodson, 32, drove the vehicle used by attackers to
leave the scene of the shooting. Woodson was arrested by Burlington Police April 16 on Colchester Avenue. Following the shootout, Hampton’s attackers drove down Colchester Avenue and flagged down an ambulance. When police arrived, Sanders and Ford had already fled the area, according to the police report. Felix is at the UVM Medical Center for treatment for his injuries, according to the release. All suspects were arrested by the night of April 17, and the four will likely be charged with second-degree murder, according to the release. Sanders was apprehended by federal authorities the evening of April 17 on I-91 in Connecticut, the release stated. Senior Mary McCann lives near where the shooting occured, but was not home at the time of the incident, she said. She did see the police and ambulance activity following the shooting as she was driving later. To McCann, this event is connected to a larger, ongo-
SAWYER LOFTUS/The Vermont Cynic
A shootout that occurred 3 p.m. April 16 on North Willard Street led to the arrest of four suspects in the murder of a 23-year-old man. The shootout resulted in multiple CatAlerts warning students to avoid the area, until the 5 p.m. alert opened the area for regular traffic. ing drug issue surrounding the area, she said. Regardless, she doesn’t feel less safe following the incident. “I don’t think it changes things dramatically for me,” McCann said. “When it’s so close to campus, there’s a little bit more awareness.
“So it’s good people are becoming more aware of it, but it’s not a new problem.” University Communications Director Enrique Corredera said although this incident did not occur on campus, students should be aware of their surroundings and take general
precautions. “There just needs to be an awareness that incidents of violence, and particularly violence involving weapons, can and do happen in the city from time to time,” Corredera said. “It helps for students to be aware.”
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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
4/20 smokers ignore social justice Staff Editorial So often the fight to legalize cannabis is branded as a fight to have fun, but this ignores the serious repercussions that past cannabis laws have had on people of color. This past weekend saw the campus celebration of 4/20, when students gather on Redstone campus to celebrate cannabis. When the event first became popular in the '70s and '80s, it was labeled by some students as a sort of protest, which Pat Brown, the director of Student Life at the time, felt wasn’t quite fair. If students wanted to change federal laws, they should have left the safety of UVM and risked arrest by protesting for legalization at federal buildings. This year marked the first time recreational cannabis use was legal at the event, but students actually faced more resistance from campus police than they had in years when the drug was illegal. The whole affair highlights the emphasis of cannabis as a college past time, but it is rarely given its due as a force for social liberation or oppression. In Vermont, cannabis has been legal since Jan. 22, 2017, but this movement for legalization has left behind the people who have been most negatively affected by the previous laws: Black people. A 2013 report from the
Social Media Peter Hibbeler socialcyniceditor@gmail.com Illustrations Holly Coughlan illustrations@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), Kate Vanni (Layout), Meilena Sanchez (Layout), Sophie Spencer (Illustrations) Copy Editors Allyson Cooke, Isabel Coppola, Dalton Doyle, Zoe Shepard, Kelly Turner Page Designers Lindsay Freed, Caroline McCune
ADVISING Faculty Adviser Chris Evans crevans@uvm.edu
HOLLY COUGHLAN
American Civil Liberties Union states, “a Black person is 3.73 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than a white person.” On April 19, 2019, Ben & Jerry’s released a petition, “calling on Congress to expunge prior marijuana convictions and provide pardons/amnesty to anyone whose only crime was possession of cannabis.” Some cities have already taken action to address
this problem, such as San Francisco, which dismissed 9,000 cannabis-related convictions in February. This year, on 4/20, the increased police action greatly surprised the mostly white crowd on Redstone who thought that legalization in Vermont would lead to more breathing room. However, people of color have been wrongly targeted by the police since drug laws have been in place.
Instead of crowding the Redstone campus, UVM students should act to demand social justice reform. 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.
UVM's "party school" reputation falls short of reality Emily Johnston
Video Jordan Mitchell video@vtcynic.com Web Connor Allan web@vtcynic.com
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ejohnst2l@uvm.edu
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t’s Saturday night. Dorms across the hall are blasting music, and you’re hoping to find a house party to go to. You text all your connections, but the typical answer is, “Well, something is going down here, but I can’t invite you.” It is clear from my time at UVM that this school is not a party school; it’s a stoner school. In 2018, the Princeton Review inaccurately ranked UVM No. 12 on its list of party schools. Of course students party here. It is a state college after all, but they are not partying enough to warrant a top 15 spot. Fraternities are open most weekends to people with tickets. And for those over 21, What Ale’s You or Rasputin’s are weekend options. The exclusivity of these functions, however, means that not everyone will be partying that night. The Princeton Review takes into account the amount of drugs on campus as something
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OPINION
April 23, 2019
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The Vermont Cynic
that would raise a school’s ranking. While party drugs, such as cocaine or Xanax, do exist here, the most notable and easy-tofind drug on campus is cannabis. The only problem is that weed is not a party drug in the way alcohol or MDMA is. The average student is not spending their weekend chugging beers and taking shots. They’re in their dorm rooms smoking. UVM is more of a stoner school than a binge drinking
school. Walking down the halls of most dorms, a person can smell the pungent, skunk-like scent of cannabis. UVM is also well-known for its 4/20 celebration — not the 5K on the same day, but the gathering of all stoners at the University on Redstone campus. People gather in a massive crowd, and when the clock hits 4:20 p.m., they take bong rips, smoke joints or light a bowl. Even with the weed factor, UVM’s ranking on the list is inflated. Perhaps the Princeton
Review may be looking at all four years on average. By the time a student is legally allowed to drink, they will have access to Burligton nightlife, but only looking at the parties to come doesn’t consider the full UVM experience. For the first two years of college, weekends will usually be spent in a dorm. There will be the occasional party, but more often than not, none. If the Princeton Review thinks drinking in a dorm with close friends is a party, so be it. Still, UVM doesn't have the crazy 400 person affairs seen on TV and in movies. Ranking this school that high on the list is just misleading. Catamounts love to get down, but not enough to warrant a spot in the top 15 party schools. Maybe we are worthy of a top 15 spot for drug use, but parties are not the University’s specialty. The Princeton Review should take that into account.
Emily Johnston is a firstyear environmental science major. She has been writing for the Cynic since spring 2019.
OPINION
4
The Vermont Cynic
April 23, 2019
Reform criminal justice and legalize VALENTINA CZOCHANSKI
Chris Harrell crharrell@uvm.edu
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annabis is all the rage in Washington, D.C., right now. Politicians, especially Democrats, are increasingly jumping on the “legalize cannabis” bandwagon. Out of the top Democrats leading the polls for 2020, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Rep. Beto O’Rourke, Sens. Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris have all come out in support of legalization. I am in no doubt thrilled by this development. President Barack Obama ran opposing full legalization, and his actions while in office are indecisive at best. Legalization and decriminalization seem to be the way forward, at least for the Democratic party. As many as twothirds of Americans support legalizing cannabis, according to an October 2018 Gallup Poll. But one part of the current legalizing trend that disturbs me is Democratic politicians refusing to talk about the social justice aspect of legalization. Certainly, the candidates who have long supported legalization have talked about cannabis prohibition’s disproportionate effect on people of color. Cannabis legalization is first and foremost a social justice issue. Black Americans are arrested and incarcerated for cannabis-related offenses at a rate up to 11 times higher than white Americans, according to a 2013 report by the American
Civil Liberties Union. Candidates like Sanders and Warren have talked about this in great detail, and even contenders like O’Rourke and Buttigieg have mentioned legalization in the context of social justice and criminal reform. But simply mentioning it doesn’t go far enough. And even worse, candidates such as Harris are ignoring their own role in the incarceration crisis. Take Harris’ recent appearance on the New York City pop culture radio show “The Breakfast Club.” On it, she voices her support for legalization and says that she smoked cannabis while in college. She conveniently leaves out
the fact that as district attorney for San Francisco and attorney general for California, she aggressively prosecuted even small-time offenders for cannabis charges, as described in a Jan. 19 New York Times op-ed. As attorney general from 2011 to 2017, Harris remained in office after the passing of recreational cannabis use in California in 2016. She could have used her power as attorney general to clear the records and release those in jail for nonviolent cannabis offenses from prison. She chose not to, even while publicly supporting the legalization effort. And now, while running for president, she is supporting the
federal legalization of cannabis and clearing the records of those who have been convicted of nonviolent cannabis charges. She says nothing about freeing those currently incarcerated. No apologies to the families that she broke up. And no regrets for the lack of action during her time as attorney general. Even former Vice President Joe Biden has attempted to soften his stance on cannabis to be more in line with Obamaera policies, according to an April 16 Washington Examiner article. Biden has taken initiative in passing most of the “toughon-crime” War on Drugs legislation in the past several de-
cades, as shown in the same Washington Examiner article. Biden has continued to stand by that legislation even as evidence of the racial disparities in policing of the laws he designed were known. We should not tolerate politicians who are coasting on cannabis’ popularity. They can’t just show their support to win easy votes without showing their plans as well. Politicians must support and be willing to implement comprehensive criminal justice reforms alongside legalization. Chris Harrell is a junior political science major. He has been writing for the Cynic since spring 2019.
When drugs and hookup culture intersect, swipe left Tori Scala vscala@uvm.edu
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wipe right if you agree: Tinder is a toxic app that leads many into awkward situations in the UVM community. If you’re unfamiliar with the app, it’s an online dating platform popular with younger users. But these days, dating is not Tinder’s sole purpose. You may come across the occasional “Want to smoke?” profile when you’re sober, and immediately swipe left. But if you’re under the influence of drugs or alcohol, your sense of judgement is impaired, making that offer sound more enticing than it would be if you were sober. Many underclassmen have resorted to Tinder to buy weed and smoke with others. This can only lead to bad
situations, not lifelong partners. GQ magazine ran a study in April 2016 which outlined how easy it was to find drug dealers through social media platforms, one being Tinder. The magazine stated that within hours, they matched with multiple dealers across London. Now, of course the publication didn’t purchase any drugs, but this simple experiment outlined how simple it was for Tinder users to match with multiple drug dealers within a matter of hours. From behind a smartphone screen, someone will decide if your pictures are worth their time, not to mention their cannabis. When you match someone and they want to smoke while you’re looking for something more, it can be damaging for both sides. In my opinion, many Tinder profiles are comical, not sexy. Sometimes I’ll be swiping through and come across a pro-
EMMA PINEZICH
file with only pictures of cannabis. This is a good inclination of what the other user is up for. People’s bios are also a good indication of what their true intentions are. The usual “Want to smoke?” or “Looking for a good time, not a long time” are classics which immediately send up red flags for me. If someone resorts to Tinder as an easy way to get drugs or sex, beware — they are not
the right people to be around. Throughout my time at UVM, I have noticed that more people use Tinder when they are under the influence. This will, more often than not, lead to bad decisions that they will definitely regret the next morning. Usually most Tinder users swipe through profiles at astounding speeds, not paying close attention to the people they’re swiping on.
Adding alcohol or drugs in the mix means that while your swiping speeds may be muchfaster, your standards are much lower. Low standards will never lead anywhere promising, especially when you’re looking for drugs. As a friend, the least I can do is make sure my friends don’t get into sticky situations through Tinder or other apps while under the influence. My advice to others is to look out for your friends, and yourself. You can never tell if someone’s intentions, or their cannabis, is real when you can only see them through an app, so watch out. When in doubt, for any reason at all, swipe left. Tori Scala is a first-year political science and Italian major. She has been writing for the Cynic since spring 2019.
The Vermont Cynic
OPINION
April 23, 2019
5
POINT/COUNTERPOINT
The Debate on
decriminalization
Decriminalizing drugs lessens addiction and incarceration rates Mills Sparkman msparkma@uvm.edu
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e should decriminalize drugs in the U.S. in order to combat our massive addiction problems and decrease mass incarceration. Since the days of Prohibition, the U.S. has learned that outlawing drugs or other substances will not stop people from using them. Today, politicians talk about legalizing cannabis, but that might just be the start of an even bigger mission: decriminalizing drugs altogether. To be clear, decriminalizing drugs does not mean legalizing drug use. Rather, decriminalizing drugs reframes drug possession and use as a health issue rather than a criminal one. It’s no secret that substance abuse is a huge problem in the U.S. In Vermont especially, addiction to opioids and other drugs have hurt communities and created a public health crisis no one seems to be able to solve. People tend to characterize the addicted as a small part of the population who made the choice or were predisposed to drug addiction. These negative assumptions are not accurate: 46% of U.S. adults say they have a family member or close friend who is addicted to drugs or has been in the past, according to an October 2017 Pew Research article. One example of decriminalization working well that we often hear about is Portugal. Portugal’s problems with addiction in the 1990s led to the largest outbreak of HIV in the European Union, according to a June 2015 Washington Post article. By 2001, the government decided decriminalization was the only solution. Today, Portugese laws treat selling and distributing drugs as a criminal offense, but use or possession of small amounts of drugs is not a crime, according to the Foundations Recovery Network. Instead of being arrested in the street and thrown in jail, offenders meet with counselors, psychologists
or social workers to combat their addiction, according to a July 2017 Drug Policy Alliance article. It seems like this strategy is working. According to the Foundations Recovery Network, decriminalization of drugs in Portugal cut substance abuse and addiction rates in half, and reduced violence related to drug trafficking. It’s true that Portugal has one asset the U.S. does not: universal health care. This enables the government to provide resources like rehab facilities and social workers free of charge. The U.S. may not have universal health care, but that doesn’t mean we’re powerless. Stricter pharmaceutical laws and and increased funding of state-sponsored rehab centers could give people the chance to fully recover. Besides addiction, decriminalization would reduce incarceration. According to a January 2018 Drug Policy Alliance article, black and Latino people are more than 20% more likely than white people to face federal prison time for drug offenses, despite similar rates of use. This disparity is due to both misguided drug laws and harsh sentencing requirements. Though decriminalizing drugs would not solve racial profiling, it would keep those who committed minor drug offenses out of jail. This would benefit all those accused of petty drug crimes, regardless of race. In addition, it would create a path of healing rather than a path of punishment for those who are addicted. We need to recognize that drug addiction is a disease, not a choice. Those who are addicted are our friends, family and neighbors, not criminals. Furthermore, the U.S. can’t continue with the same drug policy we’ve had for the past 40 years and expect new results. Drugs and addiction are public health issues. It’s time we treated them as such. Mills Sparkman is a sophomore political science major and the Opinion Section Editor. She has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2017.
Decriminalizing drugs puts patients at risk of worse problems Henry Mitchell hdmitche@uvm.edu
I
am concerned with the decriminalization of drugs in the U.S. because I expect a lack of follow-up to its implementation. To understand this problem, look at Portugal, the country most often pointed at when making the case for complete decriminalization of drugs. Under their system, possession of drugs is not treated as a criminal offense and will not land you in jail. According to a December 2017 Guardian article, this has reduced their prison population, eased the workload of police who no longer have to chase low-level drug addicts and led to more people seeking treatment. This all looks like a really good solution to fixing both our prison problem and the opioid epidemic. However, the U.S. is not Portugal. The main idea behind decriminalization was that “punitive sanctions can be applied, but the main objective is to explore the need for treatment and to promote healthy recovery,” according to Portugal’s European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction 2017 drug report. This means providing treatment for free to those who often can’t afford it, without any regulations or constraints. In the U.S., however, we let private rehab facilities overcharge patients, only to let them die. According to a May 2017 Orange County Register article, in California, one customer dies every 16 days in a licensed rehab center, and that for many patients, the closest they get to proper consumer information comes from the customer-review website Yelp. If you want a state-funded rehab center, American Addiction Centers states, you’ll only need to give proof of legal U.S. residence, income, personal drug use history and the ability to wait an indeterminate amount of time before receiving treatment. In the U.S., we allow ‘Big Pharma’ companies to raise prices on
life-saving drugs such as insulin for diabetes, a disease that isn’t even stigmatized. An April 4 New York Times article stated that monthly costs for insulin nearly doubled between 2013 to 2016, from $234 to $450, forcing people to ration their paychecks. Now if you have an opioid addiction, you could be looking at up to $5000 per year for methadone treatment. Or if you plan on carrying naloxone to reverse a potential overdose, it could cost anywhere between $20 to $4100 depending on what you are prescribed. In the U.S., we allow pharmaceutical companies to push unnecessary opioid prescriptions onto patients to make a quick buck. Last March, five Manhattan doctors were arrested for taking over $800,000 from pharmaceutical company Insys Therapeutics to prescribe and promote fentanyl-based drugs to patients who didn’t need it, according to a March 2018 NBC article. In an April 17 New York Times article, 60 people, including doctors, nurses and pharmacists, were arrested across seven states for illegally distributing millions of opioids in exchange for cash, sex or sometimes both. In Portugal, the point of drug decriminalization is to allow people to come out and seek help. This has allowed the government to treat the source of addiction: isolation. If we decriminalized drugs like Portugal did, we would only be allowing people to come out and find nothing. Until we fix our inadequate health care and corporate lobbying, it seems to me that our best option is prevention. We can only hope that educating people about the risks of opioid prescriptions and social isolation will stall the epidemic. I would still like to keep decriminalization on the table as a means to reduce our prison population, but we can’t assume it will fix our drug problems with no consequences. Henry Mitchell is a sophomore political science and economics major. He has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2017.
The Vermont Cynic
6
4/20:
The past and present of UVM’s spring tradition
Cannabis celebration still riding high Emma Pinezich epinezic@uvm.edu
UVM’s annual 4/20 celebration entered a new era as cannabis possession was legalized in Vermont four decades after the event began. Even though possession of cannabis is legal in Vermont, UVM’s policy about it has not changed, said Annie Stevens, vice provost of student affairs. “We really follow the federal law, because the University is federally funded,” Stevens said. “It’s in our best interest to follow federal law.” Smoking cannabis in public is still not allowed on campus, in Vermont or by the federal government, she said. Cannabis possession is also not allowed on campus, in residence halls or at UVM-sponsored events, according to UVM’s website. The University policy did not deter the students that came out to smoke. “Clearly they’re not enforcing it that heavily,” a soph-
omore said at the event. “It’s kind of just luck of the draw who [the police] choose.” Despite UVM’s policy, over 100 students came together on Redstone campus to celebrate 4/20. “There’s a nice cloud out here,” one first-year said, referring to the smoke raising over the crowd shortly after 4:20 p.m. A UVM police presence joined the amount of students who came to Redstone to smoke. “They’re not being crazy, they’re not being pushy,” the first-year said. “As long as they’re here and we can incorporate them into our society, it’s not going to be ‘us and them.” Senior Caroline Galliani said she welcomes the police presence. “It keeps sketchy people from coming in, so it’s all UVM students,” she said. UVM police services Sergeant Jim Phelps, who was at the event, said that public safety is the
number one priority of the police. “We just want to make sure everyone is okay,” he said. Not every student appreciated the police presence, though. “I think [the police] cause more harm than good,” said a first-year who was fined at the event. “My citation is justified, but I’d rather they weren’t handing them out. It’s not fair to single kids out.” Vermont legalized the possession of up to one ounce of cannabis for those over 21 in January 2018. The law took effect July 1, 2018. UVM Student Financial Services sent an email April 10 notifying students that a federal or state drug offense can disqualify a student from receiving financial aid. Stevens and Chief Risk Officer Al Turgeon also sent an email April 19 notifying students of UVM’s drug policy and warn-
ing them of the consequences of breaking it. “Students who are identified (in person or by video) and found responsible for violating University policy and/or state law could receive a minimum $250 fine,” the email stated. Despite these emails to students, Phelps said that there was nothing different about the police presence at the event this year. Some students have gotten into legal trouble with UVM police services in previous years, Stevens said. “Sometimes its been both students who disregard the police in terms of whatever direction they’re giving them, sometimes it’s simple possession,” Stevens said. “So there’s been a variety of ways that the University police have intervened.” UVM police services needs to weigh safety of those in such a large crowd with enforcement of policy on 4/20, she said.
STEPHAN TOLJAN/The Vermont Cy
April 23, 2019
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4/20 gathering has deep roots on campus Emma Pinezich epinezic@uvm.edu
Lee Hughes ehughes7@uvm.edu
(TOP) (SAM LITRA) UVM police services watch over the crowd of students gathered on Redstone campus for the 4/20 celebration April 20. “There’s a nice cloud out here,” a first-year said, referring to the smoke raising over the crowd shortly after 4:20 p.m (BOTTOM) (STEPHAN TOLJAN) Used joints lie in the grass outside Simpson Hall shortly after 4:20 p.m. as students moved inside to avoid being written up by UVM police services.
The 4/20 celebration has changed times and places over the years. Over these years, there has been an ongoing debate about its political intent, said Pat Brown, former director of student life, who retired last year after 39 years at UVM. The event didn’t happen every year, and there were some years where the event took place at North Beach or at 4:20 a.m. rather than 4:20 p.m. as it does now, Brown said. Drugs first began to emerge on campus beginning in the ’60s, according to a February 1969 Cynic article referencing awareness of emerging drug culture. During the ’80s, the 4/20 event gained more prominence on campus, Brown said. He is not sure exactly when the event started, he said. Drug use lost its political edge in the ’80s. Students were focusing more on getting a job than on protesting as they had been in the ’60s and ’70s, according to the 1982 article. “[Students] would say, ‘oh, it’s a protest,’ and my comment would be, ‘well no, it’s not. It’s a federal law that everyone’s concerned about,’” Brown said. “If you were really protesting, you’d be going down to the federal buildings.” Students would tell Brown that they weren’t going to federal buildings to
smoke because they would get arrested if they did. He told them that’s what a protest is, he said. In the early ’90s, the event began to consistently be held on campus and during the afternoon, he said. “In front of the library back in the early ’90s, I would guess to say half of the crowd was not UVM students,” Brown said. Since then, the University has worked to keep non-UVM students out of the event, he said. It was often in front of Howe Library in the ’90s, Brown said. One year SGA and Student Life put on a concert at that location on April 20, which was the rebirth of SpringFest, Brown said. This is the only time Brown remembers Student Life programming interfering with the event. Student life has historically not paid much attention to it, he said. Brown can’t pinpoint when the event started to take place on Redstone campus, but he believes it to be within the last 10 years, he said. Stevens also thinks the event used to be more political since it was intended to get cannabis legalized. In the past 15 years, attendance at the event has dipped, she said. Since 2016, the Wellness Environment has hosted a 5K at 4:20 p.m. on 4/20. This was created in part to provide an alternative to the 4/20 event, Stevens said.
Community and students show up for wellness Allie O’Connor aoconno8@uvm.edu
Despite the rain and overcast weather, several hundred students and community members gathered on the indoor tennis courts and turf of the Patrick Gym for the fourth annual 4/20 5K for Wellness April 20. At the same time, students from all across campus trekked to Redstone campus to participate in a less official celebration — smoking for 4/20. Jim Hudziak, the director of the Wellness Environment, said the 5K is a WE signature event. “The idea behind it is just providing healthy options and healthy opportunities on a day where people make decisions that may or may not be as healthy,” he said. Hudziak said he was excited at the participation, citing that over 1,400 had registered. “The weather may dampen that enthusiasm, but I see it, as I’ve seen it every year, it’s a celebration of our community on campus and in the city,” he said. Junior Lily Brown said many more Burlington residents participated in this year’s race than last. “I’d even say there are more community members than students,” she said. Surrounding the tennis courts were tables for groups such as the UVM Running Club and UVM Din-
ing. There were also tables for local businesses that had sponsored the race, such as Skida, a Vermont-made headwear company, and The Community Sailing Center. Several food trucks and food from local businesses were available after the race, such as Pingala Cafe, Taco Truck All Stars, Shy Guy Gelato and FeelGood. Before the race began, race marshall and Interim Provost Patty Prelock addressed the crowd, praising the UVM community’s “commitment to health and wellness.” Despite the food, games and activities, junior Erin Brooks didn’t think that the 5K was really about deterring students from participating in drug use. “It seems like students who are already interested in running are the ones participating. I don’t know anyone who’s like, ‘oh I’m not gonna go to Redstone to run the 5K instead,’” Brooks said. Sophomore JoJo Mcdonald agreed, saying that if students were already set on taking part in the smoking aspect of 4/20, the presence of other opportunities wouldn’t stop them. Beyond the Wellness Environment’s attempts at providing alternative programming, UVM’s administration warned students against participating in drug use. An email from Al Turgeon, Chief Risk Officer and Annie Stevens, Vice
MATT DOOMAN/The Vermont Cynic
Sporting courtesy blue 4/20 5K t-shirts, runners leave the starting line at the UVM Wellness Environment 4/20 5K for Wellness in front of the Gucciardi Fitness Center at 4:20 p.m. April 20. Just a few hundred feet away on Redstone campus, students smoked cannabis in celebration of the 4/20 holiday. Provost for Student Affairs was sent out to students on April 19, stating that marijuana is not allowed on campus and is illegal for those under 21. The email states that students who are “identified in person or by video” to and found responsible for violating university policy and/or state law could receive a minimum fine of $250. The email left several students across campus unsure of how seriously the fine would be enforced. “I don’t know how it’ll be enforced, especially since there are so
many people who participate,” Brown said. “There’s no way they can fine everyone.” Brooks noticed that some students were nervous about the fine, but that most had just been making fun of the email. “I think the threat of fines has kind of put an air of hesitation over everything, but the people I’ve talked to don’t seem to care,” Mcdonald said. “So many people go to Redstone to smoke that if they were going to punish people there’s no way that they get everyone.”
CULTURE
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The Vermont Cynic
April 23, 2019
The art form of lighting up
Keely Lyons klyons12@uvm.edu
Bongs, hookahs and bowls of every color and style adorn the Bern Gallery, a local smoke shop on Main Street. Large and artful pieces that can cost up to thousands of dollars sit near the front of the store. Glass gargoyles and dragons sit on display in the shop. The Bern Gallery was opened in 2004 by CEO Tito Bern. “When I was in high school, there was no glass,” Bern said. “We just smoked out of wood pipes. They weren’t even carved, they were mass produced wood pipes.” Bern started blowing glass in 1999, and his introduction to glassblowing was part of the initial wave of popularity for the craft, Bern said. The time it takes to create a finished bong can vary, Bern said. He saw a piece that only took forty seconds to make, and he’s worked on glass that took two months to finish. “The art part of it is how long do you want to spend on it? You could spend a lifetime on one piece if you wanted to,” Bern said. A piece can only be worked on for about 60 seconds before it has to be put back into the kiln. If it’s out any longer, stress points can cause the glass to be damaged, he said. “Once a piece is finished and everything’s melted in, there shouldn’t be any hard edges, 90-degree angles, inward divots, there’s certain things that come off as a flaw,” Bern said. “All of that quality
control is within the artist.” While glassblowers and pipe makers see their work as an art, college students who buy their work don’t always see the artistic side of a piece’s production. One sophomore said a bong is more about utility and how quickly it can get him high. “It wouldn’t have to look that nice, as long as it does the job,” he said. “It’s like designer clothing.” While the appearance of a pipe or bong doesn’t matter for many college students, the sophomore still appreciates a
nice looking piece. The student said that his first piece was cheap, but nice-looking. “It was blue and yellow, but when it would heat up, the yellow would turn red,” he said. Another sophomore said he appreciates how a piece looks, but it isn’t the first thing he considers when buying a piece. “I’d like to smoke out of one of those cool dragon pieces,” he said. “Colored glass looks really cool, like when they make it cloudy, I love that.”
TAYLOR EHWA/The Vermont Cynic
(TOP) Colorful bowls are on display at the Bern Gallery on Main Street. The Bern Gallery was opened in 2004 by Tito Bern, the company’s CEO. (BOTTOM LEFT) A green Shining Glass bong sits for sale in a display case. (BOTTOM RIGHT) A coral themed bubbler made by Tito Bern and a team of artists sits unfinished at the Bern Gallery.
The Vermont Cynic
CULTURE
April 23, 2019
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Culture Staff Recommends Fun things to try the next time you get high
W
hether you’re toking up on your own or sharing with a group, check out what the Culture staff recommends for high time entertainment and grub.
The Joy of painting Jonathan Greenberg jonathan.r.greenberg@uvm.edu
Bob Ross’s series is a must watch. No matter your current state of mind, it is impossible not to understand what is going on in the show. Even if you’re not a painter, the smooth and calm voice of Ross will lull you into a state of relaxation. It’s amazing seeing a painting start from nothing but a blank canvas and be transformed into a fully finished piece of art. Even if you don’t want to just watch the show it is perfect for background noise. On Netflix, it’s easy to pick up, but harder to stop. And with multiple seasons, you could find yourself spending way too much time watching him make “happy little accidents.”
Papa JOhn’s Allie O’Connor aoconno8@uvm.edu
Picture this: it’s late, you’re high and you’re hungry. The solution? Delectable bites of sweet dough covered in cinnamon and vanilla icing, all packed into a good-sized pan. Papa John’s Cinnamon Pull Aparts are the most heavenly dessert imaginable. I mean it when I say that if I could live off these things for the rest of my life, I would. Warm, gooey and sweet, Cinnamon Pull Aparts are the best cure for the munchies ever. These little bites are $6.99 per tray, and students can get 40% off their order with the code syco40.
nightmare before christmas Marjorie McWilliams mmcwilli@uvm.edu
After winding down with your drug of choice, I recommend settling down for a satisfactory viewing of director Tim Burton’s movie, “Nightmare Before Christmas.” Burton’s unique, slightly
sinister animations are perfect for experiencing just the right amount of spooky and the delightfully whimsical. Lay back and relax as a gang of ragdolls, skeletons and ghouls from Halloween Town try and steal Santa from newly discovered Christmas Town. The plot contains unrequited love, identity conflict and morality questions, as well as other highly relatable content. Another added plus to this movie is watching the way the skeleton protagonist, Jack Skellington, leaps and bounds in an aggressively acrobatic way which never fails to mesmerize. Unfortunately, Netflix has yet to catch on that this movie is relevant not only on Halloween and Christmas but a third holiday, 4/20, which is why you won’t find it there. However, “Nightmare Before Christmas” can be rented for $2.99 on Amazon Prime.
“Wasteland Baby!” “Wasteland Baby!” alternates between slow songs and powerful jams, providing a wide array of moods to choose from. In addition, Hozier’s soulful voice in each song never fails to disappoint. He shows off his impressive vocal range by going from his deep baritone to an occasional falsetto. This album is also full of fantastic lyrics that will have
you thinking about anything from fleeting love to the threat of climate change. Overall, “Wasteland Baby!” definitely delivers with its mixture of meaningful messages and amazing musicality. Between Hozier’s vocal abilities and lyrics, this album will leave you in awe, sober or stoned.
NOAH ZHOU
Hazy With Hozier Anna Kolosky akolosky@uvm.edu
If you’re looking for an album to groove to while getting high, I recommend checking out Hozier’s newest album,
Q&A: student cannabis dealer talks bud and business that push shrooms [psilocybin mushrooms]. When shrooms are on campus, they go within the day because pretty much everyone’s looking for shrooms. If anyone on campus had a constant stream of shrooms coming in, they’d make bank.
Cyrus Oswald coswald@uvm.edu
Cannabis doesn’t actually grow like a weed, at least in Vermont. So to get pot, most people have to buy it. To buy cannabis, you need a dealer. Greg is a pusher, or drug dealer, in his dorm. His name has been changed for this interview. Greg lives on campus and deals with a partner. In his room, Greg had an improvised bong, a gravity bong, set up on the windowsill, along with a few glass jars of weed, a scale and a science project sitting on his desk. On his wall, there were UVM anti-drug and anti-tobacco posters.
Q:
What’s your main motivation for dealing?
A:
It started out to be for the money, but just about a week ago, we made back all the money that we spent on like ski passes and new gear and shit like that, so now it’s just about getting people high.
Q: A:
How many people do you sell to per day?
If we’re gone over the weekend, we tell people to come Sunday night. This one time we did that, and there were 10 different people walking in and out of the room. It was kinda crazy. That happened like two or three times this year. It’s stressful, because you know the door is opening and closing, and people are leaving with bags in their pockets. Resident Advisers at the front desk are sometimes scary because you can let someone in [to the building], and the customer will start talking about buying pot right in front of the front desk. What I have to do is pretend I don’t know them, and they’ll say stuff and I just won’t respond, because I don’t want the RAs to catch on.
Q:
How long does it take for you guys to sell a pound?
A:
Some nights we’ll push off whole QPs [quarter pounds] in just one night. A QP is four ounces. If we have enough people coming through,
Q: A:
What do you call yourself?
STEPHAN TOLJAN/The Vermont Cynic
A student rolls a joint in his dorm room on April 20 in preparation for 4:20 p.m. “There’s this whole stigma around buying weed. Like you go into a place to buy weed, you’re intimidated. You think, I’m buying drugs now, this is a drug deal, this is illegal,” a student drug dealer said. we can push off one of those in just one night, which is pretty cool, feels pretty good.
Q:
How much do you push compared to other dealers?
A:
So first semester, [we had a third partner who we dealt with] but once [he] left ...and we found a better plug, we lowered our prices drastically. Then this kid [a building over] got into the game, and he
says he’s “a man of the people.” So he picks up not-great weed and sells it for dirt cheap, and he’s been [hurting business] because his prices are so low.
Q:
Do you think most cannabis dealers sell just weed, or do they also sell other stuff?
A:
You tend to see people that push bud only pushing bud, and then there are the psychedelic kids who only push acid. Then there are the kids
We don’t really call ourselves anything. There’s this whole stigma around buying weed. Like you go into a place to buy weed, you’re intimidated. You think, I’m buying drugs now, this is a drug deal, this is illegal. We want to get rid of that idea that this is scary. If someone is comfortable in the place where they buy weed, they will come back. We ask them how their day was, what they’re doing later, just be as nice and open as they can. We don’t want the reputation of like, “those guys are scary.” We want to have a nice conversation. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Read the full interview at vtcynic.com.
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The Vermont Cynic
April 23, 2019
FEATURE
11
Ayahuasca: the alternative antidepressant Caroline Slack cjslack@uvm.edu
Though psychedelics are often portrayed in popular culture as recreational drugs, psychedelics like ayahuasca have played a role in religious ceremonies and alternative medicine. Josh — not his real name — a junior, was 23 when he took mental health treatment into his own hands with a do-ityourself psychedelic solution — homemade ayahuasca tea. “A common thing people say [about psychedelics] is that you feel all the love of the universe, and that’s what I felt,” he said. Ayahuasca, a hallucinogenic drug, is used to induce visions, heightened emotional states and bring vivid recollections of memories. Side effects range from mild to severe, and include digestive upset and psychological disturbances, according to an April 2018 CBC article. Ayahuasca is made by combining two plants — one containing a psychoactive chemical called DMT, and anohter to inhibit the breakdown of DMT by enzymes in the stomach. Many different plants can make the drug, according to the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies website. Ayahuasca’s legality in
America is a gray area, Anderson said, because many of the plants used to brew it are legal in the U.S., but DMT is an illegal Schedule I drug. The drug has origins in South American religious ceremonies, but in recent years has also been used as an alternative psychological treatment in the U.S. and Europe, according to a November 2018 Vox article. Josh first attended UVM as a 19-year-old but dropped out amidst a battle with severe depression and social anxiety. He said taking antidepressants and Adderall only made his illness more unbearable. He found himself building a dependency on them rather than developing healthy coping mechanisms. From the ages of 20 to 22, Josh continued to struggle with mental health. During this time, he avoided psychedelics, fearing a negative experience as he had been told many terrifying stories about psychonautic adventures gone wrong. A TED Talk about psilocybin mushrooms’ effect on neural pathways piqued his curiosity about the potential therapeutic effects of psychedelics when he was 23. Eventually, he decided to try ayahuasca. He bought two different plants online with little hassle and brewed them him-
HOLLY COUGHLAN self. His experience tripping was overwhelmingly positive. “I learned that fear is not negative,” he said. “It’s not bad. Fears are your guides. I started stepping out of my comfort zone and talking to more people. It made me feel better than I have in my life, in completely sober states.” In the months following his first trip, Josh made several positive changes to his lifestyle, such as implementing meditation and yoga, and re-enrolled at UVM. Psychedelics were not a per-
manent quick fix for his mental health. “It’s not like you take [ayahuasca] and feel better forever,” he said. He has experienced some regressions in his progress in the past and emphasizes that personal progress must be continued post-trip in order to continue the drugs’ positive effects. Some trips he has taken on psilocybin and ayahuasca have been frightening in the moment, but he still finds these experiences valuable. He has consistently gone to therapy since he began his psy-
chonautical journey and believes that the use of psychedelics has helped him to be more open in therapy sessions, implementing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Overall, the combined effects of these drugs and lifestyle changes have been positive and transformative, he said. “I never thought I’d go back to school,” he said. “Now I’m planning to graduate next semester, and I’m [majoring] in psychology, which is my passion.” Research on ayahuasca is still in its early stages, and researchers are still trying to fi gure out how to use it most effectively. “At University of California Los Angeles and Johns Hopkins University, preliminary studies on people with terminal illness, cancer, stuff like that, show there is evidence that they help with depression,” he said. “I think within 10 years it will be legalized for psychotherapy. “I truly believe that if these medicines are integrated into psychotherapies in a healthy way, they can help revolutionize the mental health industry.” Students struggling with mental health can call UVM Counseling and Psychiatry Services at (802) 656-3340.
Transportation Events Wednesday, April 24 12 p.m. NATIONAL WALK AT LUNCH DAY Green in front of Waterman | Join UVM Employee Wellness for the National Walk@Lunch Day on April 24th, from 11:30-1:30! Free food and walking maps!
12 p.m. - 2 p.m. INFORMATION TABLE
Table outside the Davis Center | Info on transportation internships & local student programs – with Local Motion, Department of Geography and Sustainable Transportation Vermont.
Thursday April 25 7 a.m. - 9 a.m. GET ON BOARD DAY, UVM MC LINK stop
Join us for donuts and coffee while socializing with fellow riders. Bring a new rider with you and you will both receive $10 Sodexo gift cards.
4 p.m. - 6 p.m. GET ON BOARD, UVM MC LINK stop
Bring a new rider with you and you will both receive $10 Sodexo gift cards
FRIDAY, APRIL 26
11 a.m. - 2 p.m. CARSHARE VERMONT POD PARTY, RTT at UVM Join us for a party at the pod hosted by CarShare Vermont. Learn, sign up, eat BEN & JERRY's Ice Cream! Sponsored by the Parking & Transportation, CATMA, Department of Geography, the Clean Energy Fund & Sustainable Transportation Vermont. Enter to win prizes from CATMA when you carshare, walk,bus or bike! catmavt.org/mobilitychallenge
SPORTS
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The Vermont Cynic
April 23, 2019
UVM athletics acts on drug prevention Stephan Toljan stoljan@uvm.edu
In college sports, athletes strive to perform at the highest level possible. Performance-enhancing drugs exist, but UVM has resources to prevent their use. UVM employs several strategies to prevent athletes from using performance-enhancing drugs, as well as alcohol and recreational drugs. UVM Team Physician Dr. Matt Lunser said the University employs a program that is based on one-on-one conversations with athletes, and also uses the Behavior Around Substance Use in College Students. The BASICS program is designed to help students explore alcohol and drug use in a supportive and non-shaming environment. The program not only helps athletes, but also is available to all UVM students at no cost, according to UVM’s website. “BASICS is run by Tom Fontana at the Center for Student Health and Wellbeing,” Lunser said. “He does a couple different things, like meeting with teams on an individual basis.” The program offers a range of information, including personalized blood alcohol content, according to a February 2018 Cynic article. University groups including varsity sports and Fraternity
Image source: UVM Athletics
UVM employs many different strategies to deter athletes from using alcohol, performance-enhancing drugs and recreational drugs. UVM Team Physician Dr. Matt Lunser said the University employs a program that is based on one-on-one conversations with athletes and uses the Behavior Around Substance Use in College Students Program. and Sorority Life are required to follow the BASICS program, according to a February 2018 Cynic article. Lunser said that he feels the program is well-received. “It gets people thinking about why we’re doing the things we’re doing, and how do we compare to other universities?” he said. But to junior Stina Sickmuel-
ler, club field hockey captain, BASICS may fall short of getting the whole truth, she said. “Honestly, I think it’s a good approach, but when it comes to this stuff you’ll never get the whole truth,” she said. “It’s a tough topic that people aren’t comfortable talking about because there’s so much risk associated with sharing.” Sickmueller said that the
University has a lot of information sessions and that as president, she needs to know all of the University drug and alcohol policies. Athletic Director Jeff Schulman said he feels that BASICS has been successful. “It’s effective to have a conversation,” he said. “[Student-athletes] are eager to have an impact.”
BASICS received an award for program of the year for 2017, according to a February 2018 Cynic article. Sickmueller said it is more difficult because the program is student-run. “It’s harder to make it serious because it’s your peer, not an adult,” she said. “Fitness is not a big thing, you aren’t trying to outcompete people.” Schulman said that these conversations have expanded over the years. “These strategies have been in place for about 25 years, but they are constantly being updated and altered to stay relevant,” he said. Lunser said that all athletes fill out a questionnaire regarding drug use, alcohol use and mental health in September before starting their respective programs. “If flagged positive, we follow up,” he said. “If athletes need and are open to making changes, then we can get them to the right services early.” Although these strategies don’t prevent drug and alcohol use, the University trusts its athletes, Schulman said. “We aren’t naive to the fact that drug and alcohol use does happen,” he said. “We trust that when we give our athletes information, they use it to be more responsible students and more responsible athletes.”