Issue 29 - Volume 135

THE VERMONT

CYNIC April 30, 2019

vtcynic.com

Overnight study

Man sues UVM

Howe Library will end the All Night Study program after this semester due to recent budget cuts.

A Vermont Law School student is sueing UVM in court to urge further transparency.

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“Game of Thrones” 5 / Winooski music festival 7

SPRINGFEST FULL STORY ON PAGE 6

UPB and SGA agree to new SpringFest funding plan Lee Hughes ehughes7@uvm.edu

UVM’s annual spring concert has gotten its funding back one year after it was revoked over concerns of cash stockpiling.

SGA voted in favor of funding SpringFest again in 2020.

SGA was concerned with the $196,000 of excess cash UVM Program Board held in an overflow fund to use in case of emergency, according to an April 2018 Cynic article.

The new bill establishes a one-year agreement for $65,000 in funding, a $15,0000 increase from previous years.

The bill was introduced April 2 and took effect April 9, and will be reevaluated for SpringFest 2021.

SpringFest is an annual event put on by UPB which took over the event from SGA in 2012.

SGA requested that UPB decrease the size of the fund which UPB has done this year by using it to pay for SpringFest 2019, said UPB adviser Maggie Colbert, coordinator for cam-

facebook.com/ thevermontcynic

CLARA MARTORANO/The Vermont Cynic

Sophomore Aidan Doherty speaks at a SGA meeting April 23. The new SpringFest funding bill establishes a one-year agreement for $65,000 and requires that UPB books talent that costs $75,000. pus programs.

“That’s exactly what this money was put aside for should this exact situation happen [where SGA does not fund the event],” Colbert said.

UPB will continue to have a fund like this, but it will try to avoid letting it get so big, she

@vermontcynic

said.

The new bill requires UPB to find talent that bills at least $75,000. Once this requirement is met, SGA will fund $65,000 toward the cost of a performer.

The rest of the money for SpringFest comes from fun-

@vermontcynic

drasing and other UPB revenue.

Sophomore Aidan Doherty, a senator on the Student Action and Wellbeing Committee who sponsored the bill, said the $75,000 requirement ensures the quality of the performance goes up.

“We bumped [the fund-

youtube.com/ cynicvideo

ing] up to $65,000 because we wanted them to get higher-tier talent,” Doherty said. “The simple logic of more money leads to better talent.”

The performers for SpringFest have generally cost between $70,000 and $75,000, Colbert said.

“This year with [SGA] giving us more provides the opportunity to bump it up to the $80,000 range for us,” Colbert said.

Junior Maggie Hirschberg said she has never gone to SpringFest mainly due to not knowing the performers and is not really a fan of rap music, which has featured prominently at the concerts in the past few years.

“If they increased the funding and actually had someone that I knew and kind of liked, then I would consider going,” Hirschberg said.

Colbert said she is happy with the improvement in SGA and UPB’s relationship, and she hopes to continue to communicate and find sustainable, long-term funding solutions in the future.

www.

vtcynic.com

NEWS

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The Vermont Cynic

April 30, 2019

Budget cuts end all night study space Cullen Paradis csparadi@uvm.edu

Howe Library will end the All Night Study program in the face of budget cuts, leaving some students without a study space.

Administrators decided to close the program after 16 years in an attempt to balance a reduced budget, following years of declining use and difficulty finding people to staff the room.

“I use overnight study semi-frequently because when I’m studying late, I’ll fall asleep if I’m in my room,” sophomore Izzy duPont said. “It’s a really nice place to study. I’ve tried the Fireplace Lounge [in the Living/Learning Center], but it’s just not the same.”

Mara Saule, retiring dean of libraries, confirmed that the program is being cut at the end of this semester.

“The use of All Night Study hasn’t been great from the beginning in 2003, but in recent years, especially after 2 a.m., there’s no one in there,” Saule said. “So this year when we got the budget cuts we needed to look at stopping that service.”

According to data collected by the library, this year the average number of students who used All Night Study after 1 a.m. never went above six people, a decrease from an average of seven in previous years.

ALEK FLEURY/The Vermont Cynic

A popular meme adorns the All Night Study sign April 28. “So this year when we got the budget cuts we needed to look at stopping that service,” said Mara Saule, retiring dean of libraries.

Additionally, the program costs $35,000 a year in wages, due to its running costs and the fact it’s staffed by a full-time position, Saule said.

In addition to low attendance and high costs, the program has had increased difficulty finding people to staff the desk for the night shift, said Paul Philbin, director of access,

technology and multimedia services at the library.

“It’s never gone unstaffed, but sometimes we’ve been down to one person,” Philbin said.

Circulation Supervisor Angus Robertson also said the overnight positions were unusually difficult to hire staff.

“The challenge is keeping students able to balance that re-

sponsibility of being up all night but still be successful at their schoolwork,” Robertson said.

“Identifying candidates for that job who are going to work out in the long run and stick to the job presents some really interesting challenges.”

Departments across UVM have been handed budget cuts, and the ones handed to the li-

brary seem significant, Robertson said.

First-year Madeline Mauer said the All Night Study space wasn’t advertised enough.

“Not many people know about the All Night Study thing,” she said. “I didn’t know about it until I didn’t need it anymore.”

SGA pushes president to create revised climate plan Zoe Stern zstern@uvm.edu

SGA unanimously passed a resolution urging incoming President Suresh Garimella to create a new climate action plan.

SGA is concerned the University won’t meet its current goals.

The resolution was signedby SGA April 23 to address the University’s current Climate Action Plan created in 2010 under President Tom Sullivan.

The current plan was created with three goals: UVM would use 100% renewable electricity by 2015, 100% carbon-neutral thermal energy for heating starting in 2020 and 100% carbon-neutral commuting, business and air travel by 2025, according to the president’s plan.

Sophomore Jake Gess, a senator on the Committee on the Environment, created the resolution and wants to address the urgency of adopting a new plan.

“The first half of it, it’s outlining general problems that are occurring with the environment and with climate change and how that’s affecting us as a society,” Gess said. “And so I wanted to outline that first so it was made very clear why this resolution is important.”

The second half of the resolution focuses on the current

action plan created under Sullivan. Despite it being a good plan, UVM is not going to meet those goals, Gess said.

Of UVM’s three goals in the climate plan, UVM has only reached 11% of its goal to use 100% carbon-neutral heating energy by 2020. Additionally, UVM is only 23% of the way to reaching its third goal, Gess said.

A new plan is important to SGA so it represents the student voice and that it will ease Garimella’s transition to UVM, Gess said.

SGA President Jillian Scannell, a junior, said SGA hopes the report will be put together over the summer and into the fall. “[It should] just outline the history of climate action at UVM, what our original 2010 goal said, what our comparative institutions are doing,” she said.

Creating a new climate change action plan also allows students to have more of a say in the plan, Scannell said.

“We want to make sure that the students have input [in the plan] because while as SGA we have the ability to advocate for students...we do still want to make sure that actual student voices are involved,” Scannell said.

Sophomore Jacob Weinstein, an SGA Senator and Eco-

SAWYER LOFTUS/The Vermont Cynic

Incoming UVM President Suresh Garimella speaks to the press during a visit to campus Feb. 14.

SGA unanimously passed a resolution April 23, urging Garimella to create a new climate action plan.

Rep, said there is hope that when the climate action plan is developed, Eco-Reps will have a way to market it well and let students know what is going on with it.

“Another one of my biggest hopes is that President Garimella actually understands what we want, understands what we’re talking about,” Weinstein said.

“I want him to accept what we have to say, but I also want him

to provide his own input.”

The resolution will not be the end of it, Scannell said. Resolutions are used as a tool, as a stepping stone to bring a plan to Garimella.

Gess said it’s crucial at this point to create a new plan because of the new president.

“We have a completely new president for the University, a new president for SGA and a new bond that we can create

and form together in order to connect student voice with the new president,” Gess said.

Communications Director Enrique Corredera stated in an April 28 email that Dr. Garimella does not begin his term as president until July 1.

“We assume that the SGA will share with him a copy of the resolution after he arrives and begins his UVM service,” he said.

The Vermont Cynic

April 30, 2019

NEWS

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Man sues UVM in VT supreme court Sawyer Loftus news@vtcynic.com

A man is suing UVM in the Vermont Supreme Court to push the University to be more transparent over a student’s arrest.

Jacob Oblak, a law student at Vermont Law School, is appealing his public records case against UVM to the Vermont Supreme Court after a lower court threw out his case. His case is slated to be heard May 15.

Oblak decided to sue the University to push them to be more transparent, especially in a case that was dismissed, he said.

Oblak has to win this case in order to sue the University over naming a police document a confidential education record.

“What is problematic to me is that, if the public is to actually oversee the police, how can the public do that unless we understand why the government is doing what it's doing?” Oblak said.

The case started a year ago when he filed a public records request for a school paper with the University to see a UVM police services affidavit, a document stating the reasons for arrest, in the Wesley Richter case, Oblak said.

Richter was arrested by UVM police services after allegedly making a racial threat, according to an October 2017 Cynic article. However, a Burlington judge refused to continue the case against Richter in late October 2017, citing a lack of probable cause.

Oblak’s initial public records request was denied by Gary Derr, vice president for executive operations and the

ALEK FLEURY/The Vermont Cynic

Jacob Oblak, a Vermont Law School student, is appealing the decision to deny him public records in the Vermont Supreme Court, set to go to trial May 15. Oblak’s initial public records request was denied by Gary Derr, UVM’s vice president for executive operations, according to court documents. person responsible for reviewing all UVM-related records requests, according to court documents.

Derr denied the request citing state law that says a record is exempt from public disclosure if another law identifies it as confidential.

Derr also cited another portion of the law which exempts records pertaining to an ongoing police investigation and exempts “student records.”

Additionally, Oblak’s request was denied citing the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, making the police affidavit an educational record, according to court documents.

Frank LoMonte, director of

the Brechner Center for Freedom of Information at the University of Florida, said there is never a reason under FERPA for a university to deny a police document on the grounds that it is an educational record.

“If a college is claiming FERPA requires them to remove student names from police reports, they’re just dead wrong,” LoMonte said. “I mean that is not a gray area. That is a black and white area.”

FERPA was created by Congress in the 1970s over privacy concerns of public school students in the U.S., LoMonte said.

In the 1990s, an amendment was added specifying college and university police

department documents are not protected under FERPA, LoMonte said.

“That is black and white, it does not matter that it is university police,” LoMonte said.

“I just can’t believe people are taking this position. I mean this has been the law for 26 years or so."

Senior Eli Favro has been working to get access to an unredacted police report after hearing about the difficulties the Cynic faced in getting that same report, he said.

“When I heard about the University, for a lack of a better word, stonewalling on records requests, it kind of riled me up,” he said.

Favro requested access to a police report for a bus accident that happened at UVM Aug. 27, 2018.

The University denied him full access to the report, removing names of all parties involved except for police officers, he said.

The reason he was denied was over the same portion of Vermont law that cites “student records” as exempt from public records disclosure.

“They incorrectly cite privacy law and say they do not have to release certain records, such as police reports, and they do,” Favro said. “The law requires them because police reports are public records.”

Student's campaign gains VT Law makers' attention Emma Pinezich epinezic@uvm.edu

Last year sophomore Syd Ovitt started a petition to force universities to indicate when a student was dismissed for sexual assault.

The petition currently has 52,428 signatures and support from Vermont politicians including Rep. Selene Colburn, Sen. Philip Baruth and Congressman Peter Welch.

Baruth is also a professor of English at UVM, and Colburn works for the special collections library.

Explain the Asterisk is Ovitt’s student-led campaign to hold perpetrators of sexual misconduct accountable and to make college campuses a better place to live and learn, according to the group’s facebook page.

Ovitt was motivated to start ETA after she found out that the person that sexually assaulted her could transfer to another university without any trouble,

she said.

Her concern with the asterisk is that it is also used to represent dismissal for poor grades on college transcripts, she said.

However, UVM does not make use of the asterisk, nor does it indicate if a student has been dismissed for sexual misconduct, according to a September 2018 Cynic article. “[UVM’s] practice has been to view student transcripts as a strictly academic record that reflects the student’s academic performance,” Communications Director Enrique Corredera stated in an April 24 email to the Cynic.

Ovitt has worked with Vermont legislators, including Colburn and Baruth, over the past several months in an effort to pass legislation requiring universities to indicate that a student was dismissed for sexual misconduct.

A bill proposing a task force to examine sexual assault on college campuses passed in the VT Senate March 27 and is now

BRANDON ARCARI/The Vermont Cynic

Students decorate Explain the Asterisk posters Dec. 5, 2018. Explain the Asterisk is sophomore Syd Ovitt’s student-led campaign to hold perpetrators of sexual misconduct accountable and to make college campuses a better place to live and learn. being viewed by the House, Baruth said.

“It just kind of feels like their way of writing it off and saying it was addressed,” Ovitt said. “I guess it is a good thing … [the task force] is not charged with looking specifically at transcript notation, dismissals, transfers and stuff like that, which is kind

of frustrating.”

Senior Caroline Sheehan said she is concerned that merely indicating dismissal is not enough.

“That puts a lot of trust into the university they’re applying to, whether they will investigate them or not,” Sheehan said. “I could see schools just not car-

ing and being like ‘well whatever, we want them.’”

The University has reservations to change the policy, according to Corredera.

UVM is worried that if there was a change to the notation of dismissal, people accused of sexual misconduct would fight the charges harder, which could be a disadvantage to the victim, he stated in an email.

Baruth said he hopes the task force will be able to explore the idea of indicating if a student has been suspended or expelled for any reason on their transcript.

“The University’s position is that they only report academic data on your transcript, but it seems to be relevant academic data to me that you were expelled,” Baruth said.

Although UVM was not in favor of explicitly indicating that a student was found responsible for sexual misconduct, they seemed responsive to indicating dismissal on transcripts, he said.

OPINION

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EXECUTIVE Editor-in-Chief Bridget Higdon editorinchief@vtcynic.com Managing Editor Alek Fleury newsroom@vtcynic.com

OPERATIONS Operations Manager Tim Mealey operations@vtcynic.com Marketing Daniel Felde dfelde@uvm.edu

EDITORIAL Copy Chief Liv Marshall copy@vtcynic.com Culture Sarah Robinson cynicculture@gmail.com Features Greta Rohr cynicfeatures@gmail.com News Sawyer Lofus news@vtcynic.com Opinion Mills Sparkman opinion@vtcynic.com Podcasts David Cabrera vtcynicpodcasts@gmail.com Sports Sabrina Hood sports@vtcynic.com

Staff Editorial

W

e need to demand more transparency from our University.

A year ago, Jacob Oblak, a law student at Vermont Law School, filed a public records request with UVM to see a police affidavit of Wesley Richter, who was arrested by UVM police after allegedly making a racial threat.

Oblak’s request was denied

by Gary Derr, Vice President for executive operations.

He is now suing the University in the Vermont Supreme Court and his case is to be heard May 15.

If we allow the University to continue withholding public information with no repercussions, the line between what is allowed and what isn’t will be irreparably greyed.

The push for the freedom of information began in 1952 when the US government under Dwight D. Eisenhower refused to hand over documents associated with the dismissals of several federal employees accused of being communists.

Vermont has its own public records law for state agencies not covered under FOIA. The law allows for citizens to check agents of the Vermont government including UVM and its police services. Oblak is trying to do exactly that, check a public agency after they were found to not have the right to arrest Richter.

If the role of the people in a functioning democratic society is to be a check on their

Layout Kyra Chevalier layout@vtcynic.com Photo Stephan Toljan photo@vtcynic.com Assistant Editors Henry Mitchell (Opinion), Allie O’Connor (Culture), Lee Hughes (News), Kate Vanni and Meilena Sanchez (Layout) Copy Editors Kelly Turner, Hadley Rawlins, Dalton Doyle, Sophia Knappertz Page Designers Lindsay Freed, Caroline McCune

Faculty Adviser Chris Evans crevans@uvm.edu

government, then the right to view public records is central to that.

One of the laws Derr cited as reasoning for his denial was the Family Educational Privacy Act, therefore making the police affidavit an educational record.

According to Frank LoMonte, director of the Brechner Center for Freedom of Information at the University of Florida, there is never a reason under FERPA for a university to deny a police document on the grounds that it is an educational record.

As journalists, we understand the importance of information and make it our mission to bring that

information to the public.

Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenteil, in their book ‘The Elements of Journalism,’ write, “the primary purpose of journalism is to provide citizens with the information they need to be free and self governing.”

If UVM gets away with denying free information, it is an infringement on our constitutional rights to uphold the values of democracy.

Now, maybe more than ever, it is vital to protect our democratic values, including the right to check the power of our leaders.

The Cynic stands with Jacob Oblak in his fight for free information.

Chris Harrell crharrell@uvm.edu

Social Media Sam Litra socialcyniceditor@gmail.com Illustrations Noah Zhou illustrations@vtcynic.com

HOLLY COUGHLAN

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.

Correction The April 16 article, “Juice Box: Meet the Band” ran with the band’s name misstyled. The student band is called Juicebox.

The Cynic apologizes for the error.

Say no to single use plastics and fossil fuel

Video Jordan Mitchell video@vtcynic.com

ADVISING

April 30, 2019

Public records are ours by law

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The Vermont Cynic

T

he University of Vermont is known for being green. It’s in our school colors, our environmental sciences and studies programs and our track record for environmentalism.

But I’m concerned the University isn’t taking climate change, and the University’s contribution to it, seriously enough.

There are many things that the University needs to do differently to allow members of the community to truly reduce their carbon footprint.

One of these things is the move led by student activists to end the use of single-use plastic bags at the UVM Bookstore.

Single-use plastics are an environmental disaster, and the quicker we transition away from them, the better off we will be.

But even if a UVM student

JULIA BLISS

were to completely cut out all single-use plastics and buy non-plastic packaged items, their impact could never reach zero.

And that’s because part of UVM’s endowment goes toward the University’s fossil fuel investments.

The University invests a portion of its endowment on fossil fuel investments every year to “maximize returns” on

its investment, according to an April 2013 Vermont Public Radio article.

Students have protested UVM’s investment in fossil fuels for years, according to an October 2017 Cynic article. But the same article documents the board of trustees rejecting the idea.

It’s hypocritical for the University to bill itself as “environmentally friendly” and still

profit from the destruction of the Earth.

The University also retains a longtime partnership with TD Bank. The Dakota Access Pipeline was largely financed by TD Bank, according to a June 2015 GreenPeace article.

The Dakota Access Pipeline is infamous for its violation of Native American treaties, according to a March 2017 National Public Radio article.

The University has also been asked to divest from TD Bank by student activists, but has yet to do so, according to an April 2017 Cynic article.

The University should follow student activists’ lead in giving the student body the greatest ability possible to reduce their environmental impact.

Students shouldn’t have to worry about the school that they attend contributing to the destruction of the Earth.

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

The Vermont Cynic

April 30, 2019

OPINION

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“Game of Thrones” relies on hype Gabby Felitto gfelitto@uvm.edu

S

poiler alert. The show “Game of Thrones,” based off the books by George R.R. Martin, has become a pop-culture sensation.

It has everything: a talented cast, strong female characters, royalty, blood and even dragons.

That being said, after watching one season, I believe the show is overrated, and I’m happy winter won’t be coming anymore.

Part of the reason why the show is popular is because it holds the same allure that many who loved the fantasy of “Harry Potter”

were missing.

“Game of Thrones” premiered around the time the last Harry Potter movie came out. Both have their fair share of fantasy, violence and larger than life characters you always root for.

Both were ways to escape from reality to a fantasy world.

A March 2013 article from The Nation says while Americans prefer optimistic escapism,

GOT is the opposite.

It doesn’t portray a utopia.

It has corrupt rulers, causing many to have to “choose the lesser of two evils,” which is similar to our political climate.

While “Harry Potter” gives us more characters we can identify as heroes or villains, “Game of Thrones” gives people an escape to a more realistic world that is similar to our own.

Many watch the show for its scandals, not the plot, according to an April 2016 New York Post article.

They’re intrigued with taboos like the incestuous affair of the royal Lannister siblings and violent scenes like fighter Oberyn Martell getting his skull crushed by the fearsome knight Gregor Clegane.

There’s no amount of perversion that fans won’t stomach as it now counts as fine art. This causes obscenities like rape, mass murder and pedophilia to become common tropes in TV, according to the New York Post article.

Like other shows such as “True Blood” and “The Sopranos,” GOT has the advantage of being on an unfiltered channel, HBO. Its content doesn’t have to be watered down, creating a huge adult audience.

But just because a show can shock you doesn’t mean it’s well written.

One example of violent death for shock value in GOT was the death of Shireen Baratheon, a young girl who was burned at the stake as a sacrifice to the

gods. Fans were outraged at her death, according to a June 2014 LA Times article.

“Game of Thrones” also excessively kills off characters to create buzz, which may be realistic to the plot and time period of GOT. Martin said he based the books after medieval times, according to an April 22 Rolling Stone article. The show reflects aspects of the patriarchal societies of medieval times and the prevelance of violence and death.

But if a show has to create so much hype around the death of huge characters, it must be lacking a little creativity.

These obscenities may be breaching the line of social commentary, but it is up to the way the viewer perceives them.

Maybe violence is what some need to realize how messed up the world can be, but to others it’s excessive.

While I believe that “Game of Thrones” is an overrated show with too much death and aggressive sexual taboos, it’s given a massive amount of people a community they feel welcomed in.

I may just be bitter because I don’t have HBO GO and can no longer be a part of the enthusiastic fandom that has come out of Westeros.

Gabby Felitto is a firstyear public communication major. She has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2018.

NOAH ZHOU

Addiction is treatable despite common misconception Letter to the Editor

D

ear Editors, I appreciate the Cynic’s coverage of issues related to student heath, including recent coverage of drug use.

As a drug and alcohol counselor on campus, I’m all for getting us to talk about use and non-use.

Thank you for contributing to the conversation.

In my job, I mostly talk with students one-on-one.

From this, I have developed a profound respect for the individuals that I have met.

Occasionally, someone I talk to is struggling with a significant addiction issue.

Far more often, students are just trying to find the right balance.

They are grateful for the chance to think it through, and I admire their openness.

When talking about substance use, and I noticed this in your content, I sometimes hear the sentiment that, “People are going to do what they’re going to do. You can’t stop them.”

It is a sentiment remarkably ignorant of psychology,

philosophy, economics or just lived experience. It should be debunked.

UVM takes a public health informed, harm reduction approach.

We work to reduce substance misuse and support non-use.

The goal is never control; “stopping” people is not the point.

It is disempowering and disconnecting to think that people are going to do “what they want to do.”

People do things all the time that they do not want to do. Most often, we do things without even thinking.

There are forces in life that are designed to limit people’s freedoms and autonomy.

Sensing that, people sometimes feel that drug use itself is an antidote. It’s not.

Some drugs whisper escape; other drugs shout it. In the end, misuse just recreates the cycles people were trying to escape.

Addiction and misuse take away autonomy. I’ve learned these lessons repeatedly in life, but my most constant teachers have been students.

BEN ELFLAND/The Vermont Cynic

Behavior Around Substance Use in College Students Program Coordinator, Tom Fontana, talks with fraternity brothers February 2018. The program has received recognition from NASPA and the Association for Fraternity/Sorority Life.

Having been a witness to their struggles, courage and inspiration, I cannot let a dismissive sentiment like “you do you,” or “people are going to do what they want to do,” go by

unaddressed.

Sentiments like those keep us from seeing people, knowing them and connecting.

Warm regards, Tom Fontana LCMHC, LADC, BASICS Program Coordimator

CULTURE

6

The Vermont Cynic

April 30, 2019

Thousands line up for SpringFest 2019

Jack Eccleston jeccles1@uvm.edu

The line spread all the way down Main street as thousands of excited festival goers flocked to catch some of the east coast’s finest rappers perform at UVM. SpringFest 2019, a block party hosted by UVM Program Board, was held April 27 in the Jeffords Parking Lot. Although it threatened to rain, the clouds held off.

Senior Rachel Frankenfield, the chair of UPB, said roughly 4,000 people attended SpringFest.

“The line was longer than usual because of high attendance,” Frankenfield said.

Student band Juicebox, winner of this year’s Battle of the Bands, opened the festivities along with rapper Rico Nasty.

Rico Nasty, fresh off of per-

formances at Coachella and South by Southwest, played songs from her recent mixtapes.

The festival was headlined by newly formed hip-hop collective Beast Coast, consisting of Joey Bada$$, Flatbush Zombies, The Underachievers, Kirk Knight, Nyck Caution, Powers Pleasant and CJ Fly. Beast Coast performed their debut single “Left Hand” as well as their solo music.

For senior Zach Biaso, the big name performers were the main draw.

“The lineup was my personal taste. It was more rap style, not a no-name punk band sort of thing. It was really cool to see,” he said.

In the past, SpringFest has had a mix of rap and indie music, with artists such as Two Door Cinema Club and Playboi Carti headlining in previous

years.

This year, organizers had aimed for more of a festival vibe, according to an April 13 Cynic article.

At the Artist Market local artists gathered to showcase and sell their work.

“The Artist’s Market went great, with some artists entirely selling out,” Frankenfield said.

There was also a “Chill Zone” where students could relax and pick up water and snacks.

“Chill Zone is integral to our mission to put on a safe and welcoming event,” Frankenfield said.

Junior Kristen Werner felt unified with the concert goers.

“It was really fun to see so many people together in one place for the same reason,” she said.

PHIL CARRUTHERS/The Vermont Cynic

(TOP) Rico Nasty signs the chest of a student at SpringFest April 27. Rico Nasty played songs from her recent mixtapes fresh off the back of performances at Coachella and South by Southwest.

(RIGHT) A student is held up by friends during Rico Nasty’s performance.

(LEFT) Student band Juicebox opened SpringFest ahead of Beast Coast. Beast Coast, a newly formed hip-hop collective, consisted of Joey Bada$$, Flatbush Zombies, The Underachievers, Kirk Knight, Nyck Caution, Powers Pleasant and CJ Fly.

The Vermont Cynic

April 30, 2019

CULTURE

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Poet reads and reminisces at Fleming Marjorie McWilliams mmcwilli@uvm.edu

Light chatter echoed in the marble halls of the Fleming Museum as audience members trickled in, but the sound diminished as the rhythm of poetry filled the room.

Both UVM students and Burlington residents came to see Matt Miller perform his original poetry as part of the Painted Word Poetry Series at 6 p.m April 22.

The four rows of identical white chairs set up at the bottom of the staircase were halffull.

His poetry strayed from a traditional rhyming scheme and was reminiscent of a stream of consciousness, set apart by the distinct beat of his words.

Miller has published several works such as “Club Icarus” and “Cameo Diner: Poems” and has appeared in various journals. He also had a fellowship at Stanford University for poetry.

The Painted Word Poetry series was organized by the English department. Some classes offered extra credit or required attendance at the event.

Sophomore Cameron Marrelli came for her creative writing class.

“I have no idea what to expect. I haven’t read any of his work,” Marrelli said.

Miller stood at the podium where he read from his book of poems “Club Icarus” in a clear,

SAM LITRA/The Vermont Cynic

Poet Matt Miller reads his poetry to an audience April 22 in the Fleming Museum. Miller’s poetry comes mostly from a parent’s perspective. He spoke about the horror of losing a child, the need to protect your kids and the happiness of parenting. passionate voice. His work covers a variety of topics from family to coping with life struggles.

Miller described childhood and adolescence in a lighthearted way in his poem “Tuggin,” where he explained the experience of being dragged through the snow by a pickup truck after a winter storm.

His work showed his progression from adolescence to adulthood.

Miller’s poetry came mostly from a parent’s perspective. He spoke about the horror of losing a child, the need to protect your kids and the happiness of parenting. Gun violence and tragedies like the Sandy Hook shoot-

ing affected him deeply, he said.

Before reading a poem, Miller offered context, allowing for a unique look into the meaning of the work.

At one point, Miller read a poem about his mother and began with a comment that got a chuckle from the audience members, particularly from

older women.

“A lot of my poems are about moms. Moms don’t get enough credit,” he said.

Miller’s work can be found on his website, along with books that are available for purchase.

Alumni host Winooski’s music festival for ninth year Sarah Robinson srobin14@uvm.edu

For one weekend each year, the neighboring city of Winooski transforms into a celebration of music, art, literature and more. The festival is the brainchild of former UVM students.

Waking Windows is an annual music festival in Winooski created by Paddy Reagan ‘04 and former student Nick Mavodones, who found themselves craving a new kind of music festival.

Reagan and Mavodones are two of the core members of the group that organizes Waking Windows.

The festival takes about 10 months to plan, so Reagan and Mavodones will have to start planning for the 10th anniversary of the festival right after this year’s event ends, Reagan said.

When deciding what musicians to host, their process is more simple than it seems, Reagan said.

“Most of the time it comes down to who’s available and who’s willing to do it for the money we have,” he said.

Reagan works at ArtsRiot and Mavodones worked at Higher Ground for 14 years.

“We all have our connections to the music world be-

yond the festival which I think is a good way to stay in touch on different levels of the festival,” Reagan said.

This year, Waking Windows features headlining acts Twin Peaks, Tune-Yards and Sunflower Bean. The festival will also feature UVM’s own musicians Princess Nostalgia, The Onlys and Father Figuer.

The sound of UVM bands has shifted since Reagan was in school, when student bands were mostly jam-bands, he said.

Junior Lili Traviato, otherwise known by her stage name Princess Nostalgia, will be performing at the festival for a second year.

Traviato said she is excited to return this year, not just to perform, but also to enjoy the festival.

“It’s just fun to explore and soak in all of the different music and art,” she said.

The creators wanted to make sure the festival didn’t take over Winooski completely, so they integrated events throughout the buildings and shops in the city, Mavodones said.

“We don’t make it what it’s not, we just kind of emphasize and magnify what’s already going on,” Mavodones said.

While the lineups for all three days of the festival are filled with performances, the

Image courtesy of BRIAN JENKINS/3rd Stone Images

The group Noname performs at Waking Windows 2018. This year, Waking Windows will feature headlining acts Twin Peaks, Tune-Yards and Sunflower Bean. The festival will also feature UVM’s own musicians Princess Nostalgia, The Onlys and Father Figuer. festival also features other events such as art exhibitions, food trucks, comedy performances and a reading series.

“It feels like a block party,” Reagan said.

Part of what makes Waking Windows accessible to the community is the wide array of options it provides festival goers, Reagan said. The creators’ ex-

pertise in festival planning led them to seek out creatives to curate the other events that attract attendees.

“Turnout makes it possible to continue, but it’s the content that we’re proud of,” he said.

Reagan said his favorite moment of the festival is the split second of silence between the

end of a song and the applause.

“That’s a really cool feeling to have,” he said.

Waking Windows will take place from 3 p.m. May 3 to 11:30 p.m. May 5 in Winooski. A three day pass to the event costs $75 and day passes are available from $35 to $45. Passes can be purchased at wakingwindows.com.

SPORTS

8

The Vermont Cynic

April 30, 2019

Coach centers team success off the field Ashley Miller amille68@uvm.edu

Men’s lacrosse head coach Chris Fiefs didn’t always envision himself as a lacrosse coach.

Instead, he wanted to pursue federal law enforcement or join the military.

Feifs is in his third season at UVM and two years ago led the men’s program to their most successful season on the field and in the classroom, according to UVM athletics.

Currently, the men’s lacrosse team has a 7-6 overall record before the start of the America East tournament, according to UVM athletics.

Fiefs began playing lacrosse in eighth grade in Durham, North Carolina.

“I had two older brothers that didn’t play lacrosse,” he said. “I wanted to do something different than them.”

Feifs became the first scholarship athlete to play lacrosse at University of Maryland College Park.

The team reached the NCAA semifinals twice. Feifs served as team captain his senior year and reached a career record of 19 points.

Feifs spent two seasons as an assistant offensive coordinator at the Virginia Military Institute.

He helped lead VMI to their

REBECCA PORETSKY/The Vermont Cynic

Men’s lacrosse head coach Chris Fiefs talks to senior defenseman Warren Jeffrey during an April 6 game against the University at Albany. Under Feifs, UVM finished the year with a 12-4 record, the first men’s lacrosse team to record 12 wins in a season. first Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament and championship game, according to VMI athletics.

Fiefs spent seven years at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill as a defensive coordinator and faceoff coach.

UVM finished the 2018 season with a 12-4 record, according to UVM athletics.

Midfielder Braiden Davis, a senior, said relationship building is important to the team.

“He knows what it takes to win and cares about the players,” Davis said.

Feifs said the 2017-2018 season was his proudest accomplishment so far.

Midfielder Thomas McConvey, a first-year, praised Feifs’

Boston Celtics retain win streak Jared Paquette jvpaquet@uvm.edu

T

he No. 4 seed Boston Celtics secured a spot in the NBA quarterfinals with a game three series win over the Indiana Pacers April 21.

After a turbulent season, the Celtics appear to be catching fire at the perfect time.

Celtics guard Kyrie Irving led his team to victory, averaging 22.5 points, according to the NBA website.

First-year Ian Cole, said he is relieved to see the Celtics overcome concerns about Irving’s commitment to Boston.

“Irving seems to be happy in Boston,” Cole said. “It seems like the Celtics have gotten their act together. They looked really cohesive.”

In game four, the Celtics bench players were the key to their 110-106 victory.

Seven out of nine active players reached double digit scoring, led by forward Gordon Hayward’s 20 points, according to the NBA website.

In game two of the series, Irving scored a series high 37 points, securing a close single-digit 99-91 win April 17, according to the NBA website.

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leadership.

“Feifs likes to joke around, but on game day he’s focused,” he said.

One of Feifs’ best qualities is his ability to motivate and push the team to their full potential, midfielder Mark Marciano, a senior, said.

“Fiefs challenges us to be the best we can be,” Marciano

said.

Feifs said he hopes to continue at UVM and improve the team for years to come.

“I’d love to be here for a long time, but I want to make sure we’re doing the right things,” he said.

Great job,

Ben! From ice cream

Celtics center Al Horford also played well, averaging 11 points and a team-leading 10 rebounds.

As the first team to advance to the second round, the Celtics had plenty of time to rest and prepare for the No. 1 seed Milwaukee Bucks. The competition is led by forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, a MVP candidate.

Anthony Clark, a senior, said although the series sweep against the Pacers gave him confidence, he is concerned about the Milwaukee team.

“It’s a confidence boost to sweep a series,” Clark said.

“Boston will need that confidence going into the series against a strong Milwaukee team.”

Cole said he also has confidence the Celtics could upset

the top-seeded Bucks.

“Kyrie doesn’t need to perform perfectly every night, which may give us an advantage,” he said. “This series against the Celtics is going to be a real test for Giannis.”

The Celtics depth could be Boston’s secret to success against Antetokounmpo and the Bucks. Antetokounmpo leads his team in points, rebounds and assists.

Boston won their first game against the Bucks April 28 11290 and will play them in game two April 30, according to the ESPN website.

Jared Paquette is a firstyear political science major.

He has been writing for the Cynic since spring 2019.

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