VOL. 134
The Vermont Cynic ISSUE 30
MAY 1, 2018
Graduation messages Send-offs for graduating seniors from friends and family celebrating their accomplishments. PAGE 6-7
World Cup preview Students discuss their World Cup memories and hot takes, plus a list of players to watch from our sports editor. PAGE 11
Library thief arrested 3 / SpringFest 8 / Furious Festival 12
NoNames closes out semester and reflects Brandon Arcari barcari@uvm.edu
“Benzodiazepines hit the same receptor as alcohol does so for people for whom alcohol provides relief and they really like it, they may also like benzodiazepines, specifically Xanax.” Junior Megan Cohen, a pseudonym, also struggled with Xanax after she began to use the drug recreationally in summer 2017. Early in the spring 2018 semester, her addiction put her so behind on schoolwork she was forced to withdraw from three of her five classes. While visiting home for the holidays, her parents asked her if she was hooked on heroin. She resolved to quit at the
NoNames for Justice is planning a sit-in at the board of trustees meeting May 16. The student-activist group held a teach-in April 22 to update students on the progress of their social justice demands. Following the Main St. blockade Feb. 22 and the Waterman takeover by students Feb. 25, administrative officials, including President Tom Sullivan and Provost David Rosowsky, met with student leaders of NoNames for Justice. “A success I feel like we had was persevering when things got tough,” said sophomore Harmony Edosomwan, a NoNames leader and former president of the Black Student Union. “I believe the movement helped unify the campus in ways I could never imagine were possible.” Senior Z McCarron, a leader of NoNames, said that some of the demands were being updated. Demand four, which regards University response to bias incidents, now includes a call for hiring a new counselor for the LGBTQA center. “A lot of our mandated reporters don’t know they’re mandated reporters,” said McCarron. “We want a counselor to live in the LGBTQA center full time.” Mandated reporters are people who are legally required to notify law enforcement about abuse of any type when they are made aware of it. The student-led activist group has worked on social justice issues since its formation in fall 2017, going from an initial list of 10 demands down to seven. “This is the biggest racial justice movement we’ve had at UVM in decades, and we’ve seen people from all areas of campus mobilize in support of the demands and its been amazing to be a part of,” McCarron said. The work of NoNames has not gone unnoticed, with NoNames being awarded the Women’s Center “Outstanding Social Justice Advocate” award March 19, and earning commendation and support from Burlington mayoral candidate Infinite Culcleasure.
cont. on page 2
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Photo Illustration by ALEK FLEURY and GENEVIEVE WINN
Ben Elfland belfland@uvm.edu
First-year Joe Smith, a pseudonym, popped four bars of Xanax at 1 a.m. one Friday. The next thing he knew he was lying in his Harris Millis dorm bed, 40 hours and nine bars later, at 5 p.m. that Saturday. He had attended two Friday morning engineering classes and spent Saturday afternoon skiing with his brother, but he had no memory of either. “I don’t remember shit until Saturday the next day,” Smith said. “I lost an entire Friday.” Recreational Xanax use and cases like Smith’s have become increasingly common
at UVM, said Tom Fontana, who counsels students on substance use. Xanax, a medication in the class of benzodiazepine, is almost exclusively prescribed for anxiety, said Dr. Michael Upton, a Counseling and Psychiatry services staff psychiatrist. Fontana’s observations are consistent with national trends, documented in a recent American Public Health Association study that revealed that fatal overdoses of benzodiazepines increased more than 525 percent between 2000 and 2013. “I’ve been working here for four or five years and its started to play a more prominent role over the last couple years,” Fontana said. “It occured to me
that it’s kind of the drug students are most worried about, that the staff are most clueless about.” The pill comes in a variety of shapes, colors and strengths. Illegally, it is most commonly sold as a white, 2 milligram tablet, colloquially called a bar. The drug’s quick onset time and short half life, meant to combat panic attacks, distinguish it from other similar medications whose effects are more subtle and drawn out. “Why it has high potential for problems of overuse, misuse, addiction, that kind of thing, is because it has a fast onset,” Upton said. “So it hits a person quickly and they’ll feel it right away; they’ll get relief right away.
NEWS
2
The Vermont Cynic
May 1, 2018
Burlington debuts first Vermont bike-share Joey Waldinger jwalding@uvm.edu
For the price of a cup of coffee, UVM students and Burlington residents alike are now able to rent bikes from various points around town and on campus. Greenride Bikeshare, Vermont’s first bike-share program, launched April 18. “Everyone is super excited about the bike-share,” said Abby Bleything, UVM’s clean cities coordinator and a program leader. Burlington already has a regional transport system; the Chittenden Area Transportation Management Association sysem, but the bike-share is a first for Burlington. CATMA currently sponsors both a bus system and a carshare service. With 17 hubs — stations where riders can pick up and drop off bikes — spread across Burlington, and 80 bikes to choose from, convenience is central to the bike-share’s mission, Bleything said. “You should be able to walk out to any hub at any time and be able to grab a bike,” she said. The program is in only the first of three phases, Bleything said. The final goal is to create a regional system, with 300 bikes and 50 hubs throughout Burlington and neighboring cities, she said. To raise awareness of the bike-share, Eco-Reps, a student-led group that encouragXanax cont. from page 1 beginning of April after realizing she could barely remember any of the past four or five months, she said. During her near three years at UVM, she has watched the drug’s popularity rise, Cohen said. “I think it’s kind of an epidemic at UVM,” she said. “I would say it’s kind of like the ‘college heroin’ because I think kids start doing it and they don’t take it seriously and then they get addicted to it.” A lack of education played a role in Smith’s initial attitude toward trying Xanax, he said. Before coming to UVM, he went to a small prep school in Rhode Island. He dipped tobacco and occasionally got together with his buddies to drink or smoke weed but that was the extent of his drug experience, he said. Before he discovered Xanax, Smith, who had always felt socially anxious, spent most Friday and Saturday nights of his first college semester combining alcohol and cocaine until he blacked out, he said. Around Thanksgiving break, he “snapped” and texted everyone he knew to get his hands on whatever drugs he could, he
TAYLOR EHWA/The Vermont Cynic
First-year Joanthan Barthe enjoys a bike ride along Lake Champlain using Burlington’s new Greenride Bikeshare program. The program is in the first of three phases in creating a regional system of 300 bikes in Burlington and other neighbouring cities. es sustainability, has been promoting it on campus, said sophomore Jillian Scannell, an EcoRep and SGA speaker. Though people seem interested in Greenride, Scannell thinks that the program may be less helpful for UVM students than other community members, as many students already own bikes, she said. Junior Sammy Headlund, president of the UVM Cycling Club, is excited about this addition to campus, he said.
“Biking’s sweet,” Headlund said. “It can answer a ton of society’s problems.” Bleything and other Greenride partners, which include Champlain College and the CATMA system, began to notice a need for such a program in 2016, after UVM’s Bike Library closed, she said. While numerous Burlington community members and organizations had proposed similar ideas, their launch dates were all far off, and Bleything and
her team wanted to get it started sooner, she said. Bleything and her team sent proposals to four different bikeshare companies, and eventually inked a deal with a company called Gotchabike in January 2017, she said. As part of their deal, Gotchabike provides Greenride with high-tech seven-speed bikes, and as a result of Greenride’s partnerships with various local companies, the rideshare program is the cheapest in the
said. “I don’t know why really, I just kind of like snapped a little bit,” Smith said. “I hated being sober and like just the sort of social thing. “I felt like I was under a lot of stress from my parents … I was kind of spinning it in that way,” Snith said. He got his hands on a 2 mil-
alone and on weekdays. Often he went through as many as five pills in a single day, he said. During this period, Smith often experienced inconsistencies in the highs pills gave him, leading him to believe they were fakes made by dealers using pill presses to cut costs, he said. “You have no idea what
roommate pulled out a small baggie containing 2 1/2 white bars, which she believed to be fake. “I thought Xanax, like what we were taking, was prescribed,” she said. “But its not prescribed nearly in that high of dosage.” Soon after dropping the pills on the table, Cohen asked her roommate to put them away and encouraged her to flush them down the toilet. “I think it’s very similar, prescription painkillers and Xanax, because it’s not even real Xanax,” Cohen said. “Prescription pills are kind of a gateway to heroin and I feel like so is this Xanax.” To a psychologist like Upton, it would be unfair for recreational users to assume the pills were safe even if they came straight from the pharmacy. “There’s an assumption that if something can be prescribed by a doctor it’s going to be safe,” he said. “Each individual situation deserves an individual assessment by a skilled person. Over the break, Smith had no access to any sort of drugs and felt some minor withdrawal symptoms, he said.
“
The Xanax going around is not real Xanax, there could really be anything in it. Megan Cohen Junior
ligram bar of Xanax and intended to take a quarter of it before a party. On a whim, he decided to take the whole thing at the last minute. For most people such a dose could knock them unconscious, but it left Smith wanting more, he said. “I get to school and it is all easily accessible and I kind of fell in love with like not being sober,” he said. “And Xanax is like the easiest way for me to not be sober and still do the things I have to do.” Over the weeks leading up to winter break, Smith began to use Xanax more regularly, often
”
they’re pressing it with because you’re not getting prescription Xanax on the streets,” Smith said. Like Smith, Cohen had initially felt comfortable with Xanax because she believed she was taking a prescribed pill, she said. As she became more familiar with the drug, she realized this was almost never the case. “The Xanax going around is not real Xanax, there could really be anything in it,” she said. “When I started thinking about it like that, it kind of changed my perspective. In her apartment, Cohen’s
Read the rest at vtcynic.com/xanax
country, Bleything said. The partners include Ben & Jerry’s, Burlington International Airport and the Vermont Agency of Transportation. “For us, it was never about revenue, it was about getting people on bikes,” Bleything said.
NoNames cont. from page 1 Negotiations on demand two between NoNames student leaders and administration began April 26. Demand two called for increased recruitment, hiring and retention of diverse faculty on tenure track. The group also touched on its joint presentation with Fraternity and Sorority Life, at the Emerging Leaders Summit, focused around Kake Walk, a racist tradition conducted by greek life until the late 1960s. They said that FSL had decided to make it an annual exhibit that would be continuously expanded upon, as well as funded by FSL. The creation of the Board of Trustees Building Renaming Advisory Committee was criticized heavily by NoNames. The group called for a specific staff member to be hired to examine historical context of UVM names, as well as for the establishment UVM-specific criteria. “These demands will make concrete changes in the experiences of students of color on this campus,” McCarron said. McCarron said they were involved in 8 hours of negotiations with administrators pertaining to demands one through three in the past week alone.
The Vermont Cynic
NEWS
May 1, 2018
3
Laptop thief gets arrested
Clubs spark Israel debate
Sawyer Loftus
Hannah Arafeh
swloftus@uvm.edu
harafeh@uvm.edu
A man was arrested following a string of thefts in Bailey/ Howe Library. Gavin Tyson of Rutland County, Vermont was arrested April 14 by UVM police. Tyson was arrested for grand larceny, possession of stolen property, fraudulent use of a credit card and providing false information to a police officer, Sgt. Mary Seller of UVM police said. Tyson was the suspect in two separate incidents at Bailey/Howe Library over the past several weeks. The first incident linked to Tyson was reported April 12, when a wallet was stolen from Bailey/Howe, Seller said. UVM police received a report that a laptop was stolen from the library April 14, Seller said. There were two separate investigations into the incidents, she said. UVM police were able to link purchases made from debit and credit cards from the stolen wallet to Tyson and tracked him down, Seller said. Police tracked Tyson to the Fletcher Free Library where he was arrested, according to an April 19 Burlington Free Press article. The police also found a firearm that had been stolen from Rutland City, according to the
SGA has formed several new groups to address the Palesttinian-Israeli conflict on campus. The formation of these clubs coincides with the 70th anniversary of the creation of the state of Israel. Several student clubs and organizations have taken official positions on the issue. SGA passed a bill recognizing Students for Justice in Palestine as an official UVM club March 27. The club, part of a national organization, was formed to stand in solidarity with Palestine, according to junior Jake Green, one of the club’s organizers. Two weeks later, a bill recognizing J-Street U, a “pro-Israel, pro-peace” organization, was passed. J-Street U is currently working on a project called “Stop Demolitions, Build Peace,” according to Chapter Secretary sophomore Zmira Stouber. The campaign’s goal is mainly to oppose Israeli demolition in Palestinian territory and instead promote a peaceful two-state solution, she said. Recently, the UVM chapter of the International Socialist Organization hosted a meeting called “Stop Israel’s Massacre in Gaza.” The event consisted of a 20-minute pro-Palestine speech hosted by several UVM
DAVID MATTHEWS / The Vermont Cynic
Gavin Tyson was arrested April 14 by UVM police. Tyson was the person of interest in two separate investigations following a string of thefts in the Bailey/Howe Library. Free Press article. According to Seller there were multiple investigations into the various charges. Tyson was arrested by Officer Cody Allen for fraudulent use charges and Officer Jordan Barriere for the remaining charges, Seller said. Junior Brandon Westberg went to Rutland High School with Tyson, he said. Safety in the library is a concern for Westberg, he said. “I go to the bathroom, and I’m afraid my stuff will be gone,” he said. Dean of Libraries Mara Saule said that safety is not a problem in the library.
“The best medicine is to watch out for your stuff,” Saule said. UVM police and library staff routinely walk through the library, she said. Seller agreed that safety is not an issue in the library. “The library is safe, it’s just that a lot of students will walk away from their stuff for a while sometimes,” Seller said. In order to prevent crimes, Seller recommends that students take their items with them or arrange for a friend to watch their belongings, she said.
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students, followed by a 40 minute group discussion. The official stance for Hillel, the largest Jewish organization on campus, is pro-Israel, according to the national headquarters’ website. SJP’s formation prompted a range of different voices and opinions on the organization itself, and on the Israel/Palestine conflict. Political science professor Jan Feldman said she hopes the UVM chapter will engage in impassioned, informed dialogue. “When it comes to different views, the more the merrier,” she said. “As long as every group adheres to respect and tolerance and open-mindedness.” Stouber isn’t worried about on-campus conflict. “I don’t foresee any tensions,” she said. “I don’t think you’ll see what you see at other college campuses.” Although not entirely silent on the topic, the UVM student body does not facilitate as much discourse regarding the dispute as other college campuses, Green said. When the campus does engage, it is biased in favor of Israel, he said. SJP was once recognized by SGA in May 2011, Green said, but was later discontinued after being inactive. It had not been an active club until its reformation earlier this year.
OPINION
4 The Vermont
CYNIC
Education for drug safety
C EXECUTIVE Editor-in-Chief Erika B. Lewy editorinchief@vtcynic.com Managing Editor Greta Bjornson newsroom@vtcynic.com Operations Manager Sorrel Galantowicz operations@vtcynic.com OPERATIONS Advertising Manager Kaysie Smith ads@vtcynic.com Distribution Manager Brittnay Heffermehl distribution@vtcynic.com PR Manager Sara Klimek cynicpr@gmail.com EDITORIAL Copy Chief George Seibold copy@vtcynic.com Culture Bridget Higdon arts@vtcynic.com Izzy Siedman life@vtcynic.com Features Maggie Richardson bside@vtcynic.com News Lauren Schnepf news@vtcynic.com Opinion Sydney Liss-Abraham opinion@vtcynic.com
Staff Editorial
ollege is often depicted as one big party in movies and TV shows. Drugs and alcohol are often glamorized — we’re rarely shown the passing out, blackouts or the overdoses. But, substance use is not always a fun thing to take part in. When party drugs become more than just a carefree experience and take over the user’s life, they’re no longer a weekend indulgence. Xanax and other prescription drugs are viewed as a safer substance by many students, since they are legally prescribed by doctors. However, Xanax is considered to be one of the most addictive medications on the market, according to the American Addiction Centers. Students who take this drug recreationally should know this, and a quick Google search can make all the difference when it comes to taking drugs safely. Because of the drug’s legal standing, students may assume it does not come with the same risks as notorious, illegal street drugs like heroin or cocaine. But these drugs can be just as dangerous, and if they are not taken in a safe or smart way they can have lasting nega-
Video Kailey Bates video@vtcynic.com Web Connor Allan web@vtcynic.com Illustrations Genevieve Winn illustrations@vtcynic.com Layout Eileen O’Connor layout@vtcynic.com Photo Alek Fleury photo@vtcynic.com Assistant Editors Henry Mitchell (Opinion), Locria Courtright (Sports), Kyra Chevalier (Layout), Katie Brobst (Life), Joey Waldinger (News), Addie Beach (Arts), Caroline Slack (Features), Sophia Knappertz (Copy), Oliver Pomazi (Photo) Page Designers Meg Stevens, Lindsay Freed, Brandon Acari, Kelsey Neubauer Copy Editors Izzy Abraham, Brandon Arcari, Lindsay Freed, Sabrina Hood, Claire MacQueen, Greta Puc ADVISING Faculty Adviser Chris Evans crevans@uvm.edu
Engaging students in SGA issues kalmubar@uvm.edu
I
tive effects beyond just the brief high. We know that drugs are a part of college; they will always be here. Instead of trying to fight the issue, we should enforce education. College is a time to experiment, and that’s okay. But being safe and smart is also important. People ought to know what they’re taking and how it will affect them. Rather than assuming
HOLLY COUGHLAN you’re safe, it’s worth it to research the drugs you’re using.
Staff editorials officially reflect the views of the Vermont Cynic. Signed opinion pieces and columns do not necessarily do so. The Cynic accepts letters in response to anything you see printed as well as any issues of interest in the community. Please limit letters to 350 words. The Cynic reserves the right to edit letters for length and grammar. Please send letters to opinion@vtcynic.com.
Henry Mitchell hdmitche@uvm. edu
W
hether this is your first semester at UVM or you are a seasoned veteran, one thing is certain during this finals season: You’re screwed. Since you’re probably procrastinating like the irresponsible student you are, I’ll help you out with these tips: 1: Free your mind. Creativity is your body’s way of trying to find something more interesting to do than studying. The more pentup creativity you have, the more difficult it becomes to prepare for finals week. To counteract this, consider starting that novel you’ve always wanted to write, taking up interpretive dance or learning how to spelunk. Then, when your anxiety finally overwhelms you, you’ll have the necessary skills to navigate cave systems and become a hermit. Or really, just come up with a bunch of reasons why you can’t study right now. 2: Be as relatable as possible. Remember, the first rule of finals week is that no one is ever prepared. Use this knowledge to connect with other UVM students.
May 1, 2018
Khalid AlMubarak
Tips for coping with finals week
Podcasts Chloe Chaobal vtcynicpodcasts@gmail.com Sports Eribert Volaj sports@vtcynic.com
The Vermont Cynic
EMMA PINEZICH Phrases such as “Man, bio is gonna suck,” “I need a 95 to pass” and “God, I fucking hate my life right now” will not only earn you the admiration of your peers, but also expand your social network. These benefits might not help you pass your finals, but let’s face it, they’ll help you far more than a B in Calc 2 ever will. 3: Blame the professor. As a poor, innocent college student with no real-world experience, you can’t possibly be expected to go to all your classes, right? Right. Therefore, your professor should have to make up for your shortcomings. They should be grateful you are willing to do your last homework in exchange for a B+. Seriously, you pay their salary and deserve a little respect. 4: Don’t be afraid to break
norms. People expect you to form study groups or cram the night before to pass your exams. Boooooooring. Instead, spend your time not-studying to find loopholes in UVM’s testing policies. While you can’t always bring the answers into the testing area, no one said you couldn’t have a friend scream different formulas from outside the building. Cramming is often ineffective and time-consuming, whereas brainwashing works instantly and can be done for any subject, resulting in better test results. A tip for life: don’t work harder… Work intelligenter. Henry Mitchell is a firstyear political science major. He has been writing for the Cynic since 2017.
t takes knowing SGA to participate in SGA. But it is a challenging task to try to learn all there is to know about SGA. It’s hard to engage with it while while balancing a very busy life and study schedule. If students knew the issues at hand that SGA were trying to fight for, they would be more open to the idea of engaging with the them as students, or even as candidates. The biggest problem is how SGA presents itself in its work. SGA could be much more presentable to students. One way of doing that could be producing booklets that describe what SGA is about and how to get engaged in a language that is concise and accessible to everyone, leaving the legal text in the dry document. In other words, it seems like SGA could be more transparent with the student body. There are a good number of issues that keep the committees preoccupied, said junior Nicole Showalter, a former senator. One of the biggest issues SGA responded to was working with NoNames for Justice. “We had NoNames for Justice come in and ask for a resolution to be supported by SGA that was very spontaneous. That was a four-hour meeting that was unplanned, and we had to edit the resolution so that everyone was happy with it,” Showalter said. When the administration sees the issues that SGA supports, that’s another indicator to the administration to listen to its students, she said. Low competition to run as a senator for SGA can give way to senators who are not very committed in the mission of SGA. This student organization is different than every other club, especially in terms of its responsibilities. More candidates running for SGA will not only improve the quality of our student government, but also require that those who serve are competent. If you have an issue, walk in to SGA, and speak to a senator. Visit our website to listen to the full-length interview with Showalter and Cynic columnist Luke Lisco, a sophomore, on the SGA-student body relationship.
Khalid AlMubarak is a continuing education student studying philosophy. He has been writing for the Cynic since 2018.
The Vermont Cynic
May 1, 2018
OPINION
5
Complaints from a graduating senior Cole Wangsness cwangsne@uvm. edu
A
s I finish out my super-senior year, I’d like to take a minute to look back at some of my general gripes and grievances about UVM. It’s backed up by haphazardly constructed strawpolls with leading questions that support my agenda, so you can’t dispute that I’m right. Tour groups; they clog the paths and hallways around central campus. This inhibits students’ ability to get to class as they have to match the walking speed of gawking parents and their progeny. I don’t care if selecting a school has major implications on the rest of your life. I am being mildly inconvenienced. Nine out of 10 students agree that tour groups are the bane of their existence. Professors who want to be called by their first name. According to my research, not many students are annoyed by this, but they are wrong. Professors, if you want to be “hip” or “cool,” just have class outside or show videos. Students, be the agents of change. Still refer to them as professor or sir/ma’am #yeswecan. This next one is sure to ruffle some feathers, but let’s talk about Satan’s cilantro, otherwise known as marijuana. I got some hard truth for
GENEVIEVE WINN
you; defining your life by a drug doesn’t make you cool. Bob Marley posters, hemp clothing and various smoking paraphernalia just show your bad taste in lifestyle choices. Remember: if your grandma would disapprove, it’s a bad idea. Hippies. First off, put some shoes on. This is a place of learning, not a barn. Next, pa-
tchouli oil; it smells about as good as Spongebob’s sundae made from ketchup, onions and rotten peanuts from the episode “Something Smelly.” The last time I sat in class next to someone wearing this popular pestilence, it was as if my nostrils were being assaulted by the collective odor of a jam band music festival. There’s this thing called soap, use it.
I do not often go to gym, having come down with a serious case of senioritis. When I do, I can’t stand the people who grunt in the weightlifting area, neither can 95 percent of the students I bothered in the library. To you, it sounds like Hercules during one of his Labors, but in reality you sound like a hippo giving birth.
Maybe I’m out of touch. Perhaps I’m too old to relate to college kids these days. But one thing is for certain, I’m graduating ... probably.
Cole Wangsness is a senior business major. He has been writing for the Cynic since 2015.
Be reliable to combat the culture of unaccountability Mills Sparkman msparkma@uvm. edu
W
e’ve all been there; we’ve made plans to get lunch with someone, go out, or just do homework together, only to have them cancel before the plans even happen. College is busy. Heavy course loads and limited hours in the day force college students to balance their time with socializing falling to the wayside. Sometimes people feel relieved when the other person bails, especially if they were not feeling up to hanging out themselves. However, the trouble arises when the default response is to bail, with no legitimate reason other than not wanting to go, or being “too tired.” Besides making the other person feel like they are not a priority, it also encourages others to adopt this attitude because it is seen as OK. The good side of this is when
you cancel, it’s not a big deal. The bad side is that when it happens to you, it can be harder to complain about without being a hypocrite. There are countless memes dedicated to this practice, but what the memes often leave out are how people’s feelings can be hurt. It is treated as a social norm. One does not question why someone cancels often, for fear of looking “uncool.” Meanwhile, the person canceled on is left questioning whether it was their fault, or if they are the person’s second choice. Sometimes their worry is reinforced when they see their friend out without them. It is necessary to understand how factors such as mental health can contribute to this problem. To assume that people are not being honorable oversimplifies the problem of cancellation. In addition, it places blame unfairly on the canceler alone. Sometimes the planner is inconsiderate. Sometimes the
GENEVIEVE WINN invitee feels uncomfortable going. Sometimes we make promises we can’t keep and say yes when we should say no. It can feel unkind to turn someone down in the moment. A white lie is easier than a hard truth, even if the person gets
hurt later. However, the bottom line is the golden rule. It is impossible to control others, but the best way to avoid being canceled on is to be dependable yourself. Maybe your reliability will
inspire your friends to do the same.
Mills Sparkman is a firstyear political science major. She has been writing for the Cynic since 2017.
The Vermont Cynic
6
Congratulations Megan Roop UVM Class of 2018! We love You and wish you the best at Columbia University Teachers college! Mom & Dad
Congrats Maya! Dear Maya, We are so proud of you and your accomplishments upon graduating at UVM. You have worked so hard to get to this point and you have shown great fortitude and resolve that is powerful. You are an incredible person and have shown yourself up to the rigors of anything life throws in your path. We love you dearly and are happy to share this special day with you as you go forward into your post undergrad life, your new job, grad school and beyond. We love you! “The tassel is worth the hassle!" Love, Mom, Dad, Henry, Oliver (with a little input from Flower)
From us at the Cynic and from your friends & family back home -
Congratulation Class of
May 1, 2018
s
7
On your 2018 graduation from
THE UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT College of Education and Social Services Love, Mom, Dad, Phoebe and Lily
ons, 2018! GENEVIEVE WINN
CULTURE
8
The Vermont Cynic
May 1, 2018
Rain doesn’t dampen SpringFest fun Students celebrate end of semester with student-band opener and rapper Playboi Carti Eleanor Webster ecwebste@uvm.edu
Glitter-covered UVM Program Board members scanned tickets as the crowd filed in to Jeffords parking lot. SpringFest 2018 started at 2 p.m. April 28. It was sixty-five degrees and sunny as a sea of students milled around the stage. They waited in anticipation for Adventure Dog, UPB’s Battle of the Bands winner and SpringFest opener. Adventure Dog brought eclectic funk rock jams to the stage. In between sets, the crowd got decked in glitter thanks to Vermont Face & Body. “I really took advantage of the free glitter. My stylist was really nice,” Margaret Werner said, a first-year from Amherst College. The event also featured activities like inflatable jousting, bumper cars and food from places like Ben & Jerry’s and The Skinny Pancake. Kodie Shane, Atlanta born rapper, was next. Her lyrical rap and fun stage presence hyped up the crowd, preparing them for headliner Playboi Carti’s entrance. Before Carti, a DJ kept the crowd excited by playing rap
JONATHAN BARRET / UVM Program Board
Senior Derek Dykstra, saxophonist for the band Adventure Dog, opens for rapper Playboy Carti at UVM Program Board ’s annual SpringFest April 28. hits such as “Bad and Boujee.” Carti went on at 4:20 p.m. He played “Magnolia,” one of his most popular songs, multiple times as the crowd begged for more. Throughout his set, Carti called for the crowd to mosh. Students pushed and shoved each other as the speakers
boomed. Sunglasses were falling and toes were getting stepped on, but people didn’t seem to care. “Playboi Carti was really good. I thought he really brought his energy to the stage, which was really special to see,” said Divya Kopalle, who traveled from Dartmouth College.
Fashion mag inspires activism From the Culture Editor arts@vtcynic.com
The Mt. Mansfield Room became part craft fair, part thrift store in honor of Earth Week. UVM Program Board and CARI magazine hosted a sustainable fashion show at 7 p.m. April 24 in the Davis Center. The fashion magazine was started by junior Naydeline Mejia and sophomore Amelia Dodds in January 2018. “CARI is a fashion magazine that focuses on linking fashion with activism and social justice,” Dodds said. “We want to push the envelope forward, break some rules and show different body types and skin colors in this form of media.” CARI stands for creativity, activism, representation and inclusivity, Dodds said. Mejia is also a member of the UPB production team. She and a fellow member, senior Erika Torres, decided the two organizations should collaborate, Mejia said. The magazine has spent the semester recruiting and creating content. “We have writers, photographers, models and social media managers,” Dodds said. She said the first edition will be available online before finals begin. Dodds and Meija were unit-
ALEK FLEURY / The Vermont Cynic
Junior Laura Ziemer, senior Oliver Tannheiser, sophomore Dima Dahdah, junior LeAnn Gove and exchange student Yanick Vedder model in the UVM Program Board and CARI Magazine’s Sustainable Fashion Show. ed by their shared interest in fashion and activism. “I grew up in New York City, so I’ve been surrounded by creativity my entire life,” Mejia said. “It wasn’t until I got to UVM that I became more concerned about fashion’s impact on the environment.” Mejia feels the harm caused by the fashion industry is not talked about, so she started her own blog, where she documents her journey to fill her closet with only thrifted clothes, she said. “Thrift shopping is not only good for the environment, but its helps your bank,” she said. For the fashion show, CARI models showed off outfits sourced only from thrift stores. One model sported a fulllength coat that was originally
purchased for $100, but thrifted for only $25, Torres said. The clothing was provided by local Burlington thrift stores Dirt Chic and Battery Street Jeans. The event brought together other students who are environmentally conscious. Student vendors sold handmade jewelry, hats and other accessories. First-year Mia Vaccaro was selling necklaces with pendants full of lavender sourced from old tea bags. “I never thought I could start a business until my brother encouraged me,” she said. Vaccaro wasn’t the only artist making necklace pendants from a sustainable material. Read the rest of this article online at vtcynic.com
The sunny weather faded fast during Carti’s set. Gray clouds loomed just beyond the stage. It started to rain as the set ended. “The rain came at the perfect time. I was all hot and sweaty from the mosh pit, and it really cooled us down,” first-
year Gabe Rice said. Though SpringFest ended 30 minutes early, first-year Dorothee Melli was not upset. “The rain made it a little something extra,” Melli said.
The Vermont Cynic
CULTURE
May 1, 2018
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In the final weeks of the semester, you may need to take a mental health break from studying. The Culture section recommends five TV shows you can stream online right now.
“The Great British Baking Show”
Keely Lyons’ pick Pastels, pastries and whimsy are the centerpieces of this drama-free baking competition that takes place in the picturesque English countryside. This show is perfect for a relaxing night in, and it’s easy to binge. I love getting invested in each of the bakers’ personalities, and also enjoy lookng at the food they make. The first four seasons are available on Netflix.
“Legion”
Addie Beach’s pick After being diagnosed with schizophrenia, protagonist David Haller knew he was different. Things get more complicated after he encounters a mysterious woman and he begins to unravel a more complex truth. The plot takes a conspiracy expert to understand, but it’s worth sticking around for gorgeous visuals (think vintage pulp meets Wes Anderson). The first season is availible on Hulu.
“Brooklyn Nine-Nine”
Allie O’Connor’s pick The show stars Andy Samberg as an easygoing cop and Andre Braugher as the new captain with a lot to prove. “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” is a charming and witty take on the overdone cop genre. Each character is lovable. The cast is full of dynamic relationships, and the show itself is as relatable and wholesome as it is socially progressive. The first five seasons are availible on Hulu.
Club calls for no-meat Monday
“Babylon Berlin”
Jonathan Greenberg’s pick This show is a thrilling police mystery in post-war Germany. The main protagonist, Detective Gereon Rath, suffers from PTSD and is sent to Berlin to investigate a pornography circle, accidentally uncovering an even bigger conspiracy. It has everything a fan of mystery could ask for: deception, twists, flawed characters and shootouts. The first season, translated from German, is available on Netflix.
“Twin Peaks”
Eleanor Webster’s pick This mysterious drama created by Mark Frost and David Lynch is an incredible example of horror TV. The eerie plot follows the mysterious murder of local sweetheart Laura Palmer. Starting as a classic whodunit, the series slowly progresses into something more sinister. With puzzling plot lines and supernatural undertones, it’s a show that really makes you think.
Video of the Week
Jonathan Greenberg jonathan.r.greenberg@uvm.edu
Imagine that for one day a week the dining halls didn’t have burgers at the grill, deli meat at the sandwich bar or pepperoni on the pizza. Green Mountain Veggies is petitioning for meatless Mondays at all unlimited dining locations on campus. The club brings together vegans and non-vegans alike to engage in conversations about health, the environment and animal rights. In 2017, GMV’s meatless Monday petition didn’t manage to bring its vision to fruition, GMV President junior Alex Bonfiglio said. This year, the club has been getting more support for its movement with upwards of 200 signatures, Bonfiglio said. “[Not eating meat] is a very simple thing to do but it can have a huge effect on carbon emissions,” Bonfiglio said. The club calculated that the switch would save 500 billion gallons of water, 600 millionpounds of carbon dioxide and 11 million square feet of forest per year, Bonfiglio said. Although these numbers are big, they don’t require much change in student’s diet, he said. “It’s not like you would have to change your entire lifestyle, it would only be for one day a week,” Bonfiglio said. This time around, the club
The Cynic covers Furious Festival vtcynic.com/furious DAVID MATTHEWS / Vermont Cynic
First year Margaret Thompson, a member of Green Mountain Veggies, collects signatures for a petition to remove all meat options at all unlimited dining locations on Mondays. The club that aims to bring together vegans and non-vegans alike to engage in conversations about health, the environment and animal rights. has had more success, Bonfiglio said. “We currently have between 200 and 300 signatures,” he said. Students, like first year Luke Sutton, support a mandated meatless Monday. “A decrease in red meat served per week would be more beneficial for all students, in my opinion,” Sutton said. UVM is already exploring options to decrease the environmental impact of its dining halls, Campus Dietician Nicole Rohrig said. “We are slowly switching to more plant-based proteins,” Rohrig said. Completely removing meat
from Monday meals is not as easy as just garnering student support, Rohrig said. “This is something UVM would be willing to work towards if a large enough percent of the student body agrees,” she said. “However, we do still need to make sure students with different dietary needs, such as those allergic to beans and soy, are also put into the equation.” The group is working hard to get enough signatures for its plan to be implemented next semester, Bonfiglio said. The deadline for the petition is the end of April.
The Community for Artistic Development held the sixth annual Furious Festival on campus April 21. Watch local bands and student artists gather under the spring sun to celebrate creativity and raise money for the South End Business and Arts Association.
Podcast of the Week In the Raw vtcynic.com/intheraw In the final instalment of “In the Raw” of the semester, host Leah Kelleher gets off campus to explores poetry in the Lake Champlain area in honor of National Poetry Month.
international street food restaurant
free order of fries www.duinoduende.com 10 N. Winooski Avenue, Burlington limit one coupon per table // valid Mon - Thurs coupon must be present // expires august 1, 2018
SPORTS
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The Vermont Cynic
May 1, 2018
Multipurpose center aims to impress Sabrina Hood smhood@uvm.edu
Within the next couple of years, the UVM athletic complexes will be updated to better serve the student body and community. Construction will start in 2019 and be completed in 2021, according to a March 8 UVM presentation. The project will cost $80 million, according to UVM’s website. The cost includes expanding and upgrading venues for basketball, hockey and the fitness, recreation, wellness and academic support spaces, according to the UVM current projects webpage. “It’s been a lot of talk, a lot of ideas, a lot of concepts and this is really the first time where we’re feeling really good about what’s happening,” said Kevin Sneddon, men’s hockey head coach. Campus Recreation Director Gregg Bates said the project would create more room in the facilities. “Our intramural sports, club sports and others can use these facilities the whole time they’re open and not have to compete with the Division I athletes that have their own needs,” Bates said.
Unlike UVM, most Division I schools have seperate facilities for recreation and atheletics, Bates said. This project is funded by private donations and institutional UVM funding in the form of a long-term bond, which will be paid back. This money does not come from the UVM athletics budget for day-to-day operations, Athletics Director Jeff Schulman said. However, most of the UVM athletics administration and coaching staff are involved with meeting potential donors and fundraising related activities, Sneddon said. “Men’s basketball head coach John Becker, women’s hockey head coach Jim Plumer, the women’s basketball program and I are helping,” Sneddon said. “It could be meeting donors, phone calls or letters.” For example, Sneddon was part of the tour given to the board of trustees a couple months ago, showing them the current facilities. He was also a part of the April 19 tour given to the UVM Foundation board members, he said. A lot of prospective donors have wanted to meet with the coaches and student athletes to get a better sense of their current experiences. When making such a large donation, it’s
Photo courtesy of University of Vermont
Construction for athletic complexes will begin in 2019 and be completed 2021. The additions include upgrading venues for basketball and hockey, as well as for the fitness, recreation, wellness and academic support spaces. important to see how that investment will be used, Sneddon said. “Director Schulman and President Tom Sullivan had a presentation of the project,” associate Athletic Director Krista Balogh said. Both varsity athletes and students who go work out will
benefit from the project, Bates said. “The fitness center will shift to the Patrick Gym side and the front lobby will be renovated into the recreation center,” he said. “The front door will face campus so the fitness center will be more accessible.” The varsity athletics side
will help when recruiting, Sneddon said. Having the facility would add consistency with our Hockey East competitors and take us to that next level, he said.
The Vermont Cynic
SPORTS
May 1, 2018
11
World Cup 2018 PREVIEW UVM soccer community prepares for Russia 2018 From the Sports Editor sports@vtcynic.com
Every four years, billions of people around the world come together to witness the magic of the FIFA World Cup. The World Cup is the most watched sporting event, reaching 3.5 billion people, according to a Feb. 21 Huffington Post article. With the 2018 World Cup less than two months away, the UVM soccer community is gearing up to watch their countries compete. Students from various countries and continents are counting down the days until kick-off. “I can’t wait for the World Cup,” graduate student Precious Jagun said. “Every time [Nigeria] went to the World Cup, most people watched all the games.” Nigeria has never won the World Cup, but has participated in five of the last six tournaments. Brazil, meanwhile, is the most successful country in the competition, having won five World Cups. Their most recent win was in 2002. Senior Christian Soares said he remembers the 2002 win against Germany. “I just remember my dad being happy; I didn’t really know what was going on,” he said. Germany did come back to haunt Brazil in 2014, defeating them in the semifinal on their way to winning the World Cup. “My worst memory was watching Brazil lose 7-1 with a bunch of family and friends in Brazil,” Soares said. “That was pretty brutal.” While the World Cup is the biggest soccer tournament in the world, every
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Seniors Christian Soares and Wyatt Campbell talk about their expectations for the 2018 World Cup. The tournament takes place in Russia and kicks off June 14. country has to play multiple games in the years leading up to the World Cup in order to secure their spot. “My dad is what got us into watching soccer,” senior Karla Ramirez said. “Every year, we always end up watching every Mexico game.” This time, one country that failed to qualify for the tournament was the United States. The Russia 2018 World Cup will be the first tournament since the 1986 where the U.S. will be absent. “They need to invest in the team and actually have a team that’s worthy of the
World Cup,” Jagun said. “For now they have good players, but as a team, I don’t see it yet.” Despite the U.S.’s failure to qualify, fans still plan to watch their teams, as well as other games, whether at home or at viewing parties. The expectations are high for Brazil, and anything other than making the final would be a failure, Soares said. Others were more cautious of their teams’ chances. “For South Korea, as much as I think some of [the players] are fantastic, I
don’t see them going very far,” senior Wyatt Campbell said. Ramirez was slightly more hopeful for her country, Mexico, who has been eliminated in the round of 16 in the last six World Cups. “I think there’s always high expectations for Mexico,” she said. “We’re getting younger players each World Cup, so we’ll see what happens with the mix of young players and more experiences players.” The tournament kicks off June 14, when Russia takes on Saudi Arabia.
Players to watch for each of the 32 countries at the World Cup GROUP A
GROUP B
GROUP C
Russia
Portugal
France
Argentina
Alan Dzagoev (27, midfielder) Joint top-scorer at Euro 2012 (3 goals)
Cristiano Ronaldo (33, winger) Portugal’s all-time top scorer (81 goals)
Antoine Griezmann (27, forward) French Player of the Year in 2016
Lionel Messi (30, forward) Argentina’s all-time top scorer (61 goals)
Saudi Arabia
Spain
Australia
Iceland
Mohammad Al-Sahlawi (31, forward) 28 goals in 36 international appearances
David De Gea (27, goalkeeper) Two-time winner of the Euro U-21s
Mile Jedinak (33, midfielder) Scored 10 goals in qualification round
Aron Gunnarsson (29, midfielder) Seventh most capped player (77 games)
Egypt
Morocco
Peru
Croatia
Mohamed Salah (25, winger) Egypt’s 4th all-time top scorer (33 goals)
Hakim Ziyech (25, midfielder) Eight goals in 14 games for Morocco
Renato Tapia (22, midfielder) Three goals in 22 games for Peru
Luka Modric (32, midfielder) Six-time Croatian Footballer of the Year
Uruguay
Iran
Denmark
Nigeria
Luis Suarez (31, forward) Uruguay’s all-time top scorer (50 goals)
Alireza Jahanbakhsh (24, winger) Four goals in 36 games for Iran
Christian Eriksen (26, midfielder) Four-time Danish Footballer of the Year
John Obi Mikel (31, midfielder) Fifth most capped player (82 games)
GROUP E
GROUP F
GROUP G
GROUP H
Brazil
Germany
Belgium
Poland
Neymar (26, winger) 53 goals in 83 international appearances
Thomas Muller (28, winger) Golden Boot winner at 2010 World Cup
Kevin De Bruyne (26, midfielder) 14 goals in 59 international appearances
Robert Lewandowski (29, forward) Poland’s all-time top scorer (52 goals)
Switzerland
Mexico
Panama
Senegal
Ricardo Rodriguez (25, defender) Won the u-17 World Cup in 2009
Andres Guardado (31, midfielder) Fourth most capped player (144 games)
Roman Torres (32, defender) Fourth most capped player (109 games)
Sadio Mane (26, winger) 14 goals in 51 international appearances
Costa Rica
Sweden
Tunisia
Colombia
Bryan Ruiz (32, forward) Fifth most capped player (109 games)
Emil Forsberg (26, midfielder) Scored four goals in qualification round
Wahbi Khazri (27, winger) 12 goals in 36 international appearances
James Rodriguez (26, midfielder) Golden Boot winner at 2014 World Cup
Serbia
South Korea
England
Japan
Nemanja Matic (29, midfielder) Two-time Serbian Footballer of the Year
Son Heung-min (25, winger) 20 goals in 60 international appearance
Harry Kane (24, forward) 12 goals in 23 international appearances
Yuto Nagatomo (31, defender) Seventh most capped player (103 games)
GROUP D
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The band J Bengoy plays in the Amphitheater at the Furious Festival April 21.
The Vermont Cynic
May 1, 2018
LILLY SHARP / Vermont Cynic
Amphitheater floods with student art Community for Artistic Development puts on Furious Festival to exhibit creative work From the Culture Editor life@vtcynic.com
On one of the first true days of spring, a residential community brought student artists into the light for the annual Furious Festival. Students came to support fellow artists who were selling their work or performing from 1 to 6 p.m. April 21 in the amphitheater for the Community for Artistic Development’s sixth Furious Festival. “We’re not used to playing in the light,” said junior Caroline Franks, guitarist for Father Figuer, one of the bands that performed during the festival. “Usually we only play in dark basements.” CAD is a Living/Learning community formed in 2012 to provide students a space to participate in and collaborate around all forms of art, said junior Anna Elizabeth, a community student leader for CAD. “I applied to CAD because I knew I wanted to be an environmental science major but art and music have always been a huge part of my life,” Elizabeth said. “A program like CAD allowed me to explore my love for music.” The event featured a lineup of student bands: Father Figuer, Princess Nostalgia, Cool Person and the Nerds, Electric Hummus, Alone With the Moon, Full Walrus, J Bengoy, Mac Baker and The Guest Policy. “My favorite part of the day was seeing my friends play their first live set,” sophomore Erin White said. By putting student music in
the spotlight, “CAD focuses on student creativity and allows bands and artists to gain support from the UVM community,” Elizabeth said. Franks said events like Furious Festival let student artists know they are appreciated and validated, so they’ll continue to make art. In addition to playing music, student artists sold their work in a long line of fold-out tables. Students’ photographs, paintings, stickers and more were on display. Non-degree student Adler Chris’ ceramic flasks and ashtrays glinted in the sun as event attendees milled about. “We had a much bigger turnout this year, partly because we really lucked out with the weather, but also because we tried our best to advertise the event,” said sophomore Maria Pitari, another community student leader in the program. The proceeds from the event went to the South End Business and Arts Association. SEABA promotes Burlington artists and businesses through advertising and events like the South End Art Hop, a yearly event much like the Furious Festival, Pitari said. “We donate to SEABA because their mission is very similar to ours,” she said. “They love to support local artists and so do we.” By bringing artists together, CAD was able to accomplish something that sophomore Thaya Zalewski thinks the UVM administration often fails to do. “UVM as a school needs
to embrace the arts as equally valuable as STEM, and they need to show it in their funding,” Zalewski said. Pitari said the sunny day was an overall success that showed how much UVM students love art and love encouraging creativity. “People need to understand that art is something you can feasibly spend your whole life doing and it’s as equally legitimate as a career in math or science,” Franks said. In addition to the Furious Festival, CAD hosts open mic nights in their suites in L/L E mid every other Friday and collaborate with Audio Arts for Amps in the Amphitheater in the fall.
LILLY SHARP / Vermont Cynic
Top: Sophomore Claire Cahoon and first year Bryce Gross share a hammock while listening to one of the many musical performances. Bottom: UVM Students enjoy the various artworks for sale at the Furious Festival. All proceeds go to the South End Business and Arts Association.