Issue 4 - Volume 136 by Vermont Cynic

THEVERMONTCYNIC THE Issue 4 - Volume 136 | September 17, 2019 | vtcynic.com

HELP WANTED

UVM Police understaffed despite ﬁve-year search

Emma Pinezich epinezic@uvm.edu

With their contract expired, UVM Police Services is using the opportunity to negotiate a new contract with the University to help recruit and retain officers. But, as UVM Police Services remains understaffed, some on campus are worried about the department’s ability to keep UVM safe. UVM Police Services has not had full staffing for six years, according to acting Police Chief Tim Bilodeau. But Bilodeau remains confident that the salaries and benefits in the contract will be competitive with other agencies in Vermont, he said. UVM Police Services’ website has had a police officer job listing posted since 2014. “There’s just an enormous amount of people, the work itself, the competitive jobs that are out there… there’s many reasons why people get out of the business,” Bi-

Police cont. on page 2

lodeau said. “It’s a tough sell.” Junior Molly McKenna, an R.A., said she is scared that understaffed police will put students in danger. She said she sees significantly fewer police cars on campus than during her first year at UVM. “I feel like the problem [public safety] is just getting worse and worse,” McKenna said. “It’s frightening.” When McKenna asked a police officer to do a self-defense class for her residents, the officer said she wasn’t able to do them anymore because there was no one to take her night shift, McKenna said. The new contract hasn’t been released yet because it is not finalized, Bilodeau stated in a Sept. 12 email. The previous contract between UVM and UVM Police expired June 30. Benefits included health care, dental care and allowed officers to attend UVM tuition-free.

Arab students seek to be recognized Lilly Young ehyoung@uvm.edu

A new club has formed at UVM that gives an isolated group a community, and they are hoping to be recognized by SGA this semester. The Society of Arab Students meetings will be a place where Arab students can reconnect with their culture and re-spark that connection away from home, said junior Hannah Rose Arafeh, president of SAS. Arafeh facilitates meetings by guiding discussions. She is also in charge of recruiting new members. “[SAS] really came to fruition because being Arabic at UVM is very isolating because there are aspects of our culture that are being completely ignored here, and so it was a need-based union,” Arafeh said. Annie Stevens, vice provost for Student Affairs, said many underreperesented student groups may also feel the same way as Arafeh and SAS. “The social connection that a club can offer really does matter and helps them see each other and really ﬁnd a sense of belonging, even in a small way at a large university,” Stevens said. In September 2017 UVM cut Arabic from its programming after the University did not renew the contract of professor Darius Jonathan, according to a Sept. 2017 Cynic Article. “The University has done nothing to show Arab students that they are important or seen or valued. Especially with the removal of the Arabic language from the language department,” Arafeh said. Stevens said she could not respond to the Arabic program’s cutting. SAS is not recognized by SGA as an ofﬁcial club, but Arafeh said she is hoping that will change this semester. Arafeh encourages any Arab students to join SAS. “I don’t care if you just got your ancestry done and you’re 1% Lebanese or Syrian, just come,” Arafeh said. Arafeh said that Arab students at UVM are taking a stand because they all have value, even if there is not a lot of them. Meetings are held bi-weekly on Wednesdays in Living/ Learning in the Leadership Room, but this could change.

NEWS

Scams plague student emails Ella Ruehsen iruehsen@uvm.edu

UVM students were once again targeted by email scams that aimed to steal their money, according to UVM Police Services. UVM students received an email alert from UVM Police Services Sept. 6, warning them of fake emails that offered them employment assisting a doctor in supporting students with disabilities on campus. Scams like this began popping up about two or three years ago, but now, these attempts to rip off students are close to constant, said Tim Bilodeau, acting UVM Police Chief. “It seems like [now] scams are an ongoing thing all the time,” Bilodeau said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re in Vermont, or if you’re in Detroit or Michigan, or if you’re in San José, California or Chicago, it doesn’t make a difference.” Sophomore Alex Farrell is currently taking a graduate-level class on data privacy. It’s quite easy for one’s data to be compiled online and for others to take advantage of that, he said “If you use social media or search for something on the internet, your data is out there,” Farrell said. “If you’re really good at what you’re doing, you can take the smallest bit of information and use it to learn more about someone. It’s really scary.” Farrell said that official looking scam emails can present a real issue to students. “When they look really presentable, like something that would be sent from UVM and has reasonable pay, people will click on that,” Farrell said. “That’s where the real danger comes, if you actually respond to it.”

Zoe Stern zstern@uvm.edu

Photo illustration by STEPHAN TOLJAN/The Vermont Cynic

The latest email scam targeting UVM students was sent out Sept. 6. The email falsely offered an opportunity to work with disabled children on campus. Bilodeau said hackers tend to disguise their scams, making them appear as though they had come from a UVM affiliate’s address or contained real UVM letterheads. In reality, these emails come from sources outside of the UVM community entirely. “We try to find a lot of the actual IP addresses and a location,” he said. “Sometimes we’ve tracked things down to another country, then it’s not within the purview of UVM police or Burlington police. Even federal law enforcement has a lot of difficulties once that occurs.” Bilodeau said that the most surefire solution is simply knowing when emails are a scam. In particular, Bilodeau advised students not to give out any personal information, such as social security number or date of birth, and not to engage

in any transactions without first meeting the individual behind the screen, especially if it concerns Bitcoin or Western Union. He advised students not to respond immediately when anything about an email feels off or there appear to be red flags. “You have got to consider that if it looks too good to be true, it’s probably not true,” he said. UVM Police Services is not tasked with protecting student emails, but they investigate after scams are reported, Bilodeau said. “On the investigative end, we still look at all these cases, because they are illegal. They’re a crime,” Bilodeau said. “It creates a bad environment. It impacts people, it impacts our community, especially when people are victimized that way.” The University has run investigations into issues cyber-

Police cont. from page 1 UVM offers a base salary of $39,977 for police officers, according to the job listing on their website. Burlington Police has a starting salary of $57,906.03, according to their website. UVM Police Services has struggled to recruit and retain employees over the years. This could be because of its constant demands, which include working holidays and writing more detailed police reports than other agencies, Bilodeau said. The small pool of officers in Vermont has also made it hard to maintain a full staff, he said. “In such a small state… it becomes a pretty competitive market pretty quick,” Bilodeau said. “How we give them benefits packages and things like that allows us to become competitive with each other.” Understaffing at police departments is a growing issue across the country. This could be due to low unemployment

New dean of libraries sets focus on students

STEPHAN TOLJAN/The Vermont Cynic

A UVM Police Services cruiser, with a decal inviting people to “Wear The Badge,” sits parked in the Police Services building lot, Sept. 12. UVM Police Services has not had full staffing for six years, acting Police Chief Tim Bilodeau said. and a highly competitive job market, according to a December 2018 NPR article. It could also be due to the younger generation’s job preferences, according to the article. While UVM Police Services struggles to hire new employees, Chief Lianne Tuomey remains on indefinite paid leave

with no explanation as to why, according to a Sept. 10 Cynic article. But Bilodeau remains optimistic that Tuomey’s absence will not have a negative effect on recruitment, he said. “What I can say is that I think we have a group of very professional police staff here. We were working on [a recruitment

security, but ultimately people from across the globe can mimic IP addresses through the dark web, Bilodeau said. “There is an expectation that in whatever email server you’re using, there’s some robust security measures in place...there certainly are at UVM, but everyone’s experiencing this,” Bilodeau said. “There’s just a certain reality in 2019 about scams occurring, and getting into systems is part of that.” Since June 2019, students have received at least six scam emails. In three of the emails, UVM’s logo was used and offered students money in exchange for work. Three of the emails indicated the job was with a doctor, one in emergency medicine and the other a counselor. The Information Security Office could not comment by the time of publication. strategy] before, and we’re certainly working on it now,” Bilodeau said, when asked if Tuomey’s absence has had any effects on recruitment. UVM Police Services advertises its employment opportunities on the main page of their website. Additionally, they have job listings on the Vermont official state website and LinkedIn. “We’ve developed a pretty decent marketing campaign around really being clear about our benefits and what our pay is,” Bilodeau said. “We’re confident that we’ll get our folks back to the level that we like to, because we want to operate with everything going for us.” Currently, UVM Police Services has 18 officers listed on their website including the chief, two deputy chiefs, two detectives and four sergeants. From January 2018 to December 2018, UVM Police recievied 2,809 reports. Divided equally among the 18 police officers listed as on staff in 2018, each officer could have responded to 156 each.

UVM’s new dean of libraries discovered his love of books when he was a child, but he didn’t plan on being a librarian until college. Dr. Bryn Geffert was appointed dean of libraries May 13 and before UVM, had only experienced smaller liberal arts colleges. “All of my work has been at liberal arts colleges even at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point,” Geffert said. “So suddenly being surrounded and serving disciplines such as engineering, environmental studies, agriculture, medicine [and] nursing, that’s all new.” Geffert has worked as a library director at St. Olaf College in Minnesota, West Point in New York and Amherst College in Massachusetts. Geffert graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in history and Russian at St. Olaf, earned a Master of Science degree in library and information science from the University of Illinois and Master of Arts and doctorate degrees in Russian and modern European history from the University of Minnesota. “I remembered some of my happiest times in libraries so I decided to go to a graduate program in what’s called library science,” Geffert said. “ I quickly discovered that librarianship isn’t anything like I envisioned it, but it was actually more fun, more interesting and more challenging.” Library science is a field of study that includes the management of books and the practices of library operation and administration. Even after entering the world of libraries, he never saw himself as a library director. “I had several jobs mainly as a reference instructional librarian, so I was one of those librarians that spend most of his time working with classes preparing them to do research,” Geffert said. During his time at UVM, Geffert hopes to better engage the students. “I’m really delighted to be at a public school, a school that understands itself as serving not only its own immediate campus but also a larger public good,” Geffert said. “That’s what libraries are about.” Geffert said he also wants to make sure students have the necessary means to succeed after college. He wants students to be able to know how to conduct good research and to know the difference between good research and bad research, he said.

OPINION

VERMO

lis h

Issue 4 - Vol.

ed 188 3

Protect food assistance for VT 6

Y NIC

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 cynicmarketing@gmail.com

EDITORIAL Copy Chief Liv Marshall copy@vtcynic.com Culture Sarah Robinson cynicculture@gmail.com Features Greta Rohrer cynicfeatures@gmail.com News Sawyer Loftus news@vtcynic.com Opinion Mills Sparkman opinion@vtcynic.com Podcasts David Cabrera vtcynicpodcasts@gmail.com

Letter to the Editor by Senator Bernie Sanders, Senator Patrick Leahy, and Representative Peter Welch

ack-to-school season has begun across America. Millions of children have returned to classrooms, ready to start a new school year. Now, thanks to President Donald Trump’s administration, hundreds of thousands of struggling families — including many Vermonters — may have to worry about how they will be able to afford their child’s lunch every day. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently unveiled a shameful new rule that could deny over half a million needy students free school meals. The Trump administration proposal would also kick over 3 million people off of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps. We stand with the state of Vermont and Hunger Free Vermont and dozens of our colleagues in Congress in opposing this rule. SNAP is a successful program that lifted 8.4 million people across the country out of poverty in 2015 alone. We know this Trump proposal will directly affect Vermonters. According to the State of Vermont, which administers SNAP locally through the

Layout Kyra Chevalier layout@vtcynic.com Photo Stephan Toljan photo@vtcynic.com Assistant Editors Henry Mitchell (Opinion), Kate Vanni and Meilena Sanchez (Layout), Dalton Doyle (Copy), Allie O’Connor (Culture), Emma Pinezich (News) Copy Editors Will Keeton, Zoey Webb, Maddie Quill, Caroline Jagger, Kelly Turner, Anna Colfer, Zoe Sheppard Page Designers Stephanie Hodel, Ed Taylor, George Weed

ADVISING Faculty Adviser Chris Evans crevans@uvm.edu

NOAH ZHOU

Peter Welch (D-Vt.) proudly represent the State of Vermont in the United States Congress. 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.

Correction A Sept. 10 Staff Editorial contained several errors. Former University President Tom Sullivan was not responsible for the presidential search process. The statement: “Garimella is the ﬁrst president to come from outside of the University since 1833” is also incorrect. The Cynic apologizes for these errors.

Vegans are more than what they do not eat Lucy Gilbert

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

3SquaresVT program, 21% of students would be kicked off 3SquaresVT. Because students who access 3SquaresVT are automatically eligible for free lunch, more than 4,500 Vermont children — three times the number of kids who attend our state’s largest public high school — would be deprived of free meals. This will have an even greater impact on those Vermont schools where participation in 3SquaresVT determines universal school meal programs, school and library technology support and student-loan forgiveness for teachers. If the president is motivated by cost, then he should end welfare for the rich, by repealing the $1.3 trillion tax cut that overwhelmingly beneﬁtted the wealthiest people in the country and large corporations. We must work together to preserve the programs that lift people out of poverty and provide healthy, nutritious meals to our schoolchildren. If you wish to learn more about how the Trump administration’s proposal would affect Vermont, visit Hunger Free Vermont’s website: https:// www.hungerfreevt.org/ protect3squaresvt Senator Bernie Sanders (IVt.), Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Representative

lagilber@uvm.edu

t is never okay to ridicule someone for what they eat. What you eat is personal to you based off not just your dietary needs, but also cultural, religious and personal beliefs. One popular “new” diet in the U.S. is veganism. There was an extreme growth of 600% of people who identiﬁed as vegans from 2014 to 2017, according to a November 2018 Forbes article. However, even with the rising following for veganism, many people still don’t like vegans for one reason or another. Some people think if you are vegan, you must be annoying, pushy or just trying to keep up with the trend. Although I am not a vegan, I am a vegetarian and have been since I was very young. One of my friends who is a vegan for health reasons was recently explaining to me that she is reluctant to tell people she is vegan because of being

the environment, animals and perceived as the stereotypical health risks. They are correct. vegan who is pushy and Livestock emissions obnoxious. account for 14.5% of global Although it seems like greenhouse gas emissions, veganism is a new trend, it is according to the Food and important to remember that Agriculture Organization of the plant-based diets have played United Nations. This is because a role in various cultures for a livestock requires a generous long time. amount of natural resources. Followers of Hinduism and From destroying the Buddhism often practice a high ocean ﬂoor to capture ﬁsh, intake of plants and low intake of meat, according to a May 2016 HuffPost article. Catholics and Orthodox Christians in Ethiopia often practice fasting for Lent, the Advent and most Wednesdays and Fridays by refraining from consuming meat and dairy products, according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ website. Many vegans, particularly in the U.S. and Europe, talk about the consequences of eating meat and dairy products and the impact it has on KYLEE WILLETTE

to the destruction of forests for livestock ranching, the environment is being deeply impacted. Many vegans are also passionate about ethics and how animals are treated. Factory farming is a large industry in the U.S., and it is often pressuring small familyrun farms to expand. Although it is sometimes expensive buying from farmers markets and ethical small family farms, it would be a great option if you are able to. If not, you could join or start an action group near you. However, veganism may not be for you for different reasons, which is okay too. Whatever diet you choose, you shouldn’t make fun of others for theirs, even if it conﬂicts with your ideas of what’s acceptable to eat. The food you eat makes you unique but also does not deﬁne you. You are so much more than just what you eat.

Lucy Gilbert is a ﬁrst-year undeclared major. She has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2019.

OPINION

We need conflict to make real changes Gabby Felitto gfelitto@uvm.edu

KAYS IE

SMITH

veryone wants change to happen, but no one is willing to put the work in, especially if that work makes them feel uncomfortable. The 2019 Campus Climate Survey was released Sept. 5. The survey provides data that helps ensure diversity and inclusion are sustained on campus. It also informs the University of where improvement needs to be made, according to UVM’s website. The survey reports 47% of faculty and staff and 50% of students try to avoid conflicts regarding discussions of identity issues. However, 62% of faculty and staff and 77% of students agree that these conflicts enrich learning. While it may be uncomfortable to place yourself in a sensitive discussion involving an identity issue, especially if you’re not personally a member of that identity, being uncomfortable is one of the only ways change and learning can happen. If students who aren’t part of a certain identity group feel uncomfortable about a conflict, imagine how a member of the community being discussed feels when a conflict arises. I’ve been in certain discussions involving racism in the U.S. in my classes.

In these situations, I mustered the courage to speak up because I was one of the only students who identified as a person of color. Members of identity groups shouldn’t have to be the spokesperson for their entire identity group every time a conflict arises in class. 30% of faculty and staff and 42% of students feel that it’s important to educate others

about the challenges of identity groups to which they belong, according to the survey. If the percentage of faculty and staff and students who agree that conflict enriches the learning process became involved in conflict, it would take pressure off of those in the specific identity groups being discussed. What’s most interesting about this issue is that 86%

of faculty and staff and 82% of students want to learn about other identity groups, according to the survey. If this many people want to educate themselves, people need to realize that engaging in conflicts regarding identity issues will help them to learn. Participators in the discussion will learn how that community and others may feel about different identity groups.

It’s fine to not know everything about an identity group and to make honest mistakes. College is the time when students should be encouraged to say “difficult, or even offensive” things as part of learning, according to a February 2010 Inside Higher Ed article. Everyone needs to be involved in the discussion in order to be able to learn and to grow. Just because someone isn’t as “woke” doesn’t mean they’re bad; it just means that they need to be included in the discussion. Views and opinions can change through conversation. If UVM’s faculty and staff, as well as UVM’s students, attempt to discuss and to learn, they’ll become allies for the many identity groups on our campus. In order to be a part of uncomfortable discussions, people need to remember to be open, patient and to have a positive mindset. Conflict shouldn’t be viewed as a scary thing but as a way to grow as a person. For our campus to be aware of the value of diversity, everyone needs to participate in conflict and discussion, as it’s one of the only ways for everyone to move towards being comfortable.

Gabby Felitto is a sophomore CSD major. She has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2018.

How to find comfort in being uncomfortable: breathe Valerie Davis vdavis@uvm.edu

reathe. Just breathe. Ever since the first day of classes as a first-year just four weeks ago, these three words have been crucial to almost every aspect of my life. Since arriving at UVM, my life has become completely different. I have no choice but to step outside of my comfort zone and seek out new experiences. Two things have popped into my head recently. The first is that I feel like a lost and confused puppy compared to all of these mature Great Danes around me. Everyone, underclassmen and upperclassmen alike, seem to know what they are doing, where they are going and most importantly, who they are. This leads me to my second thought: everyone looks so comfortable. Being comfortable is affording or enjoying

contentment and security, according to Webster’s New World College Dictionary. I’m usually familiar with this feeling, but I haven’t felt it recently. Moving away from home and receiving a new class workload have been big changes in my life. Each student at UVM is experiencing their new schedule for the semester, and everyone has their own agenda for studying and homework. But as a first-year, it has been hard to find the best times and places to do schoolwork. The library seems like a great option at first sight. Still, I also see students working inside a common room, or even outside on the grass. It seems like everyone has “their spot” when all I need is to find a place to scribble down notes for my lecture in 30 minutes. I’m not going to lie; the transition to UVM has been scary for me. It still is very scary. The college workload seems

to be quite different from high school, and I’m starting to realize how naive I have been. Everyone is uncomfortable because it is the beginning of a new school year. And I’m learning that this is okay. I do not know why or how I have looked at people around me and thought, “Wow, they really have their life together.” As every day goes by,

NOAH ZHOU

I’m noticing that many, many first-years are not even close to being 100 percent comfortable yet. In fact, no one is. As I’ve talked to more upperclassmen, I’m learning that they are all messes as well, and they do not have their life together at all. I think I may be too happy about this. To my fellow first years, we are coming up on four weeks of being here

which, in the scheme of things, is an incredibly short amount of time. First years have so much time ahead of them to make this place feel more like home. Adjustment is a process that does not occur quickly; especially when we are thrust into a new environment with 10,000 other students who all need to do laundry on their own too. What I am learning is that it is okay to feel uncomfortable. All of us should find comfort in the uncomfortable because if we cannot do that, then we will never succeed at all. Next time you feel uncomfortable or overwhelmed with any sort of school work, close your eyes and focus on three words. Breathe. Just breathe.

Valerie Davis is a first-year public communication major. She has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2019.

CULTURE

Burlington

Sabrina Fiore sjfiore@uvm.edu

STEPHAN TOLJAN/The Vermont Cynic

Sophomore Michael Newton walks in the Burlington Pride Parade, Sept. 8. The parade and festival have been held annually since 1983.

The sun shone down on the smiling faces of Burlingtonians as Church Street bloomed into a rainbow of support and pride. The annual Burlington Pride Parade and Festival took place Sept. 8. UVM faculty and staff marched with various groups and community members at this year’s event. A large group of students met at 11:30 a.m. at the Allen House to walk down and represent UVM’s Prism Center at the parade. Professor Tina Escaja, director of gender, sexuality and women’s studies, helped to organize the walk with the Prism Center. “I thought it was important not just to walk on our own, but to be with Prism as part of UVM,” Escaja said. “I think it’s very important for visibility to have strength in our numbers and to be part of UVM within the larger community.” After gathering for a group picture at the Allen House, the Prism Center marched down to the parade, which started at the corner of King Street and South Winooski Avenue. Here, the UVM community had a chance to interact with the Burlington community at large. People came dressed in colorful pride gear. Some brought their pets, children and friends to celebrate the event. While the day was a celebration, junior Liv Patullo also reflected on the deeper implications of the event. “For me, Pride is a way to remember those who have fallen in the fight for our rights,” Patullo said. “Pride is a focal point for movements that we still need.” Escaja also said that she noticed a more political compo-

nent to the parade this year. “I thought, ‘This is new, and this is very, very important.’ It is not just a celebration, but also a chance to advocate,” she said. For some students, like firstyear Christine Fleming, it was their first time participating in the Burlington Pride Parade. “For one thing, this is the first Pride I’ve ever been to. I have absolutely no idea what to expect,” Fleming said. After the parade concluded at Battery Park, the festival began. It included musical performances, food vendors and free face-painting stations. Various action groups, such as Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, and religious groups were in attendance. First-year Sofia Brinkerhoff said that Vermont’s air of acceptance is what drew her to UVM. “I think whatever your identity is, you have to work really hard throughout your life to figure out how you feel comfortable with yourself,” Brinkerhoff said. “That was one of the reasons I wanted to come to Vermont for college, because I knew they were going to be very accepting,” Fleming reflected on what Pride means to them. “I guess Pride is just being comfortable and proud of who you are, no matter who you are,” Fleming said. Escaja said that the turnout at Pride was inspiring for her as an educator. “For me, it’s fantastic to see all these students in particular being engaged in the sense of community and interaction,” Escaja said. “I think it’s part of the whole celebration. The thing I always take with me is the sense, the spirit and the people.”

Local poets inspire students to experience UVM arts Willow Scherwinski wscherwi@uvm.edu

First-year Keira Subanas said her world opened up when she attended the reading. The evening of Sept. 12, the Painted Word Poetry Series was hosted in Fleming Museum. The event featured two published poets: Burlington native Sue Burton and former UVM student Sara London. “I never really thought something like this would be so accessible to me,” Subanas said. “I really like how my professors encourage us to get involved in these things.” Subanas said she has always had an interest in poetry and is excited to dive deeper through similar events offered by UVM. Both Burton and London read from their books at the event. Burton’s collection of poems, “Box,” won the Two Sylvias Press Poetry Prize and is a finalist for the Foreword INDIES award for best poetry book of 2018.

MAC MANSFIELD-PARISI/The Vermont Cynic

Poet Sara London (Left) and poet Sue Burton (Right) pose for pictures after reading their work at Painted by Word at Fleming Museum, Sept.12. London has two published poetry collections. “The Tyranny of Milk” published in 2010 and just this month, “Upkeep.” She is also a creative writing and poetry professor at Smith College. Junior Andrea Smith was in attendance as part of professor Major Jackson’s advanced writing and poetry class. She said she enjoyed hear-

ing the authors read their poetry after reading both of their respective books. “Being in a poetry class and being someone who wants to pursue that and have it be my life, it was really inspirational to see people who have made it their life,” Smith said. In hopes of inspiring students like Smith and conveying that anything is possible, Bur-

ton shared her past experience with the Vermont Women’s Health Center. Though she has a Master of Fine Arts in writing from Vermont College, she spent 25 years as a physicians assistant through an apprenticeship training, Burton said. “It was the era that people believed that they could do anything and anyone could learn to do anything and I still believe it today,” Burton said. Both poets shared brief explanations of how their backgrounds and experiences have shaped and fueled their writing. “I tend to write a lot about personal experiences and my transformation through those,” Burton said. “As I have different life experiences, the thing that makes the most sense to me to process them is imagery and poetry.” When presented with the question of why she chose poetry as her form of writing, London shared her similar relationship with the genre. “The very intent focus on

language, and sound, and rhythm, and meter and voice; all of those things have appealed to my senses and imagination and given me access to expressing myself in a way that no former genres have allowed me to do,” she said. Burton had words of advice for those looking to follow in her footsteps. “Just keep at it. If you are continually writing, even if it is short pieces, just keep putting it out there. Your world will open up,” she said. For all aspiring poets, especially students, London also had a final piece of wisdom for their journeys through the world of writing. “I think it’s important to understand that with creative work there are hills and valleys that you experience. Don’t be discouraged,” London said. “Have perseverance about it. Be bold and brave and enjoy the pleasures and successes.”

CULTURE

Otis attracts crowd of UVM students Anya Kauffman aakauffm@uvm.edu

Among the abundance of beanies and flannels was a large group of UVM students able to put their affinity for the outdoors to good use. Attendees made their way up the mountains in Elizabethtown, New York, to set up their camping gear. On Sept. 6 to 8, students from surrounding colleges as well as local families gathered at Otis Mountain Get Down Music Festival, for a weekend of dancing and camping in the Adirondacks in upstate New York. Besides the tents, there was an assorted collection of hammock and tapestry configurations. These unique displays guided students like the North Star on their way back from concerts late at night. Cell service ceased to exist, so time was nothing but a construct at the festival. More often than not, phones were abandoned in tents for the day. Attendees frolicked in the grass, danced in the downpour of rain and threw themselves into raging mosh pits. “I thought it was so fun to just walk around and be like ‘does anyone know what time it is?’” sophomore Eva Mazura said. There were a variety of music groups performing at Otis including 99 Neighbors, Goth Babe, Ric Wilson and Habibi. Mazura said these were among some of her favorite performances. With such a range of listen-

Image courtesy of BENJAMIN COLLINS

Students stand in front of the stage at the annual Otis Mountain Get Down, Sept. 7. The festival, which has been happening since 2012, takes place in the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York. ers and performers, the crowd was diverse and accepting, Mazura said. At one point on Saturday, a voice rang out from the loud speaker stressing the importance of sexual consent. Due to the accepting nature of Otis, festival-goers felt free to let loose, sophomore Hannah Wong said. “No pressure to act, wear a certain thing or be into a certain type of music,” Wong said.

The personalities of attenees shone through their attire. Mazura saw someone wearing a bee suit, while junior Ben Levy saw a lot of great onesies being sported. “It was very wholesome,” Wong said. Sustainability was also a value at Otis. Refilling reusable water bottles was encouraged, and recycling and compost repositories were also easily accessible.

Up a hilltop sat a telephone booth where attendees could leave a recorded message for future Otis inhabitants and listen to past artists’ messages. Wong appreciated that Otis brings together a unique collection of outdoorsy folk as well as music fans. Other amenities included a variety of food trucks. One served fresh sushi and another served wood-fired pizza. There was a wide selection of work-

shops, morning yoga classes, craft-making and even an informal limbo competition. Suffice to say that those from UVM who attended Otis this year brought back good spirits to campus. “It’s definitely a good timed activity, because it’s right at the start of the year — puts everyone in a pretty solid mood,” Levy said. “Overall it was just a good ol’ time.”

“Norman Fucking Rockwell” sets this autumn’s mood Sophia Venturo sventuro@uvm.edu

ook no further for the complement to your fullstop fall melancholy. On her sixth studio album “Norman Fucking Rockwell,” Lana Del Rey is born again from the ashes of reckless abandonment and offers a meditation on her life through stripped down production, gentle piano and guitar driven melodies. On “NFR,” Del Rey maintains her trademark pensive demure while switching up production styles and using it to claim space and time, persistantly reasserting a harmony she strikes between themes of self-actualization and the “fuck it” attitude that defines the record. Tracks like “Venice Bitch,” drop into a psychedelic interlude with reflective latesummer blues, whereas “Cinnamon Girl” churns out the essence of cool and mystery that Del Rey seems to bleed. Amid the lulling tonality of

“NFR,” we witness Del Rey lean casually yet ardently into her own dominance both personal and professional. On title track “Norman fucking Rockwell,” Del Rey opens the record by mocking, as she puts it, the “self-loathing poet” that her earlier works sometimes saw her pine for. And on “Love song,” a gloomy piano lullaby, she doesn’t concede to her partner and defends her self worth: “In your car, I’m a star and I’m burning / Through you.” And on “The Next Best American Record,” she crafts an ode to her own merits as a poetic songwriter. In the title of “NFR,” she reclaims the identity of the American artist and forges it in her own image. Who could care about Norman Rockwell when we have “Norman Fucking Rockwell”? On closing track “hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have - but I have it,” Del Rey flips the coin, spelling out the fear, pain and risk that comes with being a creative woman. “I’ve been tearing around in my fucking nightgown/24/7

SAVANAH TEBEAU-SHERRY Sylvia Plath/Writing in blood on your walls,” she sings. Although she serves the audience a healthy slice of poetic justice on her own behalf, Del Rey seamlessly blends those triumphant assertions with a familiar theme: romance.

The appeals to love and intimacy give the work an underlying empathy for its subjects and glistens it with a distinct sense of hope. On “Mariners Apartment Complex,” she tells us flat out “You can see my heart burning in the distance.”

Each track on the record flows evenly into the next, dispelling any threat that pressing shuffle may pose to the more casual listener. Even on track five, a cover of Sublime’s “Doin’ Time,” Del Rey’s stone cold performance makes it an anthem all her own with a distinct “NFR” sound. “NFR” reminds us that even for the boldest and brightest among us, old habits die hard. It renders the comforts of homecoming and at the same time, the violent instinct to bolt the other way. “Norman Fucking Rockwell” centers Del Rey as the true canary in the coal mine of pop. Del Ray deserves a genre distinction all her own when considering the dreamy, post-rock American storytelling that she proves herself a master of on this record. “NFR” is a triumphant capstone to Del Rey’s early discography and is required fall listening for anyone who has a heart and lived half a life. Sophia Venturo is a sophomore political science major. She has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2018.

SPORTS

DEFENDING A LEGACY Local Vermonter leads UVM Men’s Soccer team Hayley Rosen hrosen@uvm.edu

Lucas Shaw was born and raised a Catamount. Both of his parents graduated from UVM, and he grew up just down the road in South Burlington. Shaw is now a senior at the University studying business administration and is one of four captains of the men’s soccer team. A defenseman entering his third season with the team, Shaw has high aspirations for this year’s squad. “I think our number one goal is definitely to win the conference,” he said. “And hopefully by the time postseason starts, really get on a roll and at least try to make a run to the final four or elite eight.” This year brings in the most first-year players since the 2010 season, so much of the beginning of the season was focused on establishing connections between teammates, he said. Shaw is very impressed by the tenacity and determination he sees in the new players this year, he said. “They’re [first-years] definitely a bunch of really hard workers, and there’s definitely a lot of talent from the class,” Shaw said. “The great thing about this class is that there are no weak links so the training level has been really high.” Although the team lost two games early this season, Shaw feels optimistic that a winning

streak is coming. He said a turnaround seems promising now after the team claimed a 4-2 victory against Harvard University Sept. 13. Shaw said one of his favorite parts of being on the team is getting to meet people from all over the world. “The best part is having a bunch of friends internationally...there’s a bunch of players from Iceland and Germany this year,” Shaw said. “Off the field, the guys just interact so well with each other, it’s fun.” When he isn’t playing soccer or focusing on academics, Shaw also enjoys skiing. He shares this passion with his father, who skied for UVM’s varsity team in 1984, he said. Both of Shaw’s parents are UVM alumni, and he grew up watching UVM soccer games from the sidelines since he was five years old, he said. Since 2017, his first season for the Cats, Shaw has played in 19 games, including six starts. He even scored his first UVM goal this season in a home contest versus Iona College Sept. 6. In 2017 Shaw had one shot on goal and played in nine games. In 2018, Shaw had two shots, none on goal and played in seven games. The Cats have upcoming games at Siena College Sept. 16 at 3 p.m. and at home against Merrimack College Sept. 21 at 7 p.m.

MADDY DEGELSMITH/The Vermont Cynic

(TOP) Senior defenseman Lucas Shaw, a varsity soccer captain, grew up in South Burlington. He has been watching UVM soccer games since he was five years old, he said. (BOTTOM) Shaw [center] celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against Iona College Sept. 6.

FEATURE

Lilly Page mtrogolo@uvm.edu

er heart was pounding as she carried boxes into what would be her new home for the next nine months. First-year Abbie Doiron thought that finally, the moment she had been waiting for all summer had come. Sitting in her dorm room in Central Campus Residence Hall now, Doiron realized college life as a first-year isn’t what she expected it to be. “I didn’t expect myself to have such a nice residence hall... But at the same time, I’m too far away from my dogs,” she said. Doiron, and other firstyears, all have different emotions when it comes to starting college. Many students feel excited, nervous and overwhelmed about their new lives at UVM. The class of 2023 comes from far and wide. 44 states and 14 countries are represented, according to UVM’s website. No matter where students come from, many first-years face challenges while adjusting to life at UVM. Jacob Rogrow, a first-year from Atlanta, said moving to UVM was a major culture shock. When Rogrow first started school, he said he instantly noticed the difference in attitude between the Northeast and the South. “Down South you got the whole Southern hospitality, and generally with people from the Northeast it’s more

like focusing on the individual mentality,” he said Like Rogrow, a lot of first years from places other than New England have had a rough time adjusting to Vermont culture. While it may be exciting for first-years to travel to a new place for college, there are certain aspects that students miss about home. Felisa Hollenbeak, a firstyear from O’ahu, Hawaii, struggles with being away from her home. She misses the familarity of Hawaii, which is laid-back in comparison to the fast-paced East Coast, she said. However, she is excited by the seasonal differences between her sunny home in Hawaii and her new home in Vermont. “I like the weather so far. Also, I love the new experiences, and I’m looking forward to seeing the different seasons,” she said. For other first-years, Vermont has been their home for most of their lives. “I’m still a little nervous… But I feel that I’ve gotten the groove of things,” said Tiki Brown, a first-year from South Burlington. Living 10 minutes from campus, Brown admits that there are some benefits to being close to home. “I forgot a couple of things, so I rode my bike home,” Brown said. “When I need my car for something, I ride my bike home, pick up the car and drive back.” R.A. Juliet Malkowski, a sophomore, is familiar with the feelings of being a first-year on campus and the unfamiliarity of new surroundings. “What you want to happen

TOP: Photo illustration by KYRA CHEVALIER and LILLY PAGE BOTTOM (LILLY PAGE/The Vermont Cynic): First-year student Brian Coppula studies in his hammock Sept. 14. isn’t necessarily going to happen, because life is filled with unexpected things,” Malkowski said. Many first-year students have expectations for life in college. Seamus Higgins, a first-year from Charlotte, Vermont, said he has an vision of college life that is “on track” to becoming reality. “My ideal version of college life is being able to take classes that I like and constantly being stimulated,” Higgins said. He also said that his vision was influenced by his expectations for what students should ultimately get out of a college education. “I think it’s just now that I’m paying for my education, you expect it to be more shaped towards what you want. You go to a school where you get more of what you want out of it,” he

said. First-years come to UVM for numerous reasons — the quality education, the beautiful scenery or the cheerful vibe that comes from the UVM student body. The energy of the student population catches the attention of many first-years, and is one of their favorite things about UVM. “Even though I miss the people back home, the people here are amazing in their own unique way,” Rogrow said. “Everyone here I’ve met is awesome.” Meeting new people is an inevitable part of one’s first year, but feeling comfortable in this new environment takes time. With her R.A. wisdom, Malkowski encourages going to events and interacting with others as a way to help first-

years transition into college life. “Going to as many events as you can, interacting with a whole bunch of people, getting to know roommates, suitemates, floormates, can make a huge difference in how at home you feel,” Malkowski said. Only time will tell how the class of 2023’s thoughts and emotions will change. With only three weeks of classes down, first-years have plenty of time to find their comfort zone at UVM. When asked if he has changed since the first day, Brown said with a smile, “I’m still ironing some stuff out. I’m getting there, and it’s taking time, but it’s happening.” Lilly Page is a first-year history major. She has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2019.