Pop Art
Court Goes Pink
Exhibit at Fleming Museum takes visitors back in time
Men’s basketball team rallies against breast cancer
ARTS pg. 6
BURLINGTON, VT
VTCYNIC.COM
VOL. 132
ISSUE 18
facebook.com/ thevermontcynic
SPORTS @vermontcynic
instagram.com/ vermontcynic
pg. 10 youtube.com/ cynicvideo
W E D N E S DAY, F E B R UARY 1 7, 2 0 1 6
Email incites bias reports by kelsey neubauer kaneubau@uvm.edu
UVM is currently investigating the source of an email stating that an Auschwitz crematorium was a “hoax.” UVM police and the Office of Equal Employment and Opportunity received multiple bias reports filed by students regarding a Feb. 10 email sent to a number of students, Vice Provost for Student Affairs Annie Stevens said. The email presents various reasons as to why a particular crematorium at Auschwitz was created post-war. “As pointed out by many revisionists before, the four holes in the roof of the morgue of Crematorium I at Auschwitz 1 camp do not ‘fit’ the original configuration of the building. In fact, they are centered over the current post-war modified configuration of the room,” the email stated. Students across campus received the email, Hillel Director Matt Vogel said. Vogel and Stevens are working alongside UVM Enterprise Technology Services and the Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity to determine the source of the email, Stevens said. The group or individual that sent the email is in no part a University affiliate, she said. The email was signed by Bradley R. Smith, the founder of the Committee for Open De-
by kelsey neubauer kaneubauer@uvm.edu
The Hillel building on Colchester Avenue is pictured Feb. 15. Hillel represents Jewish students on campus. COLE WANGSNESS/The Vermont Cynic bate on the Holocaust. Smith has not responded to the Cynic’s request for comment. It currently appears that the email was sent specifically to Jewish students, according to an email sent Feb. 12 to the Hillel listserv by Stevens and Vogel. Following the initial incident, Vogel sent an email to the Hillel listserv Feb. 10 to offer support and guidance to UVM’s Jewish community. The University denounced
the original email and said it has no factual validity nor a place in an academic institution, Stevens said. “We want to be clear that a communication such as this that perpetuates anti-Semitism by falsely proclaiming inaccurate historical events has no place at the University of Vermont,” according to the Feb. 12 statement from Stevens and Vogel. Arielle Cheifetz, a first-year member of the Hillel community at UVM, said though the
email was very unsettling, she is not surprised by anti-Semitic instances on college campuses. “[It’s different here compared to other Universities because] 20 percent of the entire [UVM] population is Jewish,” she said. While in high school, Cheifetz attended workshops preparing Jewish students going into college for possible anti-Semitic issues. She said she feels that issues of anti-Semitism are not addressed enough at UVM.
Greek life petitions against tax bill by bryan o’keefe bokeefe@uvm.edu
Members of Greek life are fighting to repeal a bill that eliminates the property tax exemption on their houses. The bill will go into effect January 2017, unless the new opposing bill is passed before May, when Vermont’s legislative session ends, sophomore Will Sudbay said. “We are basically in the 11th hour as far as getting this passed goes,” he said. Sudbay, a member of the Sigma Phi Society, said Rep. Barbara Rachelson drafted the new bill on behalf of efforts by UVM’s Greek community. UVM’s Greek community created a website, savegreeklifeatuvm.com, to raise awareness of the issue and garner support for the bill. A petition on the website had received 1,663 signatures as of Feb. 15.
Marketing to cost UVM $1.58 million
The potential total cost of the property tax for Greek houses would be $350,576, according to the website. This breaks down into $241,082 paid to the state in taxes, while the city of Burlington would receive $109,494 from the houses. Greek life does not have funding to pay for the additional taxes, so the fees would fall on the students and be tacked onto their dues, Sudbay said. However, the state comes up with different numbers. The estimated property tax on Greek life is $173,000, according to the Vermont Tax Expenditures 2015 Biennial Report. If the bill is unsuccessful, Greek organizations are hoping to compromise and reduce the city tax burden on properties by 50 percent, Sudbay said. For sophomore Norma Techarukpong, a member of
The Alpha Chi Omega sorority is pictured Sept. 28. PHOTO COURTE-
SY OF BAILEY KIMBALL
the Pi Beta Phi Sorority, the issue is mostly about the meaning of home. “Our house was built by Pi Phis, for Pi Phis,” Techarukpong said. Most members of Pi Beta
Phi pay their own dues, and the new taxes would increase their financial burden, she said. A rally in support of Greek life will take place in the Davis Center March 3.
UVM is investing millions in a marketing makeover. UVM will spend $1.58 million in a “new enrollment management project,” in order to make UVM more appealing, according to contracts signed in October between UVM and Philadelphia design compan 160over90. The contract with the design company will last through 2018. The project began at the beginning of summer 2015, Vice President of Enrollment Management Stacey Kostell said. “This is an effort to use use storytelling and creative design – and the metaphor of an academic ecosystem – to put UVM’s unique advantages in sharp relief, so they stand out and break through the clutter of college admissions materials,” she said. The University is not rebranding, because it is still promoting itself, just with a different face, Interim Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences William Falls said. “We don’t consider this to be a ‘rebranding’ campaign, since we’ve focused on many of these same points in the past,” Kostell said. “I think that UVM is doing the right thing with this money,” junior Drew Flaherty said. “Although many students may feel indifferent toward improvements like this, I think it is good timing.” Flaherty said it is important to recognize how the University has developed its image over the years. “This University has been developing in just the few recent years that I have been here and it is apparent among all of the students,” he said. While looking at possible partners for the project, the Request for Proposals explained that the contract would include a three-month research period as well as a marketing campaign. Prospective students and parents, alumni and other university members are among those who will be tested for branding effectiveness, the proposal stated. The choice to hire 160over90 was decided by the University’s board of trustees during the 2014-2015 school year.
2
THE VERMONT CYNIC
NEWS
W E D N E S DAY, F E B R UARY 17, 2016
Trustees select student member by alexandra shannon amshanno@uvm.edu
A new student member has been selected for the UVM board of trustees, to follow outgoing student trustee Samantha Lucas. The board of trustees student selection committee publicly announced Soraiya Thura, a second-year in the College of Medicine, as their choice Feb. 1, SGA President Jason Maulucci said. Each year the committee is responsible for choosing a student trustee who will serve a two-year term. Thura will serve alongside fellow student trustee, junior David Brandt. A student trustee is a full voting member on the board of trustees and uses their experience as a student to make decisions with the board, according to a Nov. 11 Cynic article. Thura is originally from Falls Church, Virginia and graduated magna cum laude with university honors from Virginia Commonwealth University. She has a B.S. in economics and a minor in chemistry. Thura holds many leadership positions in numerous organizations at UVM. Thura is a class representative on the Dean’s Advisory Committee on Diversity Inclusion at the College of Medicine. She is also involved with the UVM College of Medicine Social Justice Coalition, as well as UVM’s Chapters of the Ameri-
Soraiya Thura is pictured third from the left. Thura is currently the student representative on the UVM board of trustees. PHOTO COURTESY OF SORAIYA THURA
can Medical Women’s Association and American Medical Association. “I’m interested and passionate about diversity and cultural competence in medicine and the environment for students on campus,” Thura said. She said she first heard about the student trustee position earlier in the school year at an executive board meeting at the College of Medicine. All interested students must
attend three informational sessions before filling out an application, which is due in early January. After the applications are received, only 10 applicants are selected for the interview portion. “This year we received more interest and more applicants than we’ve seen in many, many years, maybe over a decade,” Maulucci said. “The pool was incredibly talented, and Soraiya kind of blew us away.”
After two consecutive days of interviewing, Thura was selected to be the new student trustee. Thura said she has many goals for her new position, but one of her main hopes is to create more unity within the student body between graduate students, medical students and undergraduates. “I really want to show that we, the grad students and med students on campus, are also
important,” she said. Student trustee David Brandt said he is sad to see current student trustee Samantha Lucas go, but is looking forward to working with Thura. “I think she is going to be an ideal person for the job,” Brandt said. He said student trustees bring both an on-campus and student-based perspective to the board, but do not represent students specifically.
ALANA Center move creates ‘one big domino effect’ by john riedel jpriedel@uvm.edu As a result of the ALANA Student Center moving into the Living/Learning Center, several University offices will be shifting to other locations on campus. Once the ALANA Center moves into its new location, currently home to the Career Center, the Career Advising Center, CatCard Service Center and UVMtv studio will all move to different locations across campus. “The Career Center is moving into part of the second floor of the Davis Center next to the bookstore,” said Pat Brown, director of Student Life. The bookstore decided over a year and a half ago it had more space than it needed, Brown
Executive
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Hannah Kearns editorinchief@vtcynic.com MANAGING EDITOR Hannah Morgan newsroom@vtcynic.com
said. SGA passed a resolution Nov. 17 to move the ALANA Center to Living/Learning, according to a Feb. 12 Cynic article. “It’s one big domino effect,” Brown said. The Career Advising Center and the Career Hub will share the space where the CatCard Service Center and Career Hub currently are, he said. The CatCard Service Center will move to the basement of Billings Library, CatCard Center Director Mark McKenna said. One challenge will be to make sure incoming students will be able to get their CatCards in time for next semester, McKenna said. “Our ideal would be to be settled in the new home before orientation so that all of the new students will know exactly
where the CatCard office is,” he said. There isn’t a set date for the CatCard Service Center to move into Billings, McKenna said, but it will happen before the coming fall semester. “Part of the challenge is making sure we have enough network connectivity and Internet connectivity over in that neck of the woods,” he said. UVMtv has already moved out of Billings and is moving into the basement of Wright Hall on Redstone Campus. UVMtv’s station manager, senior Melisa Rayvid, said they found out Feb. 9 that their office was being relocated to the basement of Wright Hall. “It’s right below a gym so that’s an issue,” Rayvid said. “We’re soundproofing everything.”
vtcynic.com
Members of UVMtv film in their former studio in Billings Jan. 25. RYAN THORNTON/The Vermont Cynic
UVMtv will be up and running after spring break, but programs they have already been filmed and edited will still premiere on television, she said. “Everyone is optimistic about the new space,” Rayvid said. “We have our lighting grid,
desks, chairs and closets.” UVMtv moved out of their office space in Billings Feb. 13, she said. “Annie Stevens has been a huge help and Pat Brown has been a huge help as well,” Rayvid said.
2012 Online Pacemaker 2011 Newspaper Pacemaker
116 Dudley H. Davis Center 590 Main Street Burlington, Vt. 05405
2015
The University of Vermont’s Independent Voice since 1883
2nd Place Story of the Year Award 4th Place 4-year Weekly
Editorial
ASSISTANT EDITORS
Kira Bellis (Layout), Bettina Cataldi (Arts), Phil Carruthers (Photo), Kelsey Neubauer (News), Bryan O’Keefe (News), Oliver Pomazi (Photo), Eribert Volaj (Sports)
ARTS Molly Duff arts@vtcynic.com
LAYOUT Eileen O’Connor layout@vtcynic.com
PHOTO Cole Wangsness photo@vtcynic.com
VIDEO Molly O’Shea video@vtcynic.com
PAGE DESIGNERS
B-SIDE Maggie Richardson bside@vtcynic.com
LIFE Marissa Lanoff life@vtcynic.com
WEB Kylie Hearn web@vtcynic.com
COPY EDITORS
Advising
COPY CHIEFS Lindsay Freed Mariel Wamsley copy@vtcynic.com
NEWS John Riedel news@vtcynic.com
PUBLIC RELATIONS Ryan Thornton publicrelations@vtcynic. com
FACULTY ADVISER Chris Evans crevans@uvm.edu
ENTERPRISE Sarah Olsen enterprise@vtcynic.com
Operations
OPERATIONS MANAGER Alex Schirling operations@vtcynic.com ADVERTISING MANAGER Mark Ciarcia ads@vtcynic.com
OPINION Sydney Liss-Abraham opinion@vtcynic.com
SOCIAL MEDIA Elizabeth Rummel socialmedia@vtcynic.com SPORTS Jack Estrin sports@vtcynic.com
DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Miranda Gajda distribution@vtcynic.com
Olivia Marelic, Ryan Thornton Nora Aronds, Hunter Colvin, Bridget Dorsey, Ben Elfland, Emma Hyatt, Linnea Johnson, Robert Kinoy, Emily Magoon, Brittany Miller, Drew Pizzo, George Seibold, Meline Thebarge, Margaret Turvey
THE VERMONT CYNIC
NEWS
3
W E D N E S DAY, F E B R UARY 17, 2016
Vaccine center researches Zika virus BY Caroline Alkire calkire@uvm.edu
The UVM Vaccine Testing Center will play a role in the development of a vaccine for the Zika virus, which was declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization. UVM will test vaccines developed at the National Institute of Health to make sure they are safe for humans and effectively generate the immune system response to protect the body, said associate professor of medicine Kristen Pierce. Zika is a virus that is transmitted by mosquitoes and is generally found around the equator, assistant professor of medicine Sean Diehl said. “The virus causes a mild fever, rash, a general lethargy and sometimes a conjunctivitis like pink eye,” Diehl said. There is currently no vaccine for Zika, or any treatment methods, he said. “What we’re going to be doing is to try to understand the basis of how the immune system is revved up by this particular vaccine, and how it compares to similar vaccines like the ones for Dengue or Yellow Fever that are in the same family as the Zika virus,” Diehl said. Much more is known about those viruses than Zika, he said, so the researchers are trying to understand and analyze the immune response. “We are first going to be
The infectious diseases lab in the Given Complex is pictured Feb. 12. UVM is testing the safety of a potential Zika virus vaccine. COLE
WANGSNESS/The Vermont Cynic
testing them on monkeys and in mice to make sure we can generate an immune response in those animals first, and make sure it’s safe,” Diehl said. Diehl highlighted the importance of these tests for safety. “That’s always a required step for progression to have a really good sense it will be safe in humans,” he said. The Zika vaccine is still the early stages of production,
Pierce said. “We haven’t even tested the vaccine in mice and monkeys yet, so we probably won’t start human studies at UVM until the fall,” she said. More and more research is being done on the virus but an approved vaccine is still a few years away, Diehl said. The Zika virus is spreading quickly through the Americas, and high rates of birth defects are being seen in countries
Art department to be expanded by katherine smith ksmith59@uvm.edu The Taft School is entering phase one of a two-part renovation plan designed to expand the UVM art department. The University signed a long-term lease with the Burlington School District, the owners of the building, and plans to renovate the school in order to create additional studio and program space for the UVM art department, according to the Feb. 2016 UVM board of trustees book. The estimated cost of the phase one renovations will be $2 million, the book stated. The project will be financed by using gift funds already possessed by UVM Foundation, according to the book. The budget for mechanical, electrical, heating and plumbing renovations is $620,400, according to the book. For interior architecture such as fixing the walls and floors, $237,600 will be used. Demolition has a budget of $117,600, according to the book. The budget for other project costs such as equipment, management and permitting is $673,500. The rest will be directed toward materials and fees. “The two main reasons for renovations are the proximity of the building to the campus, and the donor who was interested in the art department and wanted to provide a gift,” Rob-
like Brazil, according to World Health Organization Director-General Margaret Chan. The virus is also transmitted sexually, Pierce said. “I’ve heard a lot recently about Zika, but it doesn’t seem to be as big of a risk as something like the outbreak of Ebola a few years ago,” senior Matt Tolley said. Tolley said he thinks media outlets play a role in the perception of a disease.
Local politicians attend Democratic debate watch BY Michelle Phillips mphilli15@uvm.edu
The Taft School is pictured Feb. 10. The school is currently undergoing renovations to build studios for the art and art history department. PHIL CARRUTHERS/The Vermont Cynic ert Vaughan, director of capital planning and management at UVM said. Phase one of the renovation involves improving elements of the infrastructure as well as adding new rooms for different art, Vaughan said. “I think extra studio space would benefit both art majors and creative students looking for a place to work and do art,” junior Dave Bernier said. Bernier said he is excited about the renovations and the possibility for more working space. “Williams has some old fashioned charm but really limited space and it can be hard to find a place to work during the day,” he said. An ADA outdoor ramp and
restrooms will be added, as well as an elevator to improve accessibility to the building and a new fire alarm will also be installed, Vaughan said. A University data system, which runs through most UVM buildings, will be put in and distributed, he said. CatCard locks will also be installed in the entrances. Dark rooms and other studios for photography students will be set up first, he said. Phase two will involve replacing electrical service, transition from steam radiators to hot water radiators, upgrade of restrooms, and a renovated ventilation system, Vaughan said.
“I think the media always hypes up things like disease outbreaks just for the story,” he said. Diehl said the virus has been linked to a birth defect. “A lot of people don’t know they have it because of the mildness of the symptoms, but the one thing that has brought it into the news is that it’s now being linked with a birth defect,” he said.
Local politicians are eager for young people to get involved in the political process, and they’re showing it by making appearances on campus. The UVM College Democrats hosted a Democratic debate viewing party Feb. 11 and several local politicians came to watch as well as make their pitches for students to vote in the local primary in August. In attendance were two of the three Democratic candidates for lieutenant governor, State Rep. Kesha Ram and State Sen. David Zuckerman. Each candidate spoke about their experience in politics. Both Zuckerman and Ram are UVM graduates, and ran for office during their respective senior years. “I started out as nobody at UVM. Then I joined SGA and was president of a club that no longer exists on campus,” Ram said. “My senior year I ran for office and won. Who knew a girl like me from California could be where I am today?” Both Zuckerman and Ram urged students to get involved and vote in not only presidential races but local elections as well. Ram expressed her hope that young people take their energy and excitement for the presidential race, and in particular for Sanders, and bring it
to other elections because they “have big effects on our lives, too.” Zuckerman emphasized the importance of voting since in his first election he lost by only 59 votes. He also advised students to get engaged in politics beyond voting. “Bills aren’t passed just by voting in November,” Zuckerman said. “If people stay engaged and push Congress, there’s potential for more change to happen.” Laura Subin of the Vermont Coalition to Regulate Marijuana and State Treasurer Beth Pearce also attended the viewing. The president of the UVM College Democrats, senior David Oppenheimer, said it was easy getting local politicians to attend the event because they want to meet students. “I think the excitement is there so it’s about getting educated [on candidates and issues],” Oppenheimer said. The College Democrats were also registering students to vote at the debate and during the day in the Davis Center. “We’ve registered about 30 students so far, and we’ll be back again next week,” Oppenheimer said. He said students should register to vote in Vermont while at UVM.
4
OPINION
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2016 THE VERMONT CYNIC
S TA F F E D I T O R I A L
An intolerable anti-Semitic email A
number of UVM students found an unsettling email in their inboxes Feb. 10, claiming that a crematorium at Auschwitz was a hoax, apparently originating from a group of Holocaust revisionists, “The Committee for an Open Debate on the Holocaust.” The email appears to be malicious spam, and does not seem as though it was sent by anyone affiliated with the University. Even so, University officials and community members were admirably quick to respond. Vice Provost for Student Affairs Annie Stevens and Hillel Director Matt Vogel emailed Hillel members, assuring them that this behavior will not be tolerated, and are working with Enterprise Technology Services and the Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity to determine the source of the email. In the email, they wrote that “We want to be clear that a communication such as this that perpetuates anti-Semitism by falsely proclaiming inaccurate historical events has no place at
victimize our peers. This is an obvious, targeted attempt to inflict harm, and we cannot stand for it. This is our campus, and these our are peers. Those are not our values. We all have a stake and responsibility in creating the kind of community that we want to live in, one which promotes mutual and universal respect. As such, we must stand in solidarity with one another, and reject this kind of deplorable behavior at our University. This is our home. Let’s make sure everyone feels that way.
Staff editorials officially reflect the views of the Vermont Cynic. Signed opinion pieces and columns do not necessarily do so.
Illustration by ALYSSA HANDELMAN
the University of Vermont.” We at the Cynic would like to applaud the University and expand on this condemnation: We cannot stand for anything that targets a specific group with such an inflammatory and harmful intent. Discrimination is an issue
that periodically rears its ugly head. While we are unlikely to ever eliminate it completely, we should always take steps to combat it wherever we see it. This is one of those times. We will always stand in favor of free speech and honest
debate, this email was clearly not an instance of anything resembling that. This incident should stand as an example of blatant discrimination and our ability as not only a University, but a community, to rectify and overcome appalling incidents which
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.
The weight of gold would drown the economy Sarang Murthy
SMURTHY@UVM.EDU
F
ar-right Republican Ted Cruz hates big government. He believes the government must stop meddling in people’s affairs. The abolition of the IRS and the reduction in the role of the Federal Reserve are two ways in which Cruz proposes a return to a “free” America. “I think the Fed should get out of the business of trying to juice our economy, and simply be focused on sound money and monetary stability, ideally tied to gold,” Cruz said in an Oct. 28 debate. The gold standard, which the U.S. used until 1971, is a system where a country’s currency – the actual paper money that you have in your pocket right now (or wish you did) – has a value directly linked to the value of gold. In days gone by, countries would agree to swap money into gold and vice-versa. As of 2013, exactly zero countries use the gold standard. But if a country were to bring it back, as Cruz wants to do in the land of the free and the home of the brave, there would be a price set for gold and it would be traded at that price. So what happened to this seemingly straightforward system of pegging a country’s currency to gold? And why did we cease to use it in 1971? During the Industrial Revolution, the gold standard was seen as a symbol of trust in trade because no matter what the value of the country’s currency was, it was always backed
by gold. Cue the Great Depression. The bank failures in 1930s spooked the public and they started hoarding gold - a shortage of gold in the market would drive up its price, hence the value of the currency. This made the policy of the gold standard unsustainable. The U.S. government would be unable to honor this insanely high price of gold.
As of 2013, exactly zero countries use the gold standard. But if a country were to bring it back, as Ted Cruz wants to do in the land of the free and home of the brave, there would be a price set for gold and it would be traded at that price. In March 1933, FDR decided to halt the trading of gold for currency in order to prevent a run on the banks due to the demand for gold, and set the price per ounce at $35. This held until 1971, when President Richard Nixon announced that America would be unshackled from the archaic gold standard. The Fed would use monetary policy to increase the prosperity of the American people: higher employment, shorter economic downturns and stronger growth were promised. And things did seem great. The Fed was able to cushion blows and cradle booms in the economy.
But darker days were ‘round the corner. The Great Recession of 2008 hit, and we saw unconventional monetary policy being implemented by the Fed. This policy was quantitative easing, or the lowering of the Fed funds rate while simultaneously increasing the money supply. Cruz spoke out against this, calling it a “crazy and irresponsible experiment.” There are many critics of the Fed’s response to the financial crisis, myself included - I will leave that discussion for a later date - but economists overwhelmingly agree that tying the value of a currency to gold is just not feasible in the age of globalization and international interdependence. Had the dollar been tied to the gold standard in 2008, the economy would have been in even worse shambles. A gold standard does not eliminate debt crises or debt-induced inflation. There is no monetary system that can absolve a fiscally irresponsible nation. However, the biggest flaw in the gold standard is the fact that gold is poorly linked to other prices in the economy. Today, fixing the price of gold would not do much to control the general price level, which is what we want to stabilize. This disconnect can be explained by two main factors. Firstly, the reasons for why gold was such a good monetary substitute in the past were that it was hard to produce and refine but also that it really did not have much other use. Today however, these make the price of gold especially disconnected to other prices. With
Illustration by RYAN THORNTON
the metal becoming rarer the relative price of gold has spiked, but you don’t see us substituting the purchase of gold to buy other things. There is simply an economic disconnect with the actual value of gold and its perceived value. More importantly, historically the demand for gold coins is linked to its relative value to other goods. If prices rose, people would need to hold more gold coins to make transactions, so they would spend less on other purchases, which would bring prices down again. Since the dawning of the digital age, gold can be transferred online, and the idea that we would go back to a 19th century system of payment that is based on hauling around gold
coins is somewhat… silly? I rest my case, but if Cruz doesn’t believe me yet, maybe he’ll believe a 2012 poll conducted by the Booth School at the University of Chicago. They asked leading economists whether returning to the gold standard would be better for the average American. They unanimously and wholeheartedly disagreed. Sorry Mr. Cruz, not too many economists share your affinity for the precious metal. I hope Ted Cruz, for Ted Cruz’s sake, reads the Vermont Cynic. Maybe he’d be less cynical after this piece. Sarang Murthy is a junior economics major. He has been writing for the Cynic since spring 2016.
THE VERMONT CYNIC
Letter to the editor
Asperger’s column was misguided
D
ear Editor,
The column on Hans Asperger, who gave “Asperger syndrome” its name, in the Cynic, Feb. 10, 2016, gets its history wrong. It relies on science journalist Steve Silverman, who in his most recent book, “Neurotribes,” devotes a chapter to Asperger. Apparently relying on Silberman, the column concludes that Asperger may have used his “position to save children that otherwise would have been killed” and in doing so, “he may have saved many children’s lives in the process.” This assessment amounts to a gross distortion of the historical facts. Silberman ignores a series of recent studies by the Austrian historian Herwig Czech, who shows that Asperger, head of the Department for Special Education/Ortho-Pedagogy at Vienna’s University Pediatric Clinic, in 1942 was part of small committee charged with assessing the “educability” of children in a nearby psychiatric facility. A finding of “not educable” was practically a death sentence, for it meant that a child so-labeled would be transferred to Vienna’s Spiegelgrund, one of Nazi Germany’s most notorious “children’s euthanasia” facilities, specializing in the murder of disabled children. Having been found “not educable” by Asperger and his committee, 29 children were transferred there in 1942, and not a single one of them was still alive at the end of that year. In the previous year Asperger, by way of his expert recommendation, had knowingly affected a child’s transfer from his own clinic to the same facility, where the child died within a few months. Dr. Hans Asperger was a willing participant in Nazi “racial hygiene” and its deadly consequences. Sincerely, Lutz Kaelber Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Vermont
CORRECTIONS In a Feb. 10 article titled “Sullivan requests increase in state funding,” two contributing staff writers were not listed. Their names are Michelle Phillips and Julie Elfin. We are committed to accuracy in all of our work. If for some reason there is an error, please email us at corrections@vtcynic. com.
OPINION
W E D N E S DAY, F E B R UARY 17, 2016
5
Misguided use of Pan-African flag joey Brown
JBROWN33@UVM.EDU
I
should preface this column by saying that, as far as separatist movements go, Black History Month is fairly innocuous. It adequately captures, or attempts to, the innumerous accomplishments of African Americans, and, notwithstanding a few low attempts at commandeering by politically motivated and factually challenged radicals – ahem, Black Lives Matter – it is generally seen as an honored month by most Americans. Whether February, notably shy of the 30-day mean boasted by most months, can effectively capture the spirit of black history is questionable. After all, the other months were captured by “awareness” months as well, to signify diseases and issues everyone knows about. Everyone is aware of cancer; not everyone knows that Lonnie G. Johnson, an African American NASA engineer, invented the Super Soaker, and in doing so, the memorable childhood. Black History Month exists for men and women like him. But it does not exist for despotism on the African continent. In that regard, UVM’s attempt in joining in this commemorative occasion is reprehensible and ignorantly misguided.
By raising the Pan-African flag at the Davis Center, they legitimize a movement that a) in no way represents African Americans, b) is as ill-conceived as the idea South Africans have anything in common with Egyptians and c) involves only the worst sorts of characters, like Moammar Gadhafi, Kwame Nkrumah and Robert Mugabe.
solidate power and crush opposition. When Libyan aggression – blowing up civilians in a nightclub in West Berlin, occupying Chad for uranium and otherwise being the willing goons of the Soviets – prompted the West to isolate Gadhafi, he turned to sub-Saharan Africa for allies. He largely abandoned the
Whether February, notably shy of the 30day mean boasted by most months, can effectively capture the spirit of black history is questionable. The vision of Pan-Africanism was conceived much earlier, before the post-WWII decolonization period, by Marcus Garvey, a West Indian political leader who endorsed the creation of a black pride movement around the ‘20s: “Show me the race or the nation without a flag, and I will show you a race of people without any pride. Aye! In song and mimicry they have said, ‘Every race has a flag but the coon.’ How true! Aye!” he wrote. His black pride movement later became an African Nationalist movement during the decolonization period, and took on a great deal of socialist and communist ideology, as was trendy during the time. To a large degree, that hasn’t really changed. For many despots on the continent, Pan-African ideology became the method used to con-
rhetoric of Arab Socialism, dressed less like a military junta and more in princely robes of gold and purple in an attempt to appear more sub-Saharan (some people, particularly at UVM, would call this “cultural appropriation”). He even started talking about industry privatisation. Nkrumah had a similar experience, and married an Egyptian woman to show solidarity with his Arab neighbors to the north. When the African Union was finally formed in 1999, Gadhafi, ruling an oil-rich Libya, became the sweetheart of the continent. Nobody seemed to have anything to say about his own colonial adventuring, and even less to say about his efforts to install friendly governments in oppositional regions. The African Union refused to prosecute him at the International Criminal Court’s request.
He was untouchable (until, of course, 2011), and had the support of famous South African poet Zolani Mkiva (who was proclaimed the “King of African Poetry” at a 1995 poetry festival in Zimbabwe), who called Gadhafi a “king of kings.” He also praised Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez and Yasser Arafat as righteous men. The odor of collectivism isn’t far gone. As a practical matter, Pan-Africanism makes no sense. In theory, it would erase a continent that is rich in diversity. In practice, it would do the same, and leave the consolidating to men like Gadhafi, who wasn’t so much interested in the merits of the idea as stifling his opposition. Absent that, it’s difficult to see, in the first place, how Pan-Africanism relates to the American experience of blacks. It was a far flung idea by African despots, and hardly represents the struggles and outright brutality suffered by African-Americans. Garvey may have intended the flag to represent black pride, but for half a century, it represented political tyranny. Black History Month is for Lonnie Johnson and others who accomplished great things here amidst great hardship. Not for political opportunists. Joey Brown is a senior political science major. He has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2012.
A food industry love story Daltrey Burris
DBURRIS@UVM.EDU
O
ur eyes met as we both reached for the fetid dish rag at the same time. Standing over the moist wooden table we shared a smile, the chewed flecks of basil like Italian mistletoe beneath us. Flirtatiously, I said “I’ll wipe this down for you”. “Okay, thanks” she replied, sexily. Then we parted ways – she to the kitchen, me to the other end of the kitchen. As I frantically sorted dirty dishes, I heard her wail frustratedly with a voice deep and gruff, octaves lower than what was ever presented to customers. It was something about the host giving her two new tables at once, which didn’t sound so bad. “She could get double-sat on my face any time,” I thought. As I gazed at her chastising the cooks for their tardy entrees, I realized that she was truly beautiful. Her hair was matted gracefully with sweat, with her natural roots bravely exposed; the face tattoos of her six ex’s names shown brightly on her chapped skin, all leading down to a smile containing about all her teeth. Perfection. During a dip into the break
room, I noticed that the ice in the server’s station was running low. Finally, this was my chance. I filled up buckets at the ice machine and marched forward, hoping someone would notice how strong I must be for being able to hold this much ice. Ostentatiously, I plodded forward with a lumbering gait, every muscle in my body straining painfully against the overflowing buckets. I read online that girls like to look at guy’s forearms when they’re doing masculine things, so I hoped that mine stood out. As expected, I was immediately heralded as a savior while I emptied the jugs. The women swooned and the men cheered. As the last strangling cube was ushered out, a vat of Minute Maid Limeade-flavored drink was dumped on me in celebration– corporate doesn’t let us carry Gatorade. And I did it all for her. Soon after, we were married and both happy as clams. We raised three kids who followed in our footsteps, all working in the food industry. You know what they say, the olive doesn’t fall too far from the garden.
Daltrey Burris is a senior psychology major. He has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2014.
Peace Corps at UVM Application Workshop Choose where you want to go. Apply in one hour. Make a difference overseas as a Peace Corps Volunteer.
Thursday, February 18 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Morrill hall - Lab (Morrill Hall 005) University of Vermont
Peace Corps peacecorps.gov - 855.855.1961
ARTS
6
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2016 THE VERMONT CYNIC
The Fleming Museum opens “Pop Art Prints” Feb. 2. The exhibit features a selection of 37 prints and will run from Feb. 2 to May 22.
JEN RAMIREZ/The Vermont Cynic
Fleming pops with newest art galleries Natasha geffen NGEFFEN@UVM. EDU
A
rt has the ability to take the viewer to different places across space and
time. In two new exhibits at the Fleming Museum, “Pop Art Prints” and “Samuel Bak: Survival and Memory,” viewers are taken to different eras. While “Pop Art Prints” showcases American pop art that emerged mostly in the 1960s, Samuel Bak’s exhibit portrays his personal artistic response to surviving the Holocaust. The pop art exhibit not only takes visitors back to a time in history when popular culture in
art was a new and revolutionary concept, but also forces them to take a step back and take a good look at the world we live in. From Mel Ramos’ controversial prints, often depicting nude women and the rapid change in the advertising industry in the mid-20th century to Andy Warhol’s striking images of police brutality and other social issues, pop artists gave viewers something that both challenged them and felt relatable to their culture. In regard to the attitude within the pop art movement, “sometimes it’s a critique, sometimes it’s a celebration, but usually it’s a complicated mix of those things,” curator Andrea Rosen said. This time period was also critical for female artists, who
were struggling to be part of a male-dominated art world. Museum Director Janie Cohen touched on this at the opening reception Feb. 10, encouraging people to look out for female pop artists whose work was being displayed in the exhibition and watch the film “Seductive Subversion: Women Pop Artists, 1958-1968.” Bak’s work, on the other hand, is heavier. Although he made his artwork in response to the trauma he faced during the Holocaust, Bak does not depict pictures of death or make you shudder in horror. Instead, he makes you think. His portrayal of the Holocaust in a symbolic way causes viewers to think about humanity in a broader sense.
Often using surrealism in his work, Bak plays with landscapes and incorporates people and objects that are personally meaningful. For example, he repeatedly uses enlarged pears as symbolic images in his paintings, representing various themes such as the fruit eaten by Adam and Eve. It seems that Bak does not want his viewers to be horrified, but rather to encourage them to consider the symbolic meaning in order to process horrifying events. Features such as these are what make the Fleming Museum such a unique place for students. Professor Steve Budington and J. Brooks Buxton, chairman of the museum’s advisory board,
pointed out how incredible it is that students have this chance to see these renowned pieces of artwork firsthand. In curating the event, Rosen said “seeing the actual object in person” is important. “The thing is that some people feel stressed about going to museums because they don’t know how to act or they don’t know what to look for,” she said. Rosen said she doesn’t think this needs to be a stressful experience, though. “The Fleming is always free for UVM students, and it’s just a good respite.” Natasha Geffen is a firstyear psychology major. She has been writing for the Cynic since spring 2016.
Oscar Previews
‘Carol’ crosses social barriers but misses nomination siobhan o’flaherty
Carol
SBOFLAHE@UVM. EDU
A
beautiful and sensual love story between two women is making waves this Academy Award season. Set in 1952 in New York City, “Carol” begins when Carol Aird (Cate Blanchett) and Therese Belivet (Rooney Mara) meet in a department store. Carol, who has a young daughter and is going through a divorce, intrigues the innocent Therese with her charm and so-
phistication. Carol exudes the confidence Therese lacks, and the two quickly develop a nurturing friendship despite their large age gap and class difference. As the women become closer, what started as fleeting glances and timid caresses turns into a full on love affair. “Carol” is directed by Todd Haynes and based off the novel “The Price of Salt,” written by
the late Patricia Highsmith. Highsmith was famed for psychological thrillers, and the influence of this genre is evident in the way danger looms over Carol and Therese as their passionate affair becomes more intense and complex. The haunting but deeply romantic soundtrack enhances the ominous threat the lovers face. This danger stems from the two women breaking societal barriers across age, class and through their same-sex relationship, which was seen as a sickness and perversion at the time.
Most importantly, “Carol” illustrates what happens when two people fall deeply and unapologetically in love. The intimacy and devotion the women share is breathtaking. Blanchett and Mara excellently depict their passionate romance. Blanchett is electric and enticing as the lead actress, in contrast to Mara’s quietly powerful performance. Although both Blanchett and Mara are nominated for Academy Awards, and “Carol” is nominated for best cinematography, costume design, original score
and adapted screenplay, the film is not nominated for best picture. This has audiences perplexed and disappointed. Both Brooks Barnes and Michael Cieply of the New York Times claim ‘Carol’ was “overlooked” for the best picture nomination as such a powerful, ground breaking film.
Siobhan O’Flaherty is a senior sociology major. She has been writing for the Cynic since spring 2016.
THE VERMONT CYNIC
ARTS
7
W E D N E S DAY, F E B R UARY 17, 2015
Beyonce’s new single salutes her social roots Jensen wainwright JMWAINWR@ UVM.EDU
Formation
B
eyonce’s newest song, “Formation,” is a strong and empowering follow up to her 2014 self-titled album. The song, which was dropped alongside a visually striking music video, hit the Internet the day before Beyonce’s performance at the Super Bowl. The song and music video did not leave my computer screen for the rest of the day. There is not a dull moment in this song. A dark and almost ominous opening builds into an energetic and confident anthem that touches on important and relevant social issues. The song and the music video are inseparable. Looking at them together, Beyonce makes some incredibly political statements, such as her laying on a sinking police car, or the message “stop shooting us,” appearing spray painted on a wall in her video. These references to the Black Lives Matter movement are backed up with the song’s lyrics about power, resilience and sticking to your roots. Beyonce brings in a sample of Big Freedia, a New Orleans-based bounce artist, to declare that he too came to slay just like Beyonce, and profess his love for cornbread and collard greens. This is what “Formation” is about: never losing where you came from or forgetting who and what made you. Beyonce says it explicitly in “Formation”: “Earned all this money, but they’ll never take the country out of me.” In doing so, she points to her parents’ heritage – her father is from Alabama, and her mother is Creole – and how that has influenced her own life. She hasn’t let those who put her down take away her essence. The song lets the world know that she doesn’t care if you don’t like her child’s hair or the way her husband looks. She doesn’t ask or need anyone’s approval. If “Formation” is saying anything, it’s that Beyonce has power and she isn’t afraid to use it. Whether she is using that power to spread the message of the Black Lives Matter movement or to shed light on the lack of government aid in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, this project is overflowing with an extremely powerful message that cannot and should not be ignored. Jensen Wainwright is a firstyear English major. She has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2015.
Guthrie Galileo, a California-based alternative R&B producer plays Nectar’s Feb. 10. The artist is currently touring for his new album, “The Ifandbut.” MO QUIGG/The Vermont Cynic
Musician inspired by activism bettina cataldi
I
BCATALDI@UVM. EDU
nspiration comes from the most peculiar of places, and one UVM senior has discovered it in the heart of the world’s cultural and social issues. Guthrie Galileo, a senior Latin American studies major, has been producing different forms of music since the age of 11. The current manifestation of his musical style arose five years ago. “I started in high school, recording music on my own with my brother and some of his friends,” Galileo said. The recordings were produced exclusively out of his bedroom, which is how he still records today.
His main vocal influences come from varied sources, but most notably Motown-era singers. His musical style can also fit into a number of categories. “It’s always a difficult question … earlier this afternoon, I spoke to a friend, and we came to the conclusion it’s something around alternative, electronic and R&B,” he said. Galileo plays a range of instruments in addition to singing, including guitar and synthesizer. His musical process varies, starting sometimes with a melody on piano or with the lyrics. “I’ve used [everything] from bus sounds of the CCTA to me playing around with a beer can like breaking it in half to make a drumbeat behind the piano part,” he said.
It’s the lyrics, however, that form the core of Galileo’s musical identity. Their content has evolved since he began his studies of Latin American history at UVM. “At the beginning, it was a lot of introspective stuff, more emotional and personal,” he said. After going abroad his junior year, his lyrics took a turn toward social justice. “Traveling and spending more time meeting people has caused me to break out of my own head and write more about the things around me,” Galileo said. His travels empowered him to reach out to his audience to aid those in need. “After cultivating a certain following, and developing my style, my voice, and learning a
lot about local and global issues, I feel more responsibility,” Galileo said. “To use that voice to call attention to certain issues that the people affected might not be able to.” In order to aid local migrant farmers, Galileo is putting together a benefit concert April 23. “We’re going to give all the proceeds to [Migrant Justice], and it’s going to feature five musical acts, as well as visual art hosted on a local farm in Williston,” he said. Galileo will continue to play regular shows in Burlington at local venues such as Radio Bean, and fight for social justice, one song at a time. Bettina Cataldi is a sophomore Public Communications major. She has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2015.
Girl group gets in gear for Burlington By greta bjornson gabjorns@uvm.edu
Sisterhood is a source of power for one Brooklyn-based band. The four women who make up TEEN are set to perform in Burlington Feb. 25 at Signal Kitchen. The alternative rock band is currently touring to promote their third album, “Love Yes,” which will be released Feb. 19 with Carpark records. The three sisters —Teeny, Lizzie and Katherine Lieberson — along with bassist Boshra Al-Saadi, formed a band back in 2010, according to Carpark Records. The group traveled to Nova Scotia to record the album in seclusion at the renovated theater, Old Confidence Lounge. Al-Saadi said “Love Yes” differs from the band’s past releases because they had more time and different influences from their surroundings. “This record, we had time to really hone in on the parts and the sound, and it was recorded mostly live … so that gave it a different feeling as well,” she said. “And I think also conceptually and thematically it’s a bit more honed in on the female experience.” As an all-female band,
TEEN focuses on womanhood, sexuality and relationships in “Love Yes.” The album title was inspired by artist Kate Bush’s album, “The Sensual World,” Al-Saadi said. The music of “Love Yes” was influenced by their favorite artists as well. An affinity for gospel music, in addition to the position of a woman in the patriarchy, shaped some of the tracks on TEEN’s latest album, Teeny Lieberson said. “It was inspired both by the location, being in nature, being totally focused on writing, recording and cooking, but also listening to our favorite musicians,” Al-Saadi said. “We listen to a lot of David Bowie, Kate Bush, some gospel [and] R&B.” Performing their work live as a female band is a truly rewarding experience, she said. “Honestly, the sweetest moments for me are after a show when we’re at the merch table or we’re hanging out,” Al-Saadi said. “Younger girls come up to us and I can tell that they’re inspired and excited and empowered [for us] to be four women doing what we’re doing and that moment when their faces light up,” she said. “It’s very rewarding.”
Student Pricing available starting as low as $24.99/month!
Available to Burlington Telecom serviceable areas only. Cannot be combined with any other offers. Must provide valid student ID
8
W E D N E S DAY, F E B R UARY 17, 2 015
ADVERTISEMENTS
THE VERMONT CYNIC
LIFE
9
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17 , 2016 THE VERMONT CYNIC
Barbie is no longer one-size-fits-all by Camilla broccolo & WILLA rICHMond cbroccol@uvm.edu / wcrichmo@uvm.edu
After almost 60 years, Barbie is receiving a makeover. New dolls are being manufactured to look more like “real people.” Women and girls of the past six generations have grown up either playing with or at least knowing about Barbie. Barbie first made her debut in 1959 at the American Toy Fair. Barbie was originally modeled after a German doll called Lilli, a prostitute, given as a gag gift at bachelor’s parties, according to a Jan. 28 Time magazine article. As her audience shifted to younger girls, Barbie came to embody what a woman should look like. Barbie has as many as 150 different careers, according to the product website, ranging from surgeon to astronaut (before any man even went to the moon) and presidential candidate to WNBA basketball player. Her most recent occupation is a computer engineer. Despite how embedded her presence has become in Western culture, most people are not aware of her exceptional resume. Barbie is best recognized her by her face and figure. In 1992, Mattel ignited
controversy when their “Teen Talk Barbie” came equipped with phrases like “Math class is tough” and “Will we ever have enough clothes?” according to the Chicago Tribune. Due to these types of messages, groups including the American Association of University Women have previously protested that Barbie taught girls it was more important to be pretty than smart. Today, however, Barbie is changing her look, creating more diversity in size and shape. “There isn’t this standard of what a beautiful body is supposed to look like,” Robert Best,
PHOTO COURTESY OF MATTEL CORPORATION
Barbie’s senior design director, said about the doll’s redesign. Barbie will “now come in three new body types and a variety of skin tones and hairstyles,” according to USA Today. “This is the first time the doll will be available in body types beyond its original stick-thin frame.” However, this isn’t Barbie’s first makeover. “Colored Francie,” a Barbie with a dark skin tone, was released in 1967. However, she was made using the same head molds as the existing Caucasian doll, with no other racially different characteristics aside from skin color, according to the
THE DAPPER VAGINA
The myth, the legend, the hymen
Author gives perspective about women, sex in Bible by BEX ADAMS & anna power
SARAH HEFT
rladams@uvm.edu / ampower@uvm.edu
SHEFT@UVM.EDU
T
The hymen is probably the most misunderstood part of the female body. You may have had your first experience with your hymen when you were 12 and wanted to try tampons. You might have mentioned this venture to a friend who responded with something like, “My mom won’t let me use tampons because she wants me to stay a virgin.” You panicked! Of course, you wanted to rid yourself of the diaper rash associated with pads, but you also didn’t want to lose your virginity to a piece of plastic. Oh boy … ensue chaos. The most common misconception when it comes to hymens is that it covers the entire entrance of the vagina, kind of like a tamper evident seal labeled, “Do not use if seal is broken.” The hymen is actually a thin membrane that surrounds the opening of the vagina, according to Planned Parenthood. Sometimes the hymen does cover a small piece of the vaginal opening, but it cannot cover it as a whole, or else there would be nowhere for menstrual blood to go and women would explode. Picture Violet Beauregarde after she ate the magic gum … not cute. Contrary to popular belief, the hymen never actually breaks or tears, but rather stretches to
thedollhousecorp.com. 2016 marks the first year of a Barbie collection with a variety of body types, and it raises the question - why now? Sophomore Matt Bonna thinks this is due to living in a much more progressive society than previous generations. “This is more important in our time because people are more sensitive to certain things than they were in, say, the 1920s,” Bonna said. Students have mixed feelings about the new Barbies. Although many agree that this change was needed, many think
ILLUSTRATION BY MARISSA LANOFF
accommodate fingers, tampons or a penis. So why is the hymen so problematic? Many people believe the hymen is a sign of virginity. This is simply not the case. The hymen can be stretched with tampon use, sports, masturbation and even yoga. Yes, even yoga. Downward dog suddenly has a whole new meaning. These misconceptions can also lead to some trouble surrounding sex. Many people believe the first time a woman has penetrative sex there will be pain involved because they need to break through the hymen. This is not entirely true. Sure, the first time a woman has sex might not be an earth shattering, orgasmic experience, but it shouldn’t hurt. So why do we care so much about the hymen? Well, we don’t. We care a whole lot about virginity though, specifically female virginity.
But what is virginity? If I may quote Cady Heron from the movie Mean Girls, “If the limit never approaches anything, the limit does not exist!” The limit does not exist. Virginity does not exist. The way I lost my virginity as a cisgender, heterosexual female, is going to be different than someone who is transgender, gay or asexual. My point is, virginity is a social construct our society has created to regulate sex, and by tying the hymen to virginity, we are simply affirming it. So I encourage you all, sexually active or not, to repeat after me: “The hymen is not indicative of the heteronormative social construct that is virginity.” I believe the song was, “Like a virgin, touched for the very first time,” not, “like a virgin, hymen broken for the very first time.” Not as catchy. Sarah Heft is a sophomore gender, sexuality, and women’s studies major. She has been writing for the Cynic since spring 2016.
it’s not enough. First-year Alex Fischer is enthusiastic about these new changes. “I’m excited! It’s pretty cool that they’re finally getting the message [out] that all body types aren’t the same,” Fischer said. “If Barbie looks like what little girls see [in themselves], they’ll feel less bad about themselves” Sophomore Haylee Manktelow, mother of a 1-year-old, said she would “never” give her daughter a Barbie. She said Barbie’s looks may lead to “possible unhealthy body image development,” but agreed with Fischer. Manktelow welcomed this change because prior to the makeover, Barbie represented an unattainable standard of beauty. “Barbies were really hard to look like,” she said. Fischer also sees how the dolls are still not totally inclusive. “My issue with the designated curvy Barbie is, the bigboned one still looks relatively thin,” she said. “Right now, they’ve got the skinny and midsize [bodies] covered, but still not any larger body types,” Fischer said.
An activist visited a local bookstore Feb. 11 to offer a new perspective on women and sex in the Bible. Phoenix Books presented author Matthew O’Neil to discuss his book “What the Bible Really Does (and Doesn’t) Say about Sex: The How, When, Why, and With Whom of Scriptural Prohibitions and Permissions.” He touched upon preconceived notions of what the Bible truly does and does not say in regards to topics surrounding sex and gender. Sophomore Sam Frankel said religious scholars can be intolerant and close-minded regarding sexuality. The book is an attempt to counter this view of religious figures by giving a more “open-minded interpretation” of the Bible and initiating conversation about contradictions found in the text, O’Neil said. The Bible contains instances both of women being powerless and subservient to men, alongside women who wield a great deal of power and influence, he said. In one passage, a woman named Deborah is shown to be a powerful leader in Israel, O’Neil said. Yet while Moses and Abraham are familiar figures, Deborah isn’t a name most people readily recognize, he pointed out, despite the fact that they
were clearly a force to be reckoned with and praised by God for their strength. Somehow, through varied interpretations and changing societal contexts, historically significant women were forgotten, O’Neil said. Women are presented as wives, mothers and supporting roles, even though they were often center stage. As a whole, people like to be reassured, not to be proven wrong, he said. In an attempt to counteract this, he said he hopes to present a clearer picture of the context of Biblical stories. The Bible was influenced by specific cultures, societies and concepts that largely don’t exist today, O’Neil said. As a result, this makes it difficult for modern-day readers to connect and apply those lessons to their own lives. For example, the only women who were independent of male power were virgins, he said. Women during this time were property given to and traded by men, but if they were able to avoid marriage, they had many more opportunities. “The female virgin was powerful because she was not yet a man’s private property,” O’Neil said. O’Neil’s hope for his book is for it to simply “be read,” and have it encourage others to read “a little deeper and discover the powerful women just under the surface,” he said.
10
SPORTS
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2016 THE VERMONT CYNIC
Basketball rallies against cancer By John suozzo JSuozzo@uvm.edu
In addition to tallying a win Sunday, the men’s basketball team used the game to raise awareness for cancer. The 92-81 Valentine’s Day win over the University of Hartford was part of the University’s “Rally Against Cancer” series, which raises money for the UVM Cancer Research Center, according to UVM athletics. “Each team will wear some sort of pink apparel during the game as a sign of support towards the initiative,” said Will Hurd, promotions coordinator for UVM athletics. For their part, the basketball team wore their traditional white home jerseys with the addition of pink accents as part of the breast cancer awareness promotion. Additionally, the University of Vermont’s Cancer Center and other promoting sponsors set up tables in the lobby before each of these games. Here, they have pink shirts for sale and information packets about the Cancer Center and the progress they are making, Hurd said. The Rally Against Cancer games began in 2010 at UVM, following the lead of the breast cancer awareness initiatives made by the National Football League, which began in 2009, according to NBC Sports. Many of the pink jerseys worn by student-athletes in these games are auctioned off by the athletic department with
the proceeds going toward the University of Vermont Cancer Center, Hurd said. The auctions occur after the games have been played, giving fans about two days to bid on these jerseys. The jerseys start at $125, and are sold on the UVM athletics website. There are also other fundraising efforts during these games, such as the “Chuck a Puck” promotion at the men’s hockey Rally Against Cancer game, which took place Feb. 5 against Notre Dame, Hurd said. This single intermission promotion raised $215 for the University’s Cancer Center. Additionally, the athletic department donates money from its 50/50 raffles during the Rally Against Cancer games to the cause, Hurd said. Even though the athletic department prides itself on the money raised for cancer research in the games, it is not the primary goal of these promotions, he said. “Although the fundraising is great, the goal is to raise awareness and for people to be mindful of the great work at the University of Vermont Cancer Center,” Hurd said. “The more people that come to these games and hear the stories of survivors and doctors, the better educated we can all be,” he said. In Sunday’s win, the Catamounts were led by junior guard Kurt Steidl’s 26 points, a career high, according to UVM athletics.
Steidl scored 19 of his 26 points in the first half, while making five three-pointers before halftime as the Catamounts took a 44-37 lead into the break, according to UVM athletics.
Scoring came from different sources in the game, with five Catamount players scoring in double figures. Hartford surged back in the second half, eventually taking
the lead at 63-60 with 10 minutes left in the game. However, timely three-point shooting saved the Catamounts, as they were able to retake and extend their lead.
The men’s basketball team defeated Hartford 92-81 Feb. 14. The game was part of the “Rally Against Cancer” games series, which fundraises for the UVM Cancer Center. BEX ADAMS/The Vermont Cynic
THE VERMONT CYNIC
SPORTS
W E D N E S DAY, F E B R UARY 17, 2016
11
Cats remain strong after tragedy By Locria Courtright CCourtri@uvm.edu
A UVM basketball recruit was greeted by a standing ovation in Patrick Gym Jan. 30. Josh Speidel was seriously injured in a car crash in Indiana Feb. 1, 2015. Though he will not be able to play basketball for the Cats, UVM has obtained an NCAA waiver to allow him to sit on the bench with the team, according to Fox 59. For men’s basketball players Ernie and Everett Duncan, also from Indiana, the friendship with Speidel goes back much further. “When I first heard about the crash from coach [John] Becker, I thought that he wasn’t going to make it.” Those were the words of UVM basketball redshirt firstyear Ernie Duncan, recounting the memory of when he learned of the events of Feb. 1, 2015. Before the Stony Brook game, Speidel received a standing ovation from the record crowd of 2,658, according to the Burlington Free Press. Ernie and his brother, firstyear Everett Duncan have known Speidel since before the three were recruited to Catamount basketball. “I always saw Josh around [Amateur Athletic Union] events in middle school, but the summer of our [first year of high school], he joined Indiana Elite for a tournament in Las Vegas,” Everett Duncan said. “It kicked
First-year Everett Duncan walks to the bench while redshirt first-year Ernie Duncan stands in the background in the Catamounts’ Feb. 14 game against Hartford. BEX ADAMS/The Vermont Cynic off from there.” Speidel is from the town of Columbus, Indiana, about three hours northeast of the Duncans’ hometown of Evansville. However, this distance didn’t disrupt their friendship and friendly rivalry. “We would follow each other’s games through social media, and we’d be the first to give each other a hard time when one of us lost to a poor team,” Ernie Duncan said. “We played in the highest
class in Indiana, so we would always keep up with who was ranked higher and give each other a hard time,” he said. When it came to competition, the three would put their friendship aside and go all out on the court. “We played his high school team my junior year in the Hall of Fame Classic in Indiana, and we were great friends, but once the game started we went at it,” Everett Duncan said. “His style was a little bit of
everything,” he said. “He was a beast down low but was able to stretch it out and knock threes down,” Everett Duncan said. Ernie Duncan cited Speidel’s work ethic as a huge part of his game. “He gave it his all in every game and didn’t back down from any challenge,” he said. At the time of the crash, Speidel was averaging 25.6 points per game in his senior year at Columbus North High School,
according to ESPN. Speidel had just entered U.S. Route 31 from a side road when another car, that had just exited Interstate 65, struck his car from the side. Firefighters had to cut him out of the car, and he was immediately hospitalized, according to the Indianapolis Star. “To know that he was near death and to see where he is now is a miracle,” said Ernie Duncan, who was the first to inform Everett of the crash. “I was watching the Super Bowl when I received a call and I broke down right away,” he said. The outpouring of support from the Indiana high school community was massive and immediate, Everett Duncan said. “Every community jumped in and did what they could to contribute,” he said. Speidel was in his senior year at Evansville Harrison High School at the time. “Especially the closer you got to Columbus, but even all the way down south to Evansville we were #JoshStrong,” Everett Duncan said. “During the halftime of one of our home games, our student body and the opposing student body came together and took a group ‘JoshStrong’ picture at midcourt, and I did not realize they were doing it,” Duncan said. “After the game I saw the picture and it almost had me in tears.”
Search for a new athletic director continues By Alex benoit ApBenoit@uvm.edu
The search for a new athletic director is still a work in progress. A Feb. 10 memo sent out to every student, faculty member and executive of UVM by Ian Boyce, chair of the athletic director search advisory committee, outlined the search specifications. The memo also said that the committee is “progressing well since President Sullivan charged the [committee].” The committee is comprised of students, faculty, parents of athletes and former student athletes. Included in the committee are former NHL player and alumnus Martin St. Louis and SGA chair of student clubs, Niki Brown, according to the memo. Gary Derr, vice president for executive operations, said President Tom Sullivan appointed the committee in early January and tried to get representation from a broad base group. “But we obviously couldn’t get representation from all the sports, because that would be a little bit difficult,” Derr said. The current candidates remain confidential because “they have not even begun as a committee to screen them,” he said.
The specific qualities for the new athletic director are outlined on the athletics website. They include having a proven record of success at an executive level as well as a demonstrated ability to raise money for the department. Additionally, candidates must show a commitment to diversity and inclusion, particularly gender equity and full Title IX compliance. The athletic department is a “bit distanced from the search,” Derr said. “It is a difficult situation hiring someone who is going to be your boss,” he said. The office of the president and the executive offices of the University are much more heavily involved, Derr said. While the president is not on the committee, he will be screening candidates for the position. It is important to remember this is an advisory committee, and they will offer advice to the president about whom to select, but that it is ultimately the president’s decision, Derr said. “A real critical role of the new athletic director will be to hire, mentor and supervise coaches, staff, administrative staff in a collaborative and learning environment,” he said. “They will also need to mar-
COLE WANGSNESS/The Vermont Cynic
ket the program and make it exciting, whether that be in hockey, skiing, basketball or another sport for our fans,” Derr said. The candidate must also show a strong tie to the University’s mission statement, making clear that “our students are ‘student-athletes,’ not ‘athlete-students,’ and that is prov-
en by the number of academic awards we receive from the department,” he said. Sophomore Catie Owen reflected on the length of the search for a new athletic director. “I think the search for the athletic director is taking a bit long,” Owen said. “But I can un-
derstand why it is taking as long as it is because of how complex of a process it is.” Derr said they anticipate potential athletic director candidates will be announced in early April 2016.
12
THE VERMONT CYNIC
SPORTS
W E D N E S DAY, F E B R UARY 17, 2016
BUSCH LEAGUE BANTER
Newton deserves criticism Shane town STOWN@UVM.EDU
L
eading up to the Super Bowl, talk ranged from strategy-based discussions of on-field tactics to the antics of Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton and his growing reputation, mostly focusing on the latter. Newton is notorious for his dancing celebrations, particularly the “dab” dance move, after picking up a first down. Some people think his other behavior is completely acceptable. Others think he is a clown while some believe the only reason that the only reason there’s even a discussion is because he is a black quarterback. These people think if he were white this wouldn’t be an issue, demonstrating an unfair double standard for African American players. So why all the hatred toward Newton? His actions during and after the Super Bowl, by far the biggest game in Newton’s career, illustrated just why he rubs so many people the wrong way. With four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, while the Panthers were only down by six points, Newton was stripped for the second time in the game by Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller.
While the ball lay on the ground with the chaotic herd of gargantuan bodies approaching, Newton had the chance to dive on the loose ball. Instead, he backed away in cowardice. He avoided the pile up like it was week two and they were up by 30 points. That play allowed Denver Broncos running back C.J. Anderson to run the ball into the end zone, giving them a
If I were Cam Newton’s coach, I wouldn’t be describing his effort on that play as very super at all. After the game, Newton was very short with reporters before he eventually stood up and just walked out of the interview room. This is the same quarterback that always gives the ball to a little kid in the front row when he scores a touchdown. That’s what he looked like
He doesn't respect his opponents or the game and as a fan, it's hard to respect a player that is so quick to flash a smile after a win when he crumbles under the cameras after a loss. two-touchdown lead. Newton responded to the criticism over the play on Twitter not by admitting that it was a mistake, but by saying he thought there was a chance his leg would get “contorted.” Because he was afraid of getting hurt, Newton said he neglected to dive for the ball and take the chance. This is the same quarterback that has shattered rushing records and never shies away from a collision with an oncoming defender. This is the same quarterback that does the Superman celebration after making a big play down the field.
with his pouty responses and storming off during his press conference: a little kid. Just as he does with his ongoing dances after a touchdown that leaves his teammates waiting, awkwardly patient at his side, he put himself before the team. He doesn’t respect his opponents or the game, and as a fan; it’s hard to respect a player that is so quick to flash a smile after a win when he crumbles under the cameras after a loss.
Shane Town is a senior English major. He has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2014.
scoreboard
Visit vtcynic.com for more coverage and uvmathletics.com for schedules and tickets
LAST WEEK
L
100-93
Men's Basketball at UMass Lowell Lowell, MA Feb. 8
W
3-2
L
68-66
Women's Basketball vs UMass Lowell HOME Feb. 8
T
2-2
Men’s Hockey at UNH
Men's Hockey at UNH
Durham, NH Feb. 12
Durham, NH Feb. 13
THIS WEEK Men’s Basketball vs Binghampton
Men’s Hockey vs Boston College
HOME Feb. 17 7 p.m.
HOME Feb. 19 7:05 p.m.
Women’s Hockey at Merrimack
Women’s Basketball vs UMBC
North Andover, MA Feb. 19 7 p.m.
HOME Feb. 20 1 p.m.
HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK: University of Vermont men’s basketball junior Kurt Steidl scored 19 of his career high 26 points in the first half of the Catamounts’ Feb. 14 win against visiting Hartford. UVM won the game 92-81.
RECORDS Men’s Basketball 15-12 Men’s Hockey 12-16-3 Women’s Swim 6-3
Women’s Basketball 7-18 Women’s Hockey 8-22-2
SUPERCUTS STYLISTS DELIVER CUTS WITH AN ATTENTION TO DETAIL SO YOU FEEL READY TO GO. THE GATEWAY SHOPPING CENTER 570 Shelburne Rd South Burlington, VT 05403 802-651-1000
CLEAN. SHARP. READY.
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK WEEKNIGHTS UNTIL 9PM
supercuts.com