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ALEK FLEURY/The Vermont Cynic
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ON THE INSIDE: UVM THROUGH THE YEARS 3 | BEST PHOTOS OF THE YEAR 6 | FALL EVENTS 9
NEWS
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The Vermont Cynic
Meet the activists
Orientation Issue
An inside Look at some of UVM’S student-run political activist groups By Lee Hughes & Emma Pinezich
Coalition for student and faculty rights The Coalition for Student and Faculty Rights is a group that works with faculty to create change on campus and within the administration. Junior Chris Gish, a Coalition member, said although it is not an official club, the group meets on a regular basis, with
goals of preventing divisions between students and faculty and making administrative processes more open and democratic. Since forming in early 2019, following the announcement of budget cuts to the College of Arts and Sciences, the group
has put on rallies and teach-ins on campus, Gish said. “[The Coalition] is working with issues right here on campus that are really easy to overlook, and it is also trying to create some solidarity between faculty and students,” Gish said. Some of the group’s goals
are to change the school’s funding model, to promote collaboration between Colleges within the University and to make the selection process for administrators more transparent, he said. The Coalition can be reached via Facebook, he said.
college democrats College Democrats is a club for students to discuss and engage in local, state and national politics with weekly meetings and engagement in local elections. Last year, they registered hundreds of students to vote in local and national elections,
said sophomore Owen Doherty, president of the club. Students make up roughly a quarter of the Burlington population during the school year, so it’s important they engage in local elections, Doherty said. In the fall, the club is hoping to educate students about the
upcoming Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee that will select the democratic nominee for president. Doherty said all levels of involvement and all political ideologies are welcome. “You can just come to meetings, or you can get really in-
volved in the leadership, local campaigns or local activism,” Doherty said. “We welcome anyone […] whether you support Bernie Sanders or whether you support Joe Biden, we have that in the club.” They can be reached at uvmdemocrats@gmail.com.
college republicans College Republicans is a club that campaigns in local and statewide elections and is working to redefine the Republican Party from within. Made up of a variety of forms of conservatism, the club focuses on topics like climate
change, wealth disparity and access to healthcare, said Victoria Biondolillo, interim College Republicans president. “We’re not just the party of Trump,” she said. “We’re trying to change the narrative for what it means to be a Republican and
change the party from within.” The club provides a space to discuss and become more informed about republicanism and conservatism, which are underrepresented on campus, Biondolillo said. College Republicans holds
regular meetings on campus, she said. The club can be reached through their Facebook page or through their UVM clubs page, she said.
queer student union Queer Student Union is a club that works to put on educational, social and political events focused around LGBTQ students. Junior Carter Shapiro, former QSU president, said QSU holds general meetings every Monday and has an activism committee that meets regularly.
“There is a passion of people coming here,” said first-year Jordyn King, an activism committee member. “When I came here I didn’t know my place yet and when we started planning the Won’t Be Erased Rally, I was like, this is it.” This year, QSU gave the administration a list of six is-
sues the group saw on campus, which helped lead to changes in the inclusivity of housing and dining halls for LGBTQ students, Shapiro said. The group also held a rally for transgender rights Nov. 8, 2018 to protest President Donald Trump’s Oct. 29, 2018 memo about redefining sex.
Some events that QSU plans to put on this year include the annual Translating Identity Conference, a Krispy Kreme Fundraiser and drag workshops, Shapiro said. QSU can be reached on their Facebook page or through their UVM clubs page, they said.
the Vermont Progressive Party, and it meets monthly to work on projects such as local elections and issues like changing campus policies that prohibit canvassing in dorms. “Progressives on campus focus on involvement in local
elections, direct action organizing and issue-based organizing,” he said. “We’ve been involved in many issues but our main issue is economic, social and environmental justice.” Past projects include supporting Sen. Bernie Sander’s
UVM progressives UVM Progressives is a group that works to get students involved in politics, organizes at a grassroots level and campaigns in local and statewide elections. Senior Carter Neubieser, a member of UVM Progressives, said the group is affiliated with
2018 Senate campaign and running Neubieser for city council in 2018, earning approximately 43% of the vote, he said. UVM Progressives can be contacted through their UVM clubs page or their Facebook page, he said.
UVM SOCIALISTS UVM Socialists is a club that focuses on class struggle and oppression and works with other student groups to put on rallies. “UVM Socialists is about providing a political alternative to mainstream political organization,” said senior Scarlett Moore, a socialist club member.
“[It] tries to knit together struggles against oppression and exploitation with bigger political questions.” The group put on the Oct. 4, 2018 Cancel Kavanaugh, Cancel Class rally on campus along with Planned Parenthood Generation Action, she said. “That tried to tie together
the political moment [of Kavanaugh’s hearings] ... to local issues in Burlington and local issues at UVM and try to figure out how we can use our power as students,” Moore said. With changes being made to the group since the International Socialist Organization has dissolved its national lead-
ership, new members will have the chance to help shape how UVM Socialists works going forward, Moore said. UVM Socialists can be contacted through their Facebook and Instagram pages, Moore said.
Editor’s Note: Despite numerous attempts, NoNames For Justice, who works for issues marginalized people face, did not return requests for comment.
The Vermont Cynic
Orientation Issue
NEWS
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The past is present: UVM's buildings tell their own stories Julianne Lesch jlesch@uvm.edu
Zoe Stern zstern@uvm.edu
When walking UVM’s campus, students experience a clash between new and old architecture. University Place is a street lined with red brick historic buildings that are decorated with gargoyles. Right behind the street lies a modern, brand new STEM complex. Currently, there are more than a dozen buildings on campus that are on the National Register of Historic Places, according to UVM’s website. For a building to be on the National Register of Historic Places, it must have significance in American history, architecture, art, archeology, engineering and culture, according to U.S. General Services Administration’s website. Discovery Hall, opened in 2017, and Innovation Hall, expected to open in 2019, are part of a $104 million project to modernize STEM at the University, said Robert Vaughan, director of capital planning and management. “In particular, Cook science building, which housed chemis-
try and physics, was embarrassing,” Vaughan said. “We used to say the the teaching labs and the research labs in that building were worse than most of the high schools around Vermont.” UVM’s architecture varies from Greek revival to high Victorian gothic, said Thomas Visser ‘86, director of Historic Preservation. In 1941, the architectural firm, McKim, Meade and White brought a colonial revival to campus and designed Waterman building, Southwick Music Hall, Slade Hall, Ira Allen Chapel and Fleming Museum. From Gym to Theatre UVM is currently in the process of transforming its athletic facilities by building a new $95 million Multi-Purpose Center, according to a November 2018 Cynic article. Nicholas Hall, director of athletic communications and broadcasting, said UVM athletics got its start with the opening of the first gym called Athletic Park in 1886, which is now known as Royall Tyler Theatre. Royall Tyler Theatre is now home to the UVM theater department and has been since 1974, Visser said. As collegiate sports grew at UVM, men’s basketball began
to play off campus at the Memorial Auditorium in downtown Burlington, Hall said. Athletics were moved back on campus in 1963 with the opening of Patrick Gym and Gutterson Fieldhouse, Hall said. Rediscovering Student Spaces Throughout UVM’s history, there have been three different student centers: the Waterman building, Billings Library and current student center: the Davis Center, Visser said. The change in student centers has happened over time to better accommodate the needs of the campus population and to better suit student needs, he said. Waterman building was completed in 1941 and had places for students to study, a dining area and even bowling alleys, Visser said. Originally constructed in the 1880s as a library, Billings became home to the student center from 1963 until 2007, Visser said. Billings Library was designed by Henry Hobson Richardson, one of the most influential architects of the nineteenth century who designed the Trinity Church in Boston, said former UVM President Daniel Fogel. Visser said he has met people from France and Japan who traveled to Burlington just to see the works of Richardson. “Billings is a good example of using what we had in the past, by recognizing its history, to continue to use it in our future,” Visser said. The Davis Center opened in 2007 and was key to bringing the UVM community together, Fogel said.
(TOP) (Photo Illustration by STEPHAN TOLJAN): Originally constructed in the 1880s, Billings Library has been a library, a student center and now houses the UVM Special Collections. (MIDDLE) (Image source: UVM Special Collections): Students in front of Waterman building in between classes circa 1945. (BOTTOM) (Image source: UVM Special Collections): (Left to Right): Dean of Women Mary Jean Simpson ‘1913, Dean of the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences George F. Eckhard, Dean of the College of Medicine Hardy A. Kemp, Professor of Military Science and Tactics Colonel Merrill E. Spalding, Professor Emeritus of Mathematics and Mechanics Evan Thomas, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Elijah Swift, trustee Thomas C. Cheney ‘1891 and trustee Newman K. Chaffee ‘1891 at the laying of the Waterman capstone, Oct. 12, 1940. "Trincity" Trinity campus, which is located past Central campus down Colchester Avenue, is nestled in a wooded area and home to the geology department and student residence halls. Trinity was previously an all-women's Catholic school, according to a September 1999 New York Times article. Trinity campus was bought by UVM in 2002 for $14.3 million, according to a 2002 Cynic article. The college closed in 2000 due to financial struggles, Viss-
er said. Under Fogel, the University expanded 27% in terms of the number of buildings on campus, which largely included the addition of Trinity campus. First-year Amanda Giordano said Trinity has its own distinct identity on campus. “It is a bit removed from the rest of campus. Trinity is kind of just doing its own thing in the corner,” Giordano said. “It's pretty chill. It’s like it is a little neighborhood.”
OPINION
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Orientation Issue
A letter from the Editor’s desk
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The Vermont Cynic
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EXECUTIVE Editor-in-Chief Bridget Higdon editorinchief@vtcynic.com Managing Editor Alek Fleury newsroom@vtcynic.com
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ear students, parents, faculty and alumni, Welcome to UVM! At the start of my first year, I attended the first Vermont Cynic General Meeting of the fall semester. There, I found a welcoming group of likeminded people who are now some of my best friends. The Cynic staff is made up of writers, photographers, videographers, podcasters, graphic designers and illustrators. We come from different majors and backgrounds, but we all call the Cynic our home. Vermont is a great place
to be a journalist. The state is served by 11 daily and about four dozen weekly print newspapers, according to the Vermont Press Association. The Vermont Cynic is proud to be the longest continually running college newspaper in the U.S. We know the importance of a free and independent press and are lucky these values are shared by our lawmakers. In 2017, Vermont Governor Phil Scott protected the freedom of speech for student journalists. The Vermont New Voices Act guarantees the freedoms of speech and the press for all
school-sponsored media at both public high schools and public colleges, according to the Student Press Law Center. At a time when journalism is frequently under attack for being “fake,” the Cynic is fully committed to sharing the truth. When the Cynic was founded in 1883, its mission statement read: “We shall honestly speak the convictions of our mind; it means our objects are utilitarian.” The current Cynic editorial board still stands by that statement and pledges to accurately cover campus news, culture, sports and opinion. No matter your interests
Operations Manager Tim Mealey operations@vtcynic.com Marketing Daniel Felde dfelde@uvm.edu
EDITORIAL Copy Chief Liv Marshall copy@vtcynic.com
Sincerely, Bridget Higdon Editor-in-Chief The Vermont Cynic
Culture Sarah Robinson cynicculture@gmail.com Features Greta Rohrer cynicfeatures@gmail.com News Sawyer Loftus news@vtcynic.com
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Opinion Mills Sparkman opinion@vtcynic.com Podcasts David Cabrera vtcynicpodcasts@gmail.com Sports Sabrina Hood sports@vtcynic.com Video Jordan Mitchell video@vtcynic.com Social Media Sam Litra socialcyniceditor@gmail.com Illustrations Noah Zhou illustrations@vtcynic.com Layout Kyra Chevalier layout@vtcynic.com Photo Stephan Toljan photo@vtcynic.com
or skill level, there is a place for you at the Cynic. Stop by our office on the first floor of the Davis Center any time, and a member of our staff will be happy to help you get involved. Look out for our table at the First Year Picnic Aug. 25 and at ActivitiesFest Sept. 4. You’ll be able to meet members of our staff and find out the date of our first General Meeting. To stay up to date on campus news, make sure to follow the Cynic on Instagram and Twitter at @vermontcynic. Turn to page 12 to find out how to subscribe to our weekly newsletter, the Cynic Bulletin. Feel free to reach out to me directly at cynic@uvm.edu. I hope you’ll join the Cynic or be an avid reader of our paper every week. Pick up an issue from our stands located around campus. Again, welcome to Vermont, and I hope you’ll love UVM the way I do.
Staff editorials officially reflect the views of the Vermont Cynic. Signed opinion pieces and columns do not necessarily do so. The Cynic accepts letters in response to anything you see printed as well as any issues of interest in the community. Please limit letters to 350 words. The Cynic reserves the right to edit letters for length and grammar. lease send letters to opinion@ vtcynic.com.
Ask Cat: answers for your UVM questions Ask Cat Ask Cat is the Vermont Cynic’s advice column.
Q
: Best study spot on campus? During my second semester at UVM, I got more acquainted with campus, and wandered into the newly restored Billings Library one afternoon before finals week. Billings Library initially scared me because it is so incredibly quiet, but it forces me get
Assistant Editors Henry Mitchell (Opinion), Allie O’Connor (Culture), Lee Hughes (News), Kate Vanni and Meilena Sanchez (Layout)
all my work done. Although Billings is closed on the weekends, feel free to wander in from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays. No matter where you live on campus, you must know about Howe Library. Howe Library is the perfect place to study for any coffeelover because the Cyber Cafe is nestled in a corner on the first floor. You can quench your thirst or give into your sweet tooth at the Cyber Cafe.
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Copy Editors Sophia Knappertz, Dalton Doyle, Kelly Turner, Zoe Sheppard Page Designers Lindsay Freed
ADVISING Faculty Adviser Chris Evans crevans@uvm.edu
NOAH ZHOU
: When and how do you request roomates? Through UVM’s website, MyResLife is where you will fill out everything from meal plans to room selections. Roommate requests happen after you attend June orientation. By orientation you
will be placed in a Learning Community. After your orientation, from June 1 to June 30, first-years have the ability to go back and preference a roommate on their already completed housing contract. Make sure you and your preferenced roommate are set to live in the same Learning Community. That’s the only way you can live together. In case you don’t get placed with your prefered roommate, Trading Spaces gives you the opportunity to change your current living situation after June orientation. Good luck!
Q
: If there is one piece of advice for incoming first-years regarding dining on campus, what would it be? One piece of advice I wish someone told me is to save your retail points your first semester. I know New World Tortilla is amazing, but don’t buy wraps every day. You will only be left with dining hall food after your first month of college.
If you run out of points, I have some dining hall hacks to help you. For dorm room snacks, peanut butter is your best friend. You can eat it with almost everything, including pieces of fruit you can take from the dining hall. There are many local supermarkets, so grab your friends and get cooking! Trader Joe’s and City Market are my personal favorites, but they tend to be a little pricey. The newly built Target also has groceries, and they won’t hurt your budget. No matter how you eat at UVM, make sure to budget your points and stock up on snacks!
Questions? Scan the QR code to submit to Ask Cat:
Orientation Issue
The Vermont Cynic
OPINION
UVM, by way of New York tion group had acquired while skiing. I had to get used to people smiling when making eye contact. Most people don’t smile in NYC unless they’re creepy. City people are used to putting on “resting bitch face” and looking away quickly. People may think we’re uninterested or mean, but we’re just not used to smiling at strangers. I’m also not used to small talk. It’s weird to have people speak to you when you’re waiting for class to start. I act the way I would on a train, where there’s an unspoken rule to keep to yourself. I’ve also had to adjust to public transportation here. I thought I’d get used to it, since I’m used to taking trains and buses, but the buses here are much less efficient compared to NYC buses. According to a Jan. 7 Burlington Free Pass article, their timetables are unreliable and don’t fit peoples’ schedules. I also thought I’d be okay without a car. Everyone is shocked that I don’t have a driver’s license, but I’ve never needed one before. In a small town, there’s the one fancy place, and the one more laid back place. Church Street is a fun place, but it’s only a few blocks. The shops are expensive for college students, and food options are limited too. Although it’s been a huge adjustment coming here, I do
Gabby Felitto gfelitto@uvm.edu
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came to UVM from the concrete jungle, New York City. I never stayed in a smaller town for longer than a week before coming here. While I knew going to school in a small “city” like Burlington was going to be an adjustment, it had been my dream school ever since I visited at 14 years old. UVM was different compared to other colleges I’d seen before. My family attended University at Buffalo, and I didn’t want to attend a crowded city college. You always see movies where a small-town kid has to adjust to a big-city college. Nobody seems to think of the situation the other way around. The first thing I had to get used to was everyone’s different dialects. I was shocked hearing people say “grinder,” when talking about a sandwich and not the dating app. I had to get used to hearing different conversation topics. I’ve never heard so many people talk about skiing before. My first conversations here were about injuries that some other students in my orienta-
Gabby Felitto is a firstyear public communication major. She has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2018.
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love it. I needed to experience something different, or else I would’ve felt stuck. Most of the faculty and students are genuinely nice. People aren’t grumpy all the time. The mountains here are far prettier than skyscrapers. Everything fell right into place as my high school has a partnership to create greater diversity within the STEM field with UVM. I knew kids, including my best friend, coming here. This partnership isn’t limited to just creating diversity. It also encourages environmental studies, as both my high school and UVM focus greatly on the sciences. Students interested in this partnership are offered a number of scholarships, which didn’t hurt in making my decision to come here. While I’ve been here, I’ve met cool people, especially at the Cynic. It’s hard not having a bodega at every corner, but I know UVM is where I’m supposed to be.
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Four things I wish I knew before arriving at UVM Chris Harrell crharrell@uvm.edu
A
t the halfway point of my college education at UVM, I found there are four things I wish I knew before arriving here.
1.
Join clubs. Student organizations play a fundamentally different role in college than they do in high school. They are one of the most effective ways to find like-minded people in such a large student body. Clubs allow you the opportunity to meet people beyond your dorm and classes that you would likely never encounter. They also give you an opportunity to keep busy and occupied during the long Vermont winter with productive tasks. It’s easy to stay in your dorm and get high every time the temperature drops below 20 degrees, but getting out and having something to work on makes the winters easier to bear.
2.
Your schoolwork will be as difficult as you can make it, but you need to push yourself. Going from high school to college is a major academic transition. You as a student have so much more control over what courses you take, when you take them and even how many you want to take at once. This gives you the ability to make your schedule as easy or difficult as you’d like. But easy isn’t better for your academic development. You bear complete respon-
sibility for your work ethic and how you develop it. You have to construct a schedule that, while not being overbearing, challenges you. If you don’t face those academic challenges early in your college experience, you won’t have the work ethic and study skills to succeed. Resist the urge to relax, and make yourself a little miserable for a couple weeks of the year. It’ll have payoffs for the rest of your career.
3.
The University is a business. It’s not your friend, and it’s not trying to be. The University clearly cares about the student body to a certain extent. But they are also in the business of making money, and students represent a hefty check. Take what the University tells you with a grain of salt, and do your own research. There are endless opportunities for clubs, programs and community engagement available. The University does not know you or what would be best for you. Make your own choices while you’re here.
4.
Try to be yourself in everything you do. College is a time to explore who you are and what you want to do. UVM is full of non-judgemental people. Dress a little funky, take classes you don’t know anything about and find a creative hobby. The UVM community will be better off as a whole with every member that contributes their distinctive voice.
Chris Harrell is a junior political science major. He has been writing for the Cynic since spring 2019.
The satirical view: Cynic headlines to watch out for this semester Henry Mitchell hdmitche@uvm. edu
Henry Mitchell is a sophomore political science and economics major. He has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2017.
90% of term papers still done in last week of term
Business majors have it good for too long
L&L discovered to contain neither living nor learning
UVM to create major in complaining about the cold
The Watertower still rates highest among student newspapers
UVM receives funding for third athletic complex
Public ivy causing allergic reaction, none surprised
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PHOTO
The Vermont Cynic
April 16, 2019
Through The Lens
STEPHAN TOLJAN/The Vermont Cynic
TAYLOR EHWA/The Vermont Cynic
LILLY SHARP/The Vermont Cynic
MADDY DEGELSMITH/The Vermont Cynic
One of the greatest photographers, Ansel Adams, said of photography: “When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.” In journalism, most stories are told with words. However, it is imperative not to underestimate the story-telling power of a photograph. Raising the flag on Iwo Jima, the Afghan girl and the unknown man jumping from the World Trade Center during the Sept. 11 attacks are just a few examples of
SAWYER LOFTUS/The Vermont Cynic
stoljan@uvm.edu
photographs that tell stories that words simply could not. It is for this reason that photojournalism is so important: sometimes words are just not enough. Like all newspapers, here at the Cynic our paper consists of articles and words that make up the majority of our content. However, we would not be able to present our news, tell our stories or even publish the paper without our photojournalists. It’s a team effort. In Adams’ words, even though words may be insufficient and images inadequate, we have a duty to not be content with silence, in words and in photographs.
LINDSAY FREED/The Vermont Cynic
Stephan Toljan
The Vermont Cynic
Orientation Issue
CULTURE
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Burlington’s Hidden Gems B
urlington is home to so many destinations that sometimes great places get lost in the mix. As incoming first-years who don’t know Burlington very well, you will soon learn that you are going to find your niche places as time goes on.
However, as you start out in this awkward period of time, it can be difficult to get off campus and explore beyond the popular places everyone knows about. Here are some lesser-known places to get you started.
Pure Pop Records Anna Kolosky akolosky@uvm.edu
If you’re looking for a great place to get the best music finds, you have to check out Pure Pop Records. Located on South Winooski Avenue, Pure Pop is in a basement next to My
Little Cupcake. Its large purple and yellow sign will show you the way down the stone steps which lead into an surprisingly big store full of music, movies and much more. Pure Pop is Burlington’s oldest record store, turning 40 next year.
North End Studios Anna Kolosky akolosky@uvm.edu
North End Studios is the perfect place for fun ways to exercise. Situated on North Winooski Avenue, North End Studios has a variety of classes for those looking for ways to stay active.
North End Studios offers a wide array of weekly dance classes including aerial dance, African dance, pole dance and swing dance. North End Studios also hosts a number of concerts, workshops and events throughout the year if you want entertainment and a sense of community. ALEK FLEURY/The Vermont Cynic
Ahli Baba’s Kabob Shop
Overlook Park Alek Fleury afleury@uvm.edu
Overlook Park, located 10 miles south of campus, offers the best view in all of Burlington of Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains. If the sky is blue and you stumble
Alek Fleury
across the park just before sunset, the bright colors will take your breath away. It is located along a pretty busy road, making it difficult to walk there. However, if you have access to a car or are willing to Uber, the drive is absolutely worth it.
afleury@uvm.edu
Ahli Baba’s is a great spot for kebabs, gyros, falafel and late night shenanigans. Located a few doors east of Kountry Kart Deli, it’s a satisfying spot for quick eats. Open from 9 a.m. to 3 a.m. every day, Ahli
Baba’s offers an ideal meal for those late nights when most places are closed. Everything is reasonably priced, ranging from $8 to $9. Their wide selection of wraps, stuffed with hummus and tahina, wrapped in a hot Greek pita, are likely to satisfy any hungry customer.
(TOP) Records for purchase sit on display in Pure Pop Records. (MIDDLE) A chicken kebab pita from Ahli Baba’s Kebab shop on Main Street costs $8.95. (BOTTOM) Overlook park is located about a 15 minute car ride south from campus. The park offers scenic views of Lake Champlain with mountains in the distance.
CULTURE
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The Vermont Cynic
Orientation Issue
Shorts made by senior take off at UVM Sarah Robinson srobin14@uvm.edu
He learned how to sew just over a year ago. Today, his signature plastic bag logo with a smiley face is worn proudly on the shorts of students, skaters and bikers alike. Senior Sammy Hedlund has a clothing company called takeout shorts. He recently released his finished product to the world: mid-length shorts that are unisex, waterproof, durable and popular all over campus. “I’ve always liked unique clothes,” Hedlund said. “The next step for having cool, unique clothes was making my own.” During the winter of 2017, Hedlund decided he wanted to learn to sew along with his roommate and friend Caleb Winn ‘18. As soon as he put pictures of the shorts on his Instagram, Hedlund said he had several friends asking for a pair. “I was like, ‘Okay cool. I have something that’s capable of fostering demand,’” Hedlund said. After 20 prototypes of different styles and fits, he settled on what would be the final product. Winn was instrumental in the development of Hedlund’s business model. He said the two spent hours talking about marketing, revenue and advertising. “Sammy has an incredible Instagram presence right now.” Winn said. “I think that what
STEPHAN TOLJAN/The Vermont Cynic
Senior Sammy Hedlund poses in his hand-designed shorts May 7. Though the shorts are currently sold out, Hedlund says he’s planning on two more drops of product before the summer is over. takeout is bringing that’s different is this index finger on the pulse of core culture.” There are four colors to choose from: yellow, black, green and lavender. Hedlund settled on a durable nylon material. The demand soon became too much to keep up with on his own. “It takes me three or four hours to make a pair by hand,” he said. “At this point in the
company’s life, [a manufacturer] is the only feasible option,” he said. On April 20, Hedlund released 100 pairs of shorts, all of which sold out in 24 hours. Junior Julia Wenick modeled the shorts in the takeout shorts ad campaign, which was published solely on the takeout shorts Instagram page. “My first impression was that they were very versatile,
and I was shocked that they fit me,” she said. Wenick and Winn both said takeout’s Instagram presence is part of the reason the launch has been so successful. Though the shorts are currently sold out, Hedlund says he’s planning on two more drops of product before the summer is over. “For the next drop, they’re gonna be the exact same. Same
FOLLOW YOUR
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colors, same design. After that, we’ll see,” he said. Though Hedlund’s career at UVM is coming to an end, he said he’s staying in the Burlington area to coach the UVM bike team and to work on more designs. “It’s been really tough but really rewarding getting to where I am right now. I hope I have the opportunity to keep growing,” he said.
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES
AND PREPARE FOR A TAYLOR EHWA/The Vermont Cynic
Dining hall faces to know: Fumiyo at Simpson Hall Marjorie McWilliams mmcwilli@uvm.edu
Anyone who frequents Simpson Dining Hall knows Fumiyo. Her presence enhances the entire dining experience, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere. She wishes every person a good day and addresses them by name as she swipes CATcards and hands out Ecoware. “I love talking to students, I used to go to college too so I know they feel with exams and homework,” Fumiyo said. “I try to always have a positive attitude and encourage them.” Fumiyo goes above and beyond with her tireless cheer and genuine recognition for Simpson regulars. This sentiment is echoed by
many Redstone residents. “I love her so much. She makes me so happy,” junior Emma Einhorn said. First-year Hannah Gonzalez said Fumiyo may not know how much her sunny personality affects UVM students, but the impact is real. “I am not a morning person at all. But the thought of walking into the dining hall and seeing Fumiyo first thing in the morning, getting the personalized smile and ‘Good morning Hannah!’ just about has me jumping out of bed,” Gonzalez said. A friendly face and being treated like an individual in a student population with more than 10,000 people can make all the difference for college students away from home.
A GREAT CAREER
Whatever your passion, computing has a role. CS jobs are plentiful, lucrative, creative, and satisfying!
think computer science isn’t right for you? think again! Computer Science is The Science of Problem Solving: A creative, exciting, rewarding, and fun discipline that is integral to all aspects of modern society.
“Computing is relevant to everything, from fashion and art to gaming and business and science. It’s so versatile!”
Looking for a fun elective with no prerequisites? • CS 8 Intro to Web Development • CS 21 Programming I in Python Great support for students with/without prior experience
learn more at: cs.uvm.edu
— Nikki Allen CS Student
‘19
The Vermont Cynic
Orientation Issue
CULTURE
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Geography professor adds art to classes Marjorie McWilliams mmcwilli@uvm.edu
As climate change becomes an increasing social and political concern, students are turning to art to provide context that science alone can’t provide. At UVM, science and social science classes are progressively including art as a different way to absorb class material. First-years in the Rubenstein School of Environmental and Natural Resources participated in a lab at Fleming Museum where their analysis of artwork demonstrated changes in land use history in Vermont. The progression of serene agrarian landscapes to art makes statements about pressing climate change issues. First-year Kate Zoeller emphasized the importance of learning about the different meanings the land we live on has for different people. “Going to the Fleming Museum with my natural resources class allowed me to encounter diverse ways that people connect with and view nature,” Zoeller said. Professor of geography Harlan Morehouse teaches several classes which combine social science and art such as Cultural Ecology and Political Ecology. Morehouse believes this approach gives students a more complex view of issues by incorporating multiple stories which may be missing from traditional academic approaches. By connecting cultural and natural components of the en-
STEPHAN TOLJAN/The Vermont Cynic
Professor Harlan Morehouse sits in his Old Mill office April 8. Morehouse uses melting glaciers as an example of where art, social justice and environmental science meet. vironment, students also delve deeper into contemporary issues, like climate change, Morehouse said. “Given that we are facing considerable environmental challenges, my approach is to draw from multiple disciplines to build a broad and diverse understanding of environmental change,” he said. Morehouse uses the example of melting glaciers as an example of where art, social justice and environmental science
meet. Though studies on changes in the environment are important, they don’t always account for the cultural impact of these changes, Morehouse said. “These frameworks are not particularly well-equipped to address the cultural, if not spiritual, impacts of glacier loss,” he said. “How, for example, does glacier loss impact those cultures that emerged in the presence of ice?” Art has also been used as
a way to engage students with their surroundings. Natural History and Human Ecology classes at UVM ask their students to submit handdrawn sketches of species they encounter while doing phenological studies, or the study of seasonal changes in the environment. “I get to enjoy my surroundings and have actually learned a lot about Vermont species by sketching outside once every few weeks,” first-year Thea
Bjornson said. The use of this type of culturally conscious scientific information in education is important for the future, Morehouse said. “In making it possible for better futures to take hold, art has a crucial role to play,” he said. “Without it, we risk losing stories that will serve us well.”
Concerts, art shows coming to Burlington this fall Anna Kolosky akolosky@uvm.edu
With fall semester approaching, it can be overwhelming to find the best places to go for music and entertainment. That’s why this preview of fall events is the best way to plan out which events in Burlington you will see. Paddy Reagan, the talent buyer for ArtsRiot, a music venue on Pine Street, discussed the various events that will be taking place in Burlington in the fall. He talked about the booking process and how a big part of it is based on availability and personal tastes. “If it’s bands, a lot of that is based on who is available,” Reagan said. “Who is routing through the area and who can perform at a 300-person venue.” Reagan also said he collaborates with other people to determine who comes to ArtsRiot. Rob Liu is the profession manager at ArtsRiot, and Reagan said that he and Liu manage events and decide who comes to perform. “We go off our own tastes, and our decision is based on what we think is worthy of the
platform ArtsRiot can provide and what we think will help enrich the music scene in Burlington,” Reagan said. They also try to bring in music people in the Burlington community would enjoy, even if they don’t fit his and Lou’s tastes. “A lot of the shows we already have booked are not yet announced,” Reagan said. “Most of them will be announced and go on sale at the end of this month or sometime in June or July.” Reagan recommended to stay alert for a Halloween show and said there would be an event the week before called Salvation Farms Aid, which is a take on the fundraiser and music festival Farm Aid. He also hinted that November 11 to November 16 would be a big week of really great shows. Additionally, Reagan said at ArtsRiot, student bands also have the potential to make it to the mainstage. “We hold a college showcase every year, so if you have a band, that’s a great way to get on the ArtsRiot stage and potentially play at the Waking Windows festival,” Reagan said. In addition to ArtsRiot,
MADDY DEGELSMITH/The Vermont Cynic
The sign of the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts on Main Street advertises the show,”VSO Masterworks” April 27. If you enjoy classical music, try checking out the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, which plays at the Flynn, said Paddy Reagan, the talent buyer for ArtsRiot. Reagan also said the big kickoff event of the season will be South End Art Hop. Art Hop is a giant celebration of art and music that happens every year. “It’s a great opportunity for students to get acclimated with the South End and get introduced to some cool art, musicians and bands,” Reagan said. “I think Art Hop is a great opportunity to see Burlington at its best.” Reagan also recommend-
ed checking out smaller music venues in town like RadioBean or Monkey House in Winooski. Sophomore Emma Parks said that RadioBean is one of her go-to spots for live music. “I love going to RadioBean. A couple of my friends have played there, and it’s always awesome to see them perform,” Parks said. “The venue is really intimate, and you get to see a lot of fantastic music for free that you may not normally see.”
However, if rock or punk music is not your favorite style, Reagan suggest checking out the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, who play at the downtown Flynn Center for the Performing Arts. Overall, the entertainment scene in Burlington offers plenty of different options to choose from. Reagan advised to go to something unfamiliar and to reach out of your comfort zone.
FEATURE
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The Vermont Cynic Orientation Issue
Burlington M
usic is a huge part of Burlington’s creative and cultural pulse. There are live gigs every weekend in quirky venues from house shows to ArtsRiot. At the core of the scene is the presence of vinyl. Burlington boasts three record stores: Burlington Records, Pure Pop and Speaking Volumes. In recent years the vinyl industry has seen a worldwide resurgence in popularity. According to Nielsen Music, vinyl sales in the U.S. hit record numbers during the first half of 2018 with over 7.6 million LPs sold. “You come into a shop and see all these wonderful pieces of art,” said Ian Doerner, owner of Burlington Records. “Each one has a different story, and you can establish a feeling with these records as opposed to platforms such as Spotify.” The best-selling vinyl charts are often topped by nostalgia-inducing artists such as Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin, evidence that vinyl sales are in part being driven by older fans ditching CDs and Spotify in favor of the format of their youth. Part of the appeal of vinyl is that it’s accessible to any age group, Doerner said, and there are records for every music taste, including modern artists. Artists who dominate platforms like Spotify have taken the opportunity to capitalize within the industry by selling their albums on vinyl. “Every year it changes a little bit,” he said. “You have a lot of college students who buy a lot of hip-hop, which has been a big trend in the last two or three years. There’s a lot of every age group, every gender.” The second best selling vinyl LP of 2018 was Kendrick Lamar’s “Damn.” The presence of Lamar and others shows there is clearly a place on the shelf for modern artists. There are many different reasons people choose vinyl, including a longing for something authentic in a musical world saturated with Hot 100 radio. “I adore old things,” sophomore Jack Alberico said. “I yearn for it in a time of SoundCloud rappers and large scale conformity. It’s a way to unplug. Everything we do now is on our phones, so having a break from that is always nice.” Yearly vinyl sales in the U.S. increased from 4.6 million in 2012 to 14.3 million in 2017, according to Statista, a statistics portal. If selling patterns are anything to go by, Doerner said, vinyl’s popularity is set to keep growing. “We always had a good sale point for vinyl,” he said. “But it’s only been increasing, which I think reflects the same trend going on nationally and worldwide.” Urban Outfitters has also jumped on the vinyl bandwagon, stocking stores with vinyl and selling a “vinyl record storage shelf” retailing for $79. It shows that record collecting can be based in aesthetic rather than substance. “I wish [vinyl records] were less expen-
Beth Goodwin is a former exchange student from Cardiff University studying English. You can catch her spinning her vinyl of Bella Donna by Stevie Nicks.
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bgoodwi1@uvm.edu
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Beth Goodwin
sive,” first-year Rowan Hawthorne said. “It’s such a different feeling from listening to Spotify. I feel more connected to the music, and it’s a lot more personable.” Serious vinyl collectors spend huge amounts of money on first presses and high-end record players, like the Sony HDW-1800, which retails on eBay for $15,000. Vinyl can also be inexpensive. Burlington Records has multiple bins of records for $5 and a $1 record bin, which explains the format’s popularity with the students. But price depends on the record. “Burlington Records has every album one could ever need, and Pure Pop is very cool,” Alberico said. “Of course, the downside of living in a town where vinyl is admired means that you’ll have to drop some serious cash to get a record you really want.” Vinyl is a cherished part of the Burlington music scene. “Music is a big part of this town,” Doerner said. “For how small we are, we have so many things going on, and this contributes to the overall feeling within the town. It’s a very creative feeling.” There are often record sales in the Davis Center, and bars downtown hold nights in which the DJs exclusively play vinyl. The city’s embrace of the format explains part of its popularity. Doerner said Spotify is a convenient way to listen to music, but if you want a truly creative listening experience, a record player is worth the trouble. “Vinyl forces you to listen,” he said. “You have to make decisions, because the turntable will end and then you have to put on something else.” If the trend of the passing years continues, the popularity of vinyl is only going to rise. Vinyl has clearly made its comeback and is here to stay. It can be an affordable hobby if you’re smart about it; maybe just don’t buy an $80 stand to keep your records on. I hear Walmart sells storage boxes for cheap.
N’S GREA O T TE G S IN
ON VINYL
CAROLINE SLACK/The Vermont Cynic
(Top) Burlington Records, one of three record shops in Burlington, is located on 194 College St. (Middle) The records in the shop are organized by genre. “You come into a shop and see all these wonderful pieces of art,” Burlington Records owner Ian Doerner said. (Bottom) Pink Floyd’s album “Wish You Were Here” can be found at Burlington Records. The best-selling vinyl charts are often topped by nostalgia-inducing artists such as Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin.
The Vermont Cynic
SPORTS
Orientation Issue
ANTHONY LAMB: Stephan Toljan stoljan@uvm.edu
An outlier is any point that falls outside of the mean. In UVM men’s basketball, forward Anthony Lamb, a junior, is an example of an outlier, averaging 21.2 points a game this past season, according to UVM athletics. Lamb was chosen as the TD Bank Student-Athlete of the Week three times, according to UVM athletics. Lamb won the award last November, Feb. 12 and again Mar. 24. Head coach John Becker spoke after a game against the University at Albany Feb. 9 about Lamb’s presence on the court. “As a coach, it’s always a good thing when your best player is your hardest worker and he’s been that,” he said. “He leads by example and he isn’t afraid to hold his peers accountable.” Just this season, Lamb averaged 21.2 points per game, 7.8 rebounds per game and 2.3 assists per game, according to UVM athletics. Off the court, Becker said that Lamb has a very vocal presence. “He trusts what we’re doing here so now he’s a voice in the locker room to tell guys what they need to be doing,” he said. “He’s got a really good feel for people and he really cares.” Lamb said he first started playing basketball in the third grade because it was something fun to do. “My mom tried to get me and my brother into some sports when I was younger,” he said. “I really liked basketball, so I stuck with it.” Out of all of the people who have helped him to get where he is today, Lamb said that his idol off the court is his mom. “She was a single parent who
worked 70-hour weeks just so my brother and I could play basketball, get to college and do what we want to do,” he said. Lamb said that even though he started playing in the third grade, he only started to get better once he got to middle school and then later in high school. He said that he played a key role on his high school team. “At first I was a supporting player, but I started to develop going into my later years in high school,” Lamb said. “My last two years I was captain of the team.” When he isn’t playing basketball, Lamb said he likes to watch anime. “First thing I do is watch anime, it’s literally all I do,” he said. “I play basketball a lot, so there isn’t a lot of free time. I just try to be chill and relax.” Although Lamb said he had numerous offers from other schools, he chose UVM because of its atmosphere. “I really enjoyed the people here and it is a really beautiful place at its base,” he said. “Everything felt right when I came here.” Lamb said UVM was the only school whose campus he toured. “After I came here, I didn’t even need to see anywhere else,” he said. In his time at UVM, Lamb has scored a total of nearly 1,400 points, made 291 out of 377 free throws and has played for roughly 2,200 minutes, according to UVM athletics. On the court, Lamb is very in-tune to the game, senior guard Ernie Duncan said. “I know what spots he likes to be in and he knows where I like the ball,” he said. “He makes my life easier and hopefully I make his life easier, so it’s really fun to play with him.” Off the court, Duncan said Lamb is
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A natural leader shines on the court
(TOP) STEPHAN TOLJAN/The Vermont Cynic (BOTTOM) Image source: UVM
Men’s basketball forward Anthony Lamb, a junior, has scored a total of nearly 1,400 in his college carreer. “My dream is to play in the NBA,” he said. “[College hoops] is a stepping stone to reach that dream.” a natural leader. “He’s commanding and really fun to be around,” he said. “He’s a really cool dude and a really good dude.” Even with all his success, Lamb has not been without injury this past season. Lamb had to sit out for two games, against University of Maryland Baltimore County and Stony Brook University, because of a concussion, Becker said. “We’re a different team without him,” he said. Lamb got the concussion in the Jan. 19 game against Binghamton University when he was hit by another player. Regardless, Lamb came back strong after this injury, scoring 29 points in his first game back against University of Massachusetts Lowell Feb. 2, according to UVM athletics.
“My dream is to play in the NBA,” he said. “[College basketball] is a stepping stone to reach that dream.” In April, Lamb submitted his name for the 2019 NBA Draft, according to a April 18 Burlington Free Press article. At the end of the season, Lamb was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches All-District First Team and an Associated Press All America Honorable Mention, according to UVM Athletics. Lamb said that if he could tell his younger self anything, he would say to focus on the mental side of the game. “Focus on the mental side of the game because there are a lot of things you can learn by just watching the game,” he said. “Don’t stress yourself out because it all comes to you eventually.”
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