The Vermont Cynic Issue 27

NOT ‘EVERYONE IS DOING IT’

5

A CALL FOR MORE LONG WEEKENDS

11

SPORTSCENTER JUST DOESN’T CUT IT

14

C YNIC THE VERMONT

LOUD NIGHTS, CIVIL RIGHTS, UNCIVIL FIGHTS

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The University of Vermont’s independent voice since 1883 w w w . v e r m o n t c y n i c . c o m

T h u r s d a y , A p r i l 2 6 , 2 0 1 2 – Vo l u m e 1 2 8 I s s u e 2 7 | B u r l i n g t o n , Ve r m o n t

Springing in the rain

Protest surprises

Students crash welcoming

By Keegan Fairfield Senior Staff Writer

article 9 - spectacle 13

Conference shows 328 projects

Students show research at annual conference

By Devin Karambelas Assitant News Editor Ancient Peruvian ruins, comic strips, summer camps and the effects of eye blinking all have one thing in common.

They all made up only a fraction of the topics discussed at the Student Research Conference, which took over the fourth floor of the Davis Center April 19.

Now in its fifth year, the conference was a daylong event open to all undergraduate, graduate and medical students who pursued research and wanted to share their results with the community.

“The turnout this year has been phenomenal,” program coordinator Andrea Elledge said.

“We have over 360 students participating this year, which is more than we’ve ever had before.”

This year’s conference included 364 students – of which 203 were undergraduates, 161 graduates – and 328 projects, Elledge said.

Although students from the College of Arts and Sciences were the most abundant with 143 participants, each college had representation.

Honors College Dean Abu Rizvi said there was a 40 percent increase in student participation from the previous year.

“Sometimes students think that classroom learning is the only way of pursuing knowledge,” Rizvi said. “But learning also involves being able to apply the content knowledge you learn in

NEWS 1-5 Senator spends night in the pen

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the classroom by extending into new areas.”

These new areas proved to be quite diverse, as a quick glance through the program guide showed: oral presentations included titles such as “Creating Taste of Place for Vermont: An Analysis of Consumers’ Willingness to Pay,” “Excavating Desire,” “Darker Shades of Green: The Dilemmas of Green Consumerism,” and “Escaping Irene.”

“I transferred [to UVM] because I wanted to get involved with research, and I’m positive I want to go into a career of research. It’s one of the most satisfying things you can do.”

Gain Robinson Senior The myriad of poster presentations also ranged from familiar issues of social policy, the environment, psychology and education to topics that required a little more background knowledge, like senior Kanita Chaudhry’s presentation, “Qualification of Protein Phosphorylation in Cardiac Troponin I and Myosin

LIFE 6-7 — ARTS 8-9 — Chefs battle to win Band combines genres for unique sound top prize

Binding Protein-C.” Senior Natalie Bishop presented research under the name “Grassroots Neighborhood Leaders in Vermont: A Qualitative Analysis of the Rewards, Challenges,” which studied the objectives of various local grassroots coalitions.

Bishop, who spent a year and half on her project, said she had always been interested in grassroots change and thought researching had been a great experience.

“It’s been rewarding, but it’s a huge project that you have to invest a lot in,” she said. “It’s hard to condense a 50-page paper into a poster presentation.”

Senior Gain Robinson worked in a research lab for two years before he was able to present his findings, “The Effects of Secretin on Extinction Eyeblink Conditioning.”

Using an animal model that measured eye blink conditioning and coordinated responses, Robinson likened his project to the Pavlovian operant conditioning model, in which Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov trained a dog to salivate using a ringing bell followed by food.

Robinson said his findings showed that the regulation of ion channels was an important aspect of associative learning, and that they could possibly be applied to humans as well.

See STUDENT RESEARCH on page 2

OPINION 10-11 A call for more long

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Protesters gave future students and their families a taste of UVM activism at two Admitted Student Visit Days this April.

Tossed flyers rained on hundreds of prospective students and their parents April 16 when activists crashed a packed Ira Allen Chapel of an Admitted Student Visit Day assembly.

Nearly a dozen students flowed single-file through a door at the front of the chapel to stage a “mic check” during President Bramley’s opening remarks.

A call-and-response statement lasting about two minutes captivated the audience and exposed many to a side of UVM they may not have been expecting.

Under fire during the demonstration was Bill Ruprecht, UVM Board of Trustees member and the CEO of Sotheby’s International, who received harsh criticism in recent months for his efforts to de-unionize employees of the one of the world’s largest auctioneers.

“Before you go in debt at one of the most expensive state universities in the country, demand that Bill Ruprecht settle up with

his workers or step down from the Board of Trustees,” the student activists shouted.

“It’s like the ’60s,” Bramley said on the chapel’s sound system, failing to overpower the thunderous sound of a dozen unified voices.

Toward the end of the demonstration, a banner reading, “Ruprecht: Settle up or Step Down” was draped over the balcony, and informational brochures about the trustee were tossed from above.

The students joined together in a chant as they proceeded to an exit across the room. The crowd offered them an underwhelming round of applause.

“Workers rights, students rights: same struggle, same fight,” the students chanted in unison.

A video of the rally appeared on YouTube shortly after the event capturing the student’s entire performance.

At the Admitted Student Visit Day held April 20, a troupe of students tried to gain access to the building for a similar demonstration, but was thwarted by admissions officers stationed at See PROTESTS on page 4

Bramley reflects on year, bids farewell

By Devin Karambelas Assistant News Editor This May will mark the last time President John Bramley will be able to call his wood-paneled office his own — but that’s all right with him.

“I’ll still work for the University in some capacity,” Bramley said. “Just maybe not between the hours of 8 a.m. and, say, midnight.”

Bramley has been filling in as interim president since last year, when the Board of Trustees named him as Dan Fogel’s replacement after the former president stepped down for personal reasons.

“I feel pretty good about how things have gone [this year],” Bramley said in his signature British accent. “My time here has reminded me how much I missed the University; it’s been a very enjoyable experience.”

He said UVM experienced some bad press at the time he took over, but since then things have changed for the better.

The challenges brought on by Hurricane Irene in late August could have been devastating for

DISTRACTIONS 12 Camp Morning Wood

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COURTESY OF UVM PHOTO

the University, but Bramley said it was UVM’s response to the tropical storm that he was particularly proud of.

“It reminded people how important it is to have the University,” he said, citing the fact that UVM has been housing state laboratories that had been based in Waterbury, and will continue to do so for another three years.

Other high points of the year

SPECTACLE 13 Springfest 2012

See BRAMLEY on page 4

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SPORTS 14-16 Intensity taken too far

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NEWS

THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2012

Senator spends night in the pen

By Ben Plotzker Cynic Correspondent

ALEX EDELMAN The Vermont Cynic

Medical Student Iwan Nyotowidjojo speaks at the Student Research Conference held in the Davis Center April 19. The conference presented undergraduate, graduate, and medical student research and results.

STUDENT RESEARCH 364 students display their projects ...continued from page 1 “I transferred [to UVM] because I wanted to get involved with research, and I’m positive I want to go into a career of research,” he said. “It’s one of the most satisfying things you can do.”

“I loved it; it’s really exciting to be in the field. It’s an experience that everyone should have.”

Loren Teetelli Senior

Senior Loren Teetelli’s research led her to the Sinsicap Valley of Peru in 2011, where she and another student mapped about 20 percent of the Cerro Huancha ruins.

The site is estimated to have been around since 2,000 B.C., and her research partner is currently attempting to prove that the ruins once belonged to the Incans, Teetelli said.

“I loved it; it’s really exciting to be in the field,” she said.

“It’s an experience that everyone should have.”

The conference was primarily coordinated between the Office of the Vice President for Research and the Honors College, but Rizvi said a multitude of organizations aided in setting it up, including the Center for Teaching and Learning, the Graduate Student

Senate, the Jeffords Center and the McNair Scholars Program.

“In other words, many different groups and individuals coordinate the work of the conference, showing how broadbased the support is for student research and creative activity at UVM,” Rizvi said.

The greatest reward of student research is the student’s ability to collaborate with professors and explore his or her academic interests to find out what he or she may want to pursue, he said.

“There are also ancillary benefits,” Rizvi said. “Grad schools and employees will be impressed by your ability to carry out longterm projects.”

For some Vermonters, one nuclear power plant has overstayed its welcome.

Entergy’s Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant’s extended stay stirred up outrage March 22 when more than 1,000 activists marched through Brattleboro protesting Vermont’s only nuclear reactor.

Approximately 130 people were arrested after peacefully trespassing on Entergy’s headquarters.

Sen. Philip Baruth was one of those on the front lines arrested at the protest.

“The state of Vermont does not receive any energy from Vermont Yankee [anymore],” Baruth said. “We bear 100 percent of the safety risks associated with nuclear radiation and decommissioning the plant over the next 80 years.”

Residents of southern Vermont do not want a reactor in their area producing energy with a questionable history of accidents, among those a possible radiation leakage into the Connecticut River Watershed, he said.

Baruth said he wants to make sure residents all over the state are involved in the process of shutting down the nuclear reactor, because it has the potential to detrimentally effect the entire community.

“Citizens in the blast zone are given pills to prevent thyroid cancer in a chance of a meltdown,” he said. “Every year, people within a 30 mile radius of the reactor are updated with evacuation routes.”

Baruth has been involved in Vermont Yankee’s decommissioning since 2006 when he launched his blog, Vermont Daily Briefing. The senator also worked for Vermont Public Radio, where he started to hear about south-

ern Vermont’s concern for their safety and health complications.

“Concerns of readers become your concerns,” the senator said about his blog.

“The protests were successful in showing Entergy how the public feels.”

Deb Katz

Founder of Citizens Awareness Network

Deb Katz, another protester and founder of Citizens Awareness Network, worked to make sure the event went smoothly for all participants and expressed her feelings about the situation.

“The protests were successful in showing Entergy how the public feels,” Katz said in a phone interview. “Potentially 150,000 people were represented in that action. Then there were people who were arrested, making it clear that they have support for their elected officials.”

Although the number of people protesting Vermont Yankee far outnumbered the supporters, those in favor of keeping the nuclear power plant held up signs that said, “VT-4-VY.” “Entergy Nuclear is a business unit of Entergy Corporation that employs approximately 6,000 highly skilled and dedicated professionals,” Entergy’s website stated. “As a community partner, we are invested in the economic success of the towns, schools and families we support in eight states.”

Organized protests occurred at Entergy’s other offices around the United States the same day of the Vermont protest, a Huffington Post article stated.

Reducing air pollution backfires

By Lauren Drasler Staff Writer

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Burlington’s plan to decrease greenhouse gas emissions appears to have missed the mark.

Burlington’s emissions rose by seven percent from 2007 to 2010, despite the 2008 goal to reduce emissions by 20 percent by the year 2020, an article in VT Digger stated.

“There’s a lot that can be done to decrease greenhouse gas emissions in Burlington,” environmental journalism professor Josh Brown said. “We need more serious incentives to use alternative and public transportation, increase the push on building efficiency, push solar PV and hot water and many, many other things.”

Though greenhouse gas emissions have recently been on the rise in Burlington, the city’s Climate Action Plan illustrates ways to promote alternative energy use to lower emissions in the future, according to the Town of Burlington website.

The plan includes implementing solar panels on schools, replacing existing streetlights with LEDs and reducing the total number of miles that the community travels by car.

WALKER SULTZBACH The Vermont Cynic

Environmental journalism professor Josh Brown poses outside of his office on South Williams Street April 24.

Some students said the Climate Action Plan has failed to complete its goal because the rising emission levels do not coincide with the belief that Burlington is a city full of “clean air.”

“I feel like Vermonters take special interest in having a clean environment,” sophomore Melanie Molewski said. “But the rising emissions show that even though

we’re making a huge effort, there’s still something we’re not addressing.”

Burlington could improve by finding alternative methods of transportation, Molewski said “It’s unfortunate that so many cars are being used because there are greater benefits for people to switch to alternative methods of transport like biking,” she said.

N EWS

THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2012

3

Loud nights, civil rights, uncivil fights Noise violations lead to parents’ concern about student liberties

By Keegan Fairfield Senior Staff Writer When juniors Evan McDaniel and Mackey Landy received a noise ordinance in the mail they weren’t expecting, they called Burlington police to resolve what they thought was a mistake.

While the noise violation did not take place in their apartment, an officer told them they still had to pay the fine.

Three parents sent an email to University officials Feb. 20 seeking support for student rights after receiving the noise violation — however, they did not get the response they were looking for.

“Our concern is that the University is more concerned with community relations than protecting the civil rights of its students,” one parent email stated.

The Burlington police told the students that the officer had the legal authority to cite all of the students, despite not having any involvement with the party, McDaniel said.

The next morning, the student’s father was assured by UVM officials that someone from the University would be calling the Burlington Police Department to ensure his daughter’s safety for the remainder of the semester, he said.

Burlington police ultimately addressed the issue quickly and sufficiently, the email stated.

After months of waiting without action from the University, the parents drafted the three-

page email because they believed their children’s civil rights were being violated and wanted the University to protect its students.

“We encourage you both to examine the treatment that your students are receiving in the city of Burlington, and that the University administration forcefully protect the civil liberties of its students,” the letter concluded.

The University’s Response President John Bramley stated in an email to the parents Feb. 21 that this was an issue to be taken up with the city, not the University.

“The University is concerned about the safety and well-being of all of its students,” Bramley stated.

The University’s involvement in this issue isn’t appropriate because the ordinance is not central to the wellbeing of the University and does not just apply to students, stated Tom Gustafson, vice president of student life, in an email sent to UVM officials Dec. 9.

“The University only takes on legal challenges if the legislation or ordinance interferes with the operations and mission of the institution itself,” he stated.

The parents clarified their concerns and asked a number of direct questions to Bramley in two Feb. 25 emails.

The parents stated they

agree with University officials that the discussion of the noise violation should be taken up with city; however, they were seeking a discussion about the protection of students’ civil rights.

The other email suggested that as chief representative of the University, Bramley should have directly addressed the issue to support his students.

“Our concern is that you have, in your efforts to be a good neighbor, consciously or not, sacrificed the civil rights of your students,” the email stated.

Neither email ever received a response.

Bramley declined multiple requests from the Cynic for an interview regarding the topic for unspecified reasons.

The Town, UVM and the Problem Over the years, the University has grown in its presence downtown, both by holding students accountable for off-campus conduct and by taking measures to please city residents.

“The University has assigned significant resources, people and programs to our efforts to be a good neighbor,” Bramley said in a Feb. 7 Burlington Free Press article.

The partying and tension between students and residents are nothing new though,

Police Patrols The parents mentioned the University’s decision to fund downtown police patrols as just another example of UVM’s attempt to please the town, in an email directed to Bramley. “[It] gives the appearance that the University, and you, in an effort to ‘be a good neighbor’ have chosen the city of Burlington over your students,” the letter stated.

Bramley cited politics as the driving factor behind the decision.

“I don’t think they’ll work,” he said of the patrols.

“But there’s enormous political pressure on UVM to do something.”

The decision was also condemned in a Feb. 21 SGA resolution because it was made without student input.

The additional patrols are primarily funded by undergraduate student tuition and therefore, they are an ineffective use of student funds, the resolution stated. said Ed Adrian, a Burlington City Council member and a 1992 UVM alumnus.

“We want to live amongst students, but the balance has tipped too far in the other direction,” Adrian said. “And when you move past that balance, then the neighborhood starts to fall apart.”

Since 2002, UVM’s enrollment has grown by 3,400 students — an increase of 42 percent — while on-campus housing has stayed the same, according to the University.

“That’s massive,” Adrian said.

“Without building housing to support that, of course you’re going to have problems in the community.”

Creating a dry campus also pushed students to “go where you’re not being dealt with by the University,” he said.

The Noise Paul Volk, a local criminal defense attorney and counsel to Student Legal Services, said Burlington noise ordinances are “highly suspect,” and confirmed the parents’ hunches that there are unconstitutional applications “hidden” in them.

“The city, from my perspective, has dramatically overstepped its bounds when it attempts to state that any discernable noise after 10 p.m. is

deemed to be unreasonable,” Volk said.

Noise ordinances are frequently used as an excuse to gain access to other things, such as gaining entry into the apartment he said.

“We’ve cultured you to think that exercising your civil rights is an indication of guilt or offenses,” he said. “There’s some wisdom in silence, I’ll tell you that.”

Lt. Bruce Bovat of the Burlington Police Department said as far as noise ordinances go, the police do not create the laws – they just enforce them.

“It’s easy to lash out at a police department, but really they should take it up with lawmakers,” Bovat said.

The Next Step Although the parents may not be satisfied, the issue they brought up has gotten a conversation started.

Administrative officials, Burlington police, SGA and city leadership will meet May 3 to foster more positive relations between the city and the University.

“Unless the University steps up and starts dealing with the problems, there’s going to be severe impacts to the neighborhoods and to the city and to the quality of life for the students that attend the University,” Adrian said.

4

NEWS

THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2012

BRAMLEY UVM president departs, reflects on his year in office ...continued from page 1

ALEXA ALGIOS The Vermont Cynic

Former SGA President Julian Golfarini speaks in his office March 26. Golfarini was part of the first ever National Leadership Council.

Ex-SGA president visits Capitol Hill

Golfarini attends conference

By Taylor Jones Staff Writer Former SGA President Julian Golfarini enjoyed taking a peek inside the White House when he participated in the first ever National Campus Leadership Council April 14-15.

The conference brought together a large number of student body presidents from across the nation, Golfarini said. Through this event, the Capitol hopes to create a connection to students at colleges and universities, and gather feedback on varying issues.

“If [the president of the United States] has an idea and needs student opinion on it, he would be able to then send it to us and we could ask all of our students,” Golfarini said. “I think that’s a very cool aspect of the group.”

A wide range of issues was covered at the event, from university topics to larger national

PROTESTS

issues, Golfarini said.

“We discussed a variety of topics — job creation, voter registration, sustainability, making social change, social entrepreneurship and also the best practices that we do at our universities,” he said.

The conference was a successful way to use other student leaders to bounce around ideas for their schools, Golfarini said “The banning of bottled water is something a lot of the other presidents asked me about, and I was able to give them tips and suggestions,” Golfarini said.

“When we are trying something new, we can use this group as a sounding board for tips on how to get it done or even better alternatives.”

While the leadership conference is set to be annual, Golfarini said he has no information on a summit next year.

Admitted students surprised

...continued from page 1 every point of entry.

Bramley beat the students to their punch line by informing the crowd about the controversy surrounding Ruprecht and letting them know that they would encounter the students as they left.

“You guys are fine outside, and President Bramley said it is noble what you are doing,” an admissions officer said to the students who congregated at the steps of the chapel.

A mother, who had stepped outside for a cigarette, engaged with the students in friendly discussion as they waited for the assembly to conclude.

“They just warned us about you,” she said. “At UVM, they are afraid of you? In my state — the state of Bernie Sanders?”

Bramley addressed the students directly as he left the assembly.

“People were scared last time,” he told them. “Don’t scare them — no one looks scary though. You all look good.”

As prospective students and their parents trickled out of the chapel, the students clutched their homemade posters denouncing Ruprecht, and initiated a “mic check” that was out of sync and failed to capture the attention of many of the visitors.

Bramley still held the students’ resolve in high esteem.

“I’m actually proud of seeing that because free speech is what our country is built on and what a university needs to be built on,” he said. “And sometimes it’s irritating and uncomfortable, but at the same time that’s who we are.”

The students are not associated with any official organization, and instead said their common interests prompted them to band together.

included the implementation of online course evaluations, a new food systems minor that is part of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and the decisions made about the Coke contract and bottled water, he said.

Pointing to UVM’s elevated position on ranking lists published by the U.S. News & World Report, the Huffington Post and Unigo this year, Bramley said he thought UVM had gotten better with external measurements.

“I said this to the admitted students and their families this morning – the best students at UVM are among the best in the world,” he said. “After attending a few music recitals and the Student Research Conference, I was reminded how 99 percent of our students are great and fabulous.”

Yet Bramley’s time as president has not been free of controversy, particularly when he sent a memo to the UVM community in November that stated the administration’s plans to cancel the time-honored Naked Bike Ride.

“I was between a rock and a hard place,” he said. “When people come to me and say, ‘We’ve got a problem, we shouldn’t be sponsoring this event,’ I don’t think I have a lot of choice.”

Bramley said he is a believer in personal freedom, but that the nature of the ride had taken a dangerous turn — the event was canceled due to incidents of sexual assault and alcohol related injuries that had happened in recent years.

“From a personal perspective, I couldn’t care less, but I don’t want our students getting harmed,” he said.

Former SGA president and senior Julian Golfarini said he had appreciated Bramley’s honesty dealing with the issue, and said that it was clear the interim president felt conflicted.

Crime log

By Lauren Drasler Staff Writer

April 18 6:11 p.m.

A student reported that his or her bike was stolen outside the United Healthcare Campus. The bike was recovered two days later on Church Street.

April 19 4:52 p.m.

A student reported seeing a suspicious person outside the Ira Allen Chapel. The person was said to be tampering with an outdoor outlet on the north side patio outside the building. Upon arrival, UVM police did not find anyone matching the description the student gave, and the outlet did not appear to be damaged.

“I think it was a very tough decision for him and he really did struggle with it, always letting me know how he felt about the different aspects of the event,” Golfarini said.

Golfarini, who also ceded his SGA presidency this month, said Bramley surpassed his expectations and took an active role in the UVM administration.

“My time here has reminded me how much I missed the University; it’s been a very enjoyable experience.”

John Bramley UVM president “He’s not comfortable maintaining the norm; he’s always pushing for improvements,” he said. “It’s tough being the president, but I think John was really impressive and did a good job keeping in touch with the SGA. “This is especially true when you think about the fact that he basically came out of retirement for the job and helped UVM when it was in need,” Golfarini said.

As Bramley passes the torch to Dr. Tom Sullivan next year, he said he hopes the new president will focus on ways to redesign and enrich the undergraduate experience.

“We’ve got to recognize that a lot of things that change students lives don’t occur in the classroom; they occur outside in areas of research, study abroad, internships, service learning, et cetera,” he said.

Bramley suggested the University should rely less on courses and do more to provide opportunities to learn experientially.

The president also expressed his hope that UVM would come to grips with the cost/affordability issue, which is a major concern for many students.

As for Sullivan’s appointment, Bramley said he had every confidence and felt the new president was “student focused.”

“There will be a lot keeping Dr. Sullivan busy,” Bramley said. “We’ve got to keep talking and listening to each other in a civilized manner to make positive changes.”

Board of Trustees Chairman Robert Cioffi said Bramley had been instrumental this year in maintaining good relationships with state and federal delegations, balancing the budget, fundraising and helping prepare Sullivan.

“John’s generosity and ability to work well with others has facilitated a smooth transition into next year,” he said.

When he finally enjoys his long-awaited retirement, Bramley said that he plans to attend his father-in-law’s 90th birthday celebration in England before coming back to UVM next year to work in academia.

Bramley also said he is considering the completion of a history of UVM that stopped publication in 1991, the same year he first worked at the University.

“I’m half thinking about interviewing all presidents from that time on to get their perspective on what they would have done differently, what worked well,” he said.

It is clear that Bramley is looking forward to living without the stress of his current position, but even in retirement, he is unable to stay away from UVM completely — nor does he want to.

“I’ll be keeping an office on campus, trying to keep out of people’s way,” he said, laughing.

“But the door is always open.”

April 20 2:25 a.m.

April 21 1:51 a.m.

April 20 6:48 p.m.

Student Detoxes

A man who is not a student and who appeared to be in his forties was seen standing outside the Christie Wright Patterson complex asking passersby if the doors to the complex were always locked at night. The reported individual was not found when officers arrived.

Cleaning staff reported vandalism to one of the conference rooms in Wright Hall.

They said the room smelled of marijuana and lights were broken inside. No one has been identified as responsible for the damage.

April 20 11:33 p.m.

Two students waiting at the Wing Davis Wilks bus stop were reported to the Center for Student Ethics and Standards for having a marijuana pipe. On a nightly patrol, an officer saw the two students smoking and went over to investigate. There was no marijuana left, but the pipe was taken from the students.

A person who is not a student was criminally charged for giving an officer false identification at the Waterman building. The individual was also charged with the possession of six grams of marijuana and was sent to ACT1 for detox due to alcohol intoxication.

In

2011:

76 79 40 .21% 3

males were detoxed.

females were detoxed. students had a BAC of or above.

students were sent to detox twice.

In

2010,

2 3

were sent to detox each.

males times

N EWS

THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2012

5

The expert, dealer and cop weigh in on the University’s drug culture

By Becky Hayes News Editor

The Expert: Though violations skyrocketed and campus culture created a drug accepting environment, a large number of students are not even attempting to get high off one of the most popular drugs on campus: marijuana.

Drug law violations increased by 186 percent in the past 17 years, yet experts say the number of students participating in drug culture on campus has stayed relatively the same.

“The amount of people that smoke marijuana is not increasing on UVM’s campus,” said Diana Gonzalez, alcohol and other drug educator.

Police services have been making more consistent efforts to address and respond to policy violations since 2009, she said.

According to UVM Police Services: • There has been a 56 percent increase in the past 10 years in drug law violations (2001 to 2011).

• 119 violations were distributed in 1994 compared with the 340 citations handed out in fiscal year 2011.

• 61 more citations were issued from UVM police for drug violations than liquor law violations in 2010.

Officer Skyler Genest said the increase is partially due to police services directing more of their focus on the problem. Officers have also observed a campus culture that is less concerned with the negative effects of getting caught with illegal drugs.

Drug culture on campus has become more visible even though the number of students doing drugs has not, Gonzalez said.

“Our self-reported information says that 70 percent of UVM students have not smoked in the past two weeks,” she said.

TYLER MOGK The Vermont Cynic

Students sit and smoke on the Redstone Green April 20. Drug violations have increased in recent years, according to UVM Police Services.

Gonzalez said students be- student stated. “Life is too short lieve there are no consequences to waste my time high.”

Other students said they only for their behavior and that drug use is the socially accepted thing participated in smoking socially, when others were around, or if to do.

These two things make the they had been drinking.

“When people smoke maridrug culture seem like it has a bigger presence than it actually juana, they drink more,” Gonzalez said. “It’s true nationally and does, she said.

When one or two people at the university level.”

Gonzalez also expressed her smoke pot on the green, for instance, and 50 people can smell concern that students involved it, they then come to the conclu- in drug culture on campus are sion that “everyone is doing it,” unaware that their actions have consequences.

Gonzalez said.

“I am always surprised that In an anonymous survey conducted by the Cynic, 37 percent people don’t know that smoking of the students who participated said they have never smoked marijuana, and only 21 percent said they smoke “often.”

A number of anonymous student responses stated that they had at least tried smoking, but grew out of the habit as they entered their junior and senior years.

There has been a 56 percent increase “I used to in the past 10 years in drug law smoke in high violations (2001 to 2011). school, but I don’t anymore 119 violations were distributed in – ever,” one 1994 compared with the 340 citations anonymous handed out in fiscal year 2011.

61 more citations were issued from UVM police for drug violations than liquor law violations in 2010.

UVM IJUANA FACTS MAR

Source: UVM Police Services

marijuana … can lead to losing your federal financial aid.”

In an April 12 email sent to students who have financial aid, UVM Financial Services stated that a federal or state drug conviction may disqualify a student from receiving federal financial aid.

“Please don’t risk your health and financial aid eligibility by possessing, using or selling illegal drugs,” the email stated.

The Dealer: With drug culture becoming more casual on campus, the stereotypical, found-in-a-dark-alleyway drug dealer is not exactly the norm.

Sitting comfortably in the crowded Davis Center mid-afternoon, one sophomore student said the only thing that makes her nervous about dealing marijuana is texts or phone calls about it.

“It’s kind of silly [to text about it],” she said. “It incriminates you both. I get really nervous — people can tap phone lines.”

Yet, the student said what she does is really simple: dealing an ounce of marijuana a week and splitting the $100 profit with her roommate.

“It’s the easiest moneymaking scheme,” she said. “It’s no wonder the government doesn’t want us selling drugs; we are making all the money.” it dollars: “Fifty helps,” she said. “You can go, ‘Ok, now I have money for groceries.’”

The sophomore student sells mostly to friends and friends of friends in a low-key environment she deems “not a big deal.”

The student said she has been thinking lately that drug dealing is not worth the risk because it makes her nervous, but said she would finish out the semester.

There are a few dealers left in her dorm, but most quit because they felt they weren’t making enough money, she said.

The Cop: Officer Skyler Genest of UVM Police Services is a drug recognition expert who has dealt with students smoking on campus for the past seven years.

Marijuana is statistically the No. 1 drug UVM police deal with other than alcohol and absolutely is a problem, Genest said.

“It isn’t an exaggeration to say I’ve confiscated over 500 bongs,” he said.

Genest said he has taken bongs in many shapes and sizes.

Memorable ones include a bong shaped like Yoda and another three-foot-tall one, costing up to $700.

On a typical Friday or Saturday night, he and other officers drive and walk throughout campus on the lookout for events that could be dangerous for students.

Genest said he has been around long enough to know the general “hot spots” where students go to smoke on campus.

Police tend to “keep an eye on” the amphitheater, pine grove on Redstone campus and other similar locations, he said.

When busting a party April 6 with 34 people in a suite-style dorm room, Genest was obliged to do a drug search when he found a bong sitting on the table.

Although he did not uncover any marijuana, Genest did confiscate two bongs, a water pipe and a marijuana vaporizer.

After years on the job, Genest said he is now able to classify the people he comes across as certain types of drug users.

In this case, Genest guessed the student was a social drug user because he used party implements such as a bong in the shape of a gas mask, which both Genest and the student dubbed “a conversation starter.”

The most common way to find drug dealers is to happen upon them, Genest said. However, officers also get intel on students doing drugs when bigger task forces like the DEA become involved.

If officers happen upon a drug dealer on campus, it is often a student selling smaller amounts of marijuana or other drugs.

“We mollify the sentence if they are willing to give information as to where they got the drugs,” he said.

Genest said he believes marijuana is a “gateway drug” after he interviewed individuals on drug charges and almost all of the convicts said they had started out smoking marijuana.

“I hate to be cliché and catchphrase, but there’s some truth in it,” he said.

6

LIFE

THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2012

Savage: ‘It will get better’

HEALTH AND WELLNESS CORNER

Challenge yourself:

Columnist lends support to LGBT community

By Johnny Sudekum Cynic Correspondent The Ira Allen Chapel filled with members of the Burlington community eager to see columnist and author Dan Savage speak about the “It Gets Better Project” April 19.

The “It Gets Better Project” began in September of 2010 when Savage and his partner, Terry Miller, made a 15 minute video in their living room explaining the emotional and social distress they faced from “coming out.”

Savage said they made a video to ignite hope in young people who have faced bullying or harassment because of their sexuality.

Savage explained that one of the larger issues “It Gets Better” tries to combat is a lack of understanding of homosexuality among families, and the fact that sexuality is avoided in conversation.

“Kids grow up feeling like they are the only gay person in the world,” Savage said.

Less than five days after Savage and Miller uploaded their video to YouTube, more than 600 videos were added to their channel by people also

explaining their experiences with “coming out.”

“Hundreds of kids said the ‘It Gets Better’ videos gave them hope and support, as well as the ability to reach out,” Savage said.

Now that more than 30,000 videos have been made by adults and teenagers telling their stories, Savage believes that the necessary steps are being made to end bullying and harassment. However, there is still more to be done.

“We are going to have to change culture,” Savage said. “‘It Gets Better’ can end bullying.”

He gave examples of students who faced harassment from their peers on a daily basis and could not escape being outcasts in their own houses, as their parents offered no support or understanding.

Savage told stories of kids who have “come out” to their parents and had their home and college funds taken away unless they agreed to see “conversion therapists.”

“One day [parents] will apologize to [their] children for how they treated them,” he said.

By creating this project

that tells these stories, Savage explained that he is giving a voice to everyone in the LGBT community.

First-year student Rebecca Dallas described Savage as inspiring, uplifting and optimistic.

“I think this [program] is already affecting UVM,” she said. “Things are very open here and when a person walks around campus they never hear people use the word ‘gay’ in a negative connotation.”

“We are breaking the barrier of silence and ignorance,” Dallas said. “This is the biggest step that could have been taken.”

Graduate Emily Ryan described the power that the Internet can have, as has been seen with “It Gets Better.”

“It’s really nice to have something to send kids to, especially since they are so techsavvy these days,” Ryan said.

Savage concluded his speech explaining that support is the best tool that a person can have.

“There are fucking thousands of [homosexuals] and there is nothing anyone can do about it,” he said.

PLAY SPORTS! HAVE FUN! SAVE MONEY! Maine camp needs fun loving counselors to teach.All land, adventure, & water sports.

Great Summer!

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Learning Cooperative at www.uvm.edu/learnco.

JUDE PAUL DIZON

Boosting the brain As we approach final exams, it is important to enter this last part of the semester intellectually well. Here are some helpful tips to up your cranium capacity.

Study smarter, not harder: • Consider studying for two hours at a time to cash in on your brain’s optimal level of concentration and processing. Break two hours down further and study for 25-minute chunks with a 5-minute break in between.

• Begin reviewing five days before exams and study accordingly.

• If you have to learn and recall information in a way you’re not used to, find techniques that work for you. For more study tips and the chance to receive individualized study skills tutoring, visit the UVM

• The best learning can happen when you step into the unknown. Intellectual wellness is all about being open to new ideas, learning new skills and making use of creative outlets to exercise your mental prowess.

• Try Sudoku, pick up a Rubik’s cube for some mental exercises or read that book for your class you’ve been meaning to get to. I’ve been hooked on this new game that’s pretty much like Pictionary. It has been a great way for me to challenge myself in visually demonstrating what I know.

Feed your brain: • In order for you and your brain to be at your best, you have to power up with nutritious food.

• Breakfast is a key meal to setting yourself up for success. Toast with smoked salmon would be a good choice, since fish contains Omega-3 fatty acids which aid in cognitive processes.

An omelet with broccoli is also a good choice because broccoli contains a high amount of potassium, which is good for the nervous system and optimal brain performance.

For more information on how you can keep yourself intellectually healthy, visit www.uvm.edu/health.

Recycling facility cleans up rumors

By Melina Tej Chaouch Cynic Staff Writer Rumors sometimes circulate among students that despite their placement of recyclables in the assigned bins, they are not actually reused.

On April 20, students who took a tour of the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Williston, Vt. got the chance to see where their recycling goes.

MRF has been a single stream recycling facility since 2003, which means that all different types of recyclables go into the same bin and are then sorted at MRF, according to waste reduction coordinator Michelle Morris.

“Just because it has a number on it, does not mean it’s recyclable here,” she said. “The number just represents what kind of plastic it was made of, not that it was made to be recycled.”

MRF has workers whose job is to weed out items that do not belong at the facility, which includes anything that may have food residue on it.

If an item is made of paper that is used to store things in a fridge, the rule of thumb is to consider it trash, Morris said.

The wax that is used to coat the paper contaminates the fibers of the paper, so it is no longer recyclable.

“If one of those paper packages makes it to this facility, it

gets sorted out automatically and sent to the landfill,” she said. “So you just used extra energy and it ended up in the landfill anyways.”

Morris explained that it is important to remember the three Rs in order from greatest importance to least: reduce, reuse and recycle. Recycling is last on the list because it uses the most energy and is the most expensive option, she said.

In light of this, some students seem determined to continue recycling.

“Obviously, it’s important to keep recycling,” sophomore Anna Lidofsky said. “But, I think that if these issues exist, they should be better publicized.”

Lidofsky said there need to be clearer guidelines on what can and cannot be recycled.

She also suggested that the plant needs to find a better way to deal with food residue.

Another sophomore, Jake Orr, said that he tries to recycle but doesn’t go out of his way to do so.

“I just don’t feel like my personal contributions to recycling or not recycling make much of a difference in the world,” Orr said. “I recycle sometimes, but I’m just no good at it.”

To learn more about what is recyclable, visit www.uvm. edu/~recycle.

LI F E

THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2012

GMO label bill passes

SARAH ALEXANDER

ALEXA ALGIOS The Vermont Cynic

Junior Bridget Hilton samples food at Battle of the Campus Chefs event in the Grand Maple Ballroom April 16. The event was a collaboration between Sodexo Food Services and Kampus Kitchen.

Kitchen fires up, chefs battle to win top prize

Student groups join with campus cooks

By Erin Focone Cynic Staff Writer April 16 the Battle of the Campus Chefs event started off with a bang as student groups and chefs paired up to compete for the title of “UVM Top Chef.”

The teams presented an appetizer, entrée or dessert to the panel of judges and audience.

Their dishes were judged on the use of local food, creativity, presentation and difficulty.

“It is such a great program. It is really neat to see this event happening and the wonderful turnout.”

John Brandes Executive Chef

The event was a collaboration between UVM’s Sodexo Food Services and the student club Kampus Kitchen.

Senior Laura Galiher, partnership coordinator for Kampus Kitchen, was pleased with the event.

“This is our biggest fundraiser of the year,” Galiher said. “It helps us a lot with donations for the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf and helps sustain our club.”

This is the fifth year Battle of the Campus Chefs has taken place, according to executive chef John Brandes, who organized the event. “[Battle of the Campus Chefs] is such a great program,” Brandes said. “It is really neat to see this event happening and the wonderful turnout.”

He did make some changes this year, including adding the people’s choice award for fa-

ALEXA ALGIOS The Vermont Cynic

SASS member Patrick Flaherty serves food at the Battle of the Campus Chefs event in the Grand Maple Ballroom April 16. vorite dish and the inclusion of an a cappella group, UVM’s Zest, for entertainment while the crowd tasted the dishes.

The student teams seemed to be excited about the challenge.

“We are really excited we came — we got paired with an awesome chef,” junior Becca Hopkins, a member of the pep band said. “As the pep band, we really like helping out and wanted to be a part of this in any way that we can.”

The crowd favorite went to the Harris/Millis chefs paired with the pep band. The first place prize went to the Brennan’s chefs paired with the

SlowFood club, who were named “UVM Top Chefs.”

The Brennan’s chefs prepared pulled pork hush puppies with bacon-braised collard greens, and were excited about their win.

“First place is huge — we have come in second two years in a row, but it’s not all about winning,” head chef at Brennan’s Jonathan Turner said.

“It is nice to showcase something different that doesn’t always hit the menus.”

To learn more about Kampus Kitchens, go to http:// www.uvmbored.com/club/ campus-kitchen-project.

In my last column, I encouraged readers to take a stand at the Statehouse in Montpelier April 12 for the public hearing regarding H.722, Vermont’s Right to Know GMO Food Labeling bill.

The public hearing proved incredibly fruitful.

Hundreds of Vermonters from all four corners of our tiny state gathered to rally and publicly testify in support of the bill, which requires labeling of all Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) products sold in the state.

So many people packed the Statehouse that the House Agriculture Committee had to move the hearing from a smaller room onto the Statehouse floor to accommodate everyone who wished to testify.

One hundred and twelve citizens testified before the committee, each one of speaking in absolute favor of the proposed bill.

As someone who heard

7

Food column every testimony, it was truly inspiring to witness the inherent passion and truth in Vermonters’ voices. They spoke of the right to know what is in our food, and the protection of the Green Mountain State’s rich agricultural history and presence.

The House Agriculture Committee voted 9-1 in favor of H.722 April 20. Since the public hearing, the committee has been adjusting the bill to make sure that it addressed the many reasons why people have the simple right to know what they are eating.

Unfortunately, before passing the bill, the committee added a “trigger clause” that doesn’t allow the bill to go into effect until 365 days after a similar bill is passed

by California, as well as two states in the Northeast. This puts the bill in a limbo phase and doesn’t make Vermont nearly as bold and badass.

The bill will now move to the House Judiciary Committee, where it will be reviewed prior to reaching the floor.

It is not likely that the Judiciary Committee will have time to consider the bill, however, as the legislative session ends in less than two weeks.

This is also a bit unfortunate, but we have to choose our battles and count our victories.

Vermont is the first state to combat this issue and pass a bill that mandates the labeling of GMOs, and that is worth celebrating.

8

ARTS

THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2012

MATTHEW KUPERMAN The Vermont Cynic

Sophomore Jake Mayers, the drummer of Vermont funk, world, jazz and reggae band ONEoverZERO, poses in front of the Living/Learning Center mural April 16.

Band combines genres for unique sound

By Jess Schwartz Senior Staff Writer

Vermont band ONEoverZERO is a “musical melting pot,” according to their Facebook page.

The eight band members combine funk, hip-hop, world, jazz and reggae music to create their unique sound. The Cynic had the chance to talk to ONEoverZero drummer and UVM sophomore Jake Mayers.

The Vermont Cynic: So the eight of you all seem to be at different ages and points of your lives. How exactly did you meet?

Was it the music that brought you together or had you all already known each other?

Jake Mayers: I have been playing drums since I was nine, and music has always been a huge part of my life. Last year, however, living in the dorms, I was pretty much deprived of drums and decided to put an ad on craigslist looking for people to play with.

Eventually, Dan Murphy contacted me and told me his band had recently lost their drummer and wanted me to come jam at his house in Waterbury. Finally, in May of last year, I was able to make it there to jam with [the band], and ev-

erything immediately clicked.

From there on out the music has had a life of its own and continues to draw us together.

ONEoverZERO consists of a very interesting collection of people with very diverse musical and personal backgrounds. It would have been nearly impossible to sit down and think of a combination of people like this, but fortunately we all somehow crossed paths and united.

Cynic: On your Facebook page, your band is described as a “melting pot.” Does each of you get a chance to solo your personal genre or is it always a mix of them all?

JM: Once a sound, idea or vibe is introduced to the band, it becomes the collective property of all of us, and takes on the personality of the whole rather than the individual. In some songs, like “Sally,” you will find four or five genres interwoven in one song.

So rather than each individual style existing in isolation, they seem to blend together to create one feel-good vibe.

Cynic: What types of venues have you played at?

JM: In our first few months we’ve been fortunate enough to headline events at Nectar’s, Metronome, Higher Ground and the Vermont Statehouse

main room. I guess you could say that we’ve been thrown right into the fire.

Our summer plans include playing more outdoor events and festivals now that the weather is nice, and we are hoping to put together a college tour next fall. The response from students all over has been very enthusiastic — maybe because young people are more open to new, original music.

“The response from students all over has been very enthusiastic – maybe because young people are more open to new, original music.”

Jake Mayers ONEoverZERO drummer Cynic: What are some of the band’s influences?

JM: Everyone seems to be influenced by good funky music

that makes you want to get up and dance. Our singer/songwriter Modou [Ndione] is heavily inspired by his Senegalese roots and the music he grew up playing there. [Murphy] is inspired by lots of reggae, as well as many other genres, and his brother Matt [Murphy] is influenced by hip-hop and adds tasteful raps over our tunes. Our newest member, Chris Heres, – also a sophomore at UVM – is influenced a lot by the lead guitarist of Umphry’s Mcgee and is always adding super creative, carefully placed nuggets of sound.

Personally, I grew up in a very musical family and had the opportunity to play with a wide variety of people. I love funk, especially the Meters, the Neville Brothers and Galactic.

Everybody seems to have their own very unique and individual influences, but what influences us the most is each other and the experiences we’ve had.

Cynic: What crowd would you say that you are trying to draw in?

JM: Our songs appeal to anyone. Some songs have a strong political message and emphasize peace, freedom and unity. All of them are easy to jam to and get up and dance to.

College kids like to have a lot of fun. They like to dance and have a good time, and they are also more open to new and upand-coming music, so we try to target that audience as well.

Cynic: Where do you see the band in a year or so?

JM: Ideally we’ll have a fulllength album released and will be playing all the time. We hope to have more shows and opportunities for anyone and everyone to hear us play. We want our music to reach a wide range of people all around the world.

Cynic: Are there any upcoming shows?

JM: We haven’t been booking very many shows recently in order to give ourselves enough time to make our album. We do have a handful of potential gigs this summer, including a show on July 4 and a music festival in June, but we’re still solidifying our summer plans. As I mentioned before, we plan on putting together a college tour.

Also, rumor has it that there may be a party at the band’s house in Waterbury sometime in the next couple of weeks.

Make sure to go onto our Facebook page and give us a like to find out more about the band, listen to our songs and get the most up-to-date information about our upcoming shows.

UVM professor Eric Lindstrom speaks about Austen’s novel ‘Sandition’

By Theodora Ziolkowski Senior Staff Writer Soft chamber music, peppermint bonbons, cucumber sandwiches and steaming cups of English breakfast tea were used to transport a community of Jane Austen fans to rural 19th century England.

The Hauke Conference Center at Champlain College held an event for the Vermont chapter of the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) April 15.

“Janeites,” or declared Austen enthusiasts, gathered to celebrate a shared admiration for a beloved writer.

The sunny afternoon event began with students and JASNA members filling up their plates and mugs, and standing in tea-drinking circles to speak with fellow Austen enthusiasts.

Others milled about the tables of Austen memorabilia items for sale, which included calendars, paper dolls, bookmarks and notecards.

Deb Barnum, JASNAVermont regional coordinator, introduced the event and UVM professor Eric Lindstrom, event speaker.

Lindstrom’s talk, “How to Love Sanditon,” revolved around Austen’s last and unfinished novel, “Sanditon.”

Editor R. W. Chapman first published the 11-chapter manuscript in 1925, more than a century after Austen’s death in 1817.

He began his talk with Austen related interviews and pictures. Among them was a watercolor of Austen painted by her sister, Cassandra, in which Austen is seen only from the back.

“The history and mystery of this faceless Jane contributes to the appeal of this visual representation of the novelist,” Lindstrom said.

For a novel boasting a brief 50 pages, “Sanditon” offers an unavoidable contrast to the marriage plot typically

found in Austen novels. The absence of this plot leaves room for readers to study Austen’s temperament, he said.

“In Sanditon, we find a more ironic vision — a book that might leave Austen readers cold,” Lindstrom said in his opening remarks.

“In the novel, two towns echo one another, a trait indicative of the changing English national character.”

The novel’s characters themselves are caricatures, and the thematic obsession with illness and the decaying body can be seen as contributing to what Lindstrom depicted as the “menacing”

mood of the novel.

He described “Sanditon” as having an understanding beyond its limitations in England.

“Even the name ‘Sanditon’ wsuggests an ‘un-foundational’ place,” Lindstrom said.

Austen, he pointed out, is discreet in the novel: she had to pretend the world was better than it was at the time.

The JASNA branch of Vermont hosts many events throughout the year, including talks and an annual birthday tea in honor of Austen.

THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2012

ARTS

Springing in the rain

Springfest pleases student attendees

ARTS

calendar

By Molly Philbin Assisstant Arts Editor

Despite rainy weather, hundreds of people attended SpringFest 2012 April 21 on the Chittenden/Buckham/ Wills central green.

Soulive headlined the event with support from DJ Dillion Francis. Battle of the Bands winner Sloe Loris and SpringFest Remix Contest winner Andrew “DJ WholeZ” Holzberger opened the show.

Neon-clad and raindampened attendees filed through the festival’s gates at 1:30 p.m. to see Sloe Loris kick off the afternoon.

Guitarist and junior Mitch Manacek said the group’s original song “Sexy Panda” and their cover of Outkast’s “Roses” were crowd favorites.

“It was too bad that it was raining, but in true UVM style a lot of people still came out to dance in the rain and mud.”

Rachel Bennett UVM sophomore

“I had a great time,” Manacek said. “Everyone was very accommodating and it was awesome to play on a real stage.”

Senior Ellen Winston said Sloe Loris’ performance was her favorite.

“I had a super good time,” Winston said. “The rain was sort of a bummer, but everyone made the best of it and the music was still great —

2012 UVM Film Festival Davis Center, Livak Ballroom

‘American Reunion’ With the entire original cast of “American Pie” reunited, “American Reunion” depicts the hilarious, morally questionable and disaster prone weekend of the friends’ high school reunion 13 years later.

Jim and Michelle are now living the married life and provide a semi-

April 27

Cults

Higher Ground Ballroom ALEXA ALGIOS The Vermont Cynic

Students watch Soulive play at SpringFest on the CBW green, April 21. Despite rainy weather, hundreds of people attended. especially Sloe Loris; those guys are awesome.”

Following Sloe Loris, Whole-Z performed a 20-minute live set that included Bassnectar’s “Vava Voom,” Martin Solveig’s “The Night Out” and the theme song from the ’90s movie “Space Jam,” which is available for download on Whole-Z’s Facebook and SoundCloud pages.

The DJ said the rain worried him, but he was pleasantly surprised with the turnout.

“I was definitely worried with the weather involved, so I was impressed with all the people who came out to see me play,” Whole-Z said. “It was a great time overall.”

Dillon Francis began immediately after Whole-Z left the stage. By this time, the smaller group of about 100 people who came to see Sloe Loris and Whole-Z had grown to fill a large portion of the gated area.

As the weather worsened, the crowd thinned; a large portion of the festivalgoers left after Francis’ performance, forgoing headliner Soulive.

Appearing to be unaffected by the drop in attendance, Soulive closed out the after-

devastating peek into life after babies. Luckily, Jim’s dad is back to provide him with all the best advice and just as many inappropriate comments.

Oz, Kevin and Finch are dealing with their own problems as 30-something-year-olds, on top of running into each of their first loves on this weekend home — Stifler’s mom included.

Stifler is still the same cocky, vulgar party fiend he was in high school, but he is given his fair share of reality checks throughout the film. His greatest revelation comes in the form of discovering the existence of Finch’s mom.

Although all of the “American Pie” films are filled with embarrassing mishaps and wild antics, this film takes the cake for a truly unfortunate series of events. Some of the

Cat’s Meow Big Spring Thing

Davis Center, Fourth Floor

Saturday April 28

ALEXA ALGIOS The Vermont Cynic

Soulive guitarist Eric Krasno plays at Springfest April 21.

noon with high energy. They played a number of Beatles songs, including a 10-minute cover of Eleanor Rigby, which seemed to be a crowd favorite.

The UVM Concert Bureau’s Facebook page declared SpringFest 2012 a huge success despite the weather. Sophomore Rachel Bennett agreed.

“It was too bad that it was raining, but in true UVM style a lot of people still came out to dance in the rain and mud,” Bennett said. “I had a blast at SpringFest.”

Top Cats Senior Show Ira Allen Chapel

Pop Up! A Queer Dance Party Davis Center, Atrium

Sunday April 29

Film review

EMILY BARTON

Friday

antics seem to be a bit of a stretch, but then again, luck was never really on the side of these five boys.

This series of films has had about a dozen offshoots, and, this film included, goes to show that you can’t beat the original. The characters were just as funny, awkward and sex-starved as ever, but this time there are no YouTube videos to prove it.

True to the original, the storyline goes from shots, boobs and bad sex to a rather sentimental ending filled with happy couples, contentedness and better sex.

Although it is slightly depressing to watch a film about life after 30, “American Reunion” will remind you what you can get through with your best friends, some beers and a few less items of clothing.

Redstock 2012 Redstone Green, UVM

Benefit Concert for the Champlain Valley Folk Festival Downtown, North End Studios

Tuesday May 1

Dev

Higher Ground Showcase Lounge

9

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Opinion

THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2012

STAFF EDITORIAL

C YNIC

EDITORIAL BOARD Editor-in-Chief Brent Summers cynic@uvm.edu

802-656-0337

Managing Editor Corrie Roe

cynicnewsroom@gmail.com

News

Becky Hayes

cynicnews@gmail.com

Opinion

Peyton Rosenthal

cynicopinion@gmail.com

Sports

Mike Eaton

cynicsportseditor@gmail.com

Life/Feature Hannah Ullman

cyniclifeeditor@gmail.com

Arts

Natalie Slack

cynicartseditor@gmail.com

Layout

Devon Meadowcroft

cyniclayouteditor@gmail.com

Web

Colleen McClintock

vermontcynicweb@gmail.com

Photography Natalie Williams

cynicphoto@gmail.com

Copy Chief

Jasmine Hughes

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Illustration Dana Ortiz

cynicsketches@gmail.com

Video

Jon Polson

cynicvideo@gmail.com

STAFF Assistant Editors

Devin Karambelas (News), Mackenzie Jones (Photo), Walker Sutlzbach (Photo), Julia Dwyer (Sports), Ann Cromley (Life), Grace Buckles (Layout), Jacob Lumbra (Opinion)

Page Designers

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Copy Editors

Jason Scott, Amanda Santillan, Stephanie Nistico, Kate Piniewski, Jenny Baldwin, Emily Bartran, Jess Schwartz, Kaitlyn Green, Abbey Dunn, Shelbie Ladue, Allie Sullivan, Molly Philbin, Katie Murray, Stephen Hudecek

OPERATIONS

At the beginning of this week, Facebook went back to its roots by offering UVM students the opportunity to join an exclusive group only if they provide a valid UVM email address.

Once the email has been confirmed, Facebook takes over as the “sorting hat” from Harry Potter, and, based on your year, major, clubs and activities, Facebook places you into groups with other people.

Time will tell if this will catch on. So far, one of the most popular groups is “Free and For Sale,” an informal marketplace where students have begun selling fridges, dorm furniture and the like.

While it’s a definitely a cool new strategy cooked up at Facebook HQ, we at the Cynic think Facebook is getting a bit out of hand with this new “forced networking” strategy.

Just by answering a few questions about your interests, you are now sorted into groups and signed up to receive notifications from people with similar majors/ interests as you.

What’s next? We imagine the following message appearing in a newsfeed sooner or later: “Facebook sees that you posted about puppies three days ago. You are now in the Puppies group and will be hosting a Puppy party next Saturday at your house.”

Puppies may be a bad example, but imagine the same scenario with clowns.

Predictions aside, reactions to these new groups have been mixed. “Facebook seems to be taking the whole social connection thing to a new level ... not sure if I like it or not, but hello everyone,” one user posted.

Regardless of opinion, it will be interesting to watch exactly how the groups are going to form and what they are going to accomplish.

The “Events and Parties” group may be the first to get out of hand: post that you are having a party and you may end up with the entire first-year class knocking at your door.

But just as with anything Facebook does, people usually are upset for the first week and then get used to it. Maybe we will, too. But for now, this disturbing trend makes us weary that Facebook may soon be running the door at our social gatherings.

Operations Manager Victor Hartmann

cynicoperations@gmail.com

Distribution Manager Kyle DeVivo kdevivo@uvm.edu

Advertising Manager Victor Troiano cynicalads@gmail.com

ADVISER Faculty Adviser Chris Evans

crevans@uvm.edu

Facebook has created Party Time at your house this Friday. 32 friends attending.

31

on Tuesday

Facebook tagged you in your recent status about “wanting to party.” “”

on Tuesday

Illustration by Corrie Roe

THE VERMONT

Facebook sorts you, forces friendship

COLUMNISTS

Maple sticks as a local tradition

JACOB LUMBRA

You might have heard that Vermont prides itself on its maple syrup production.

You may not know, however, that the sugaring season has already come and gone for the state.

At the end of every season, a festival in celebration of our maple pride is held in Saint Albans, a town about 30 miles north of Burlington.

But in all honesty, there may be little to celebrate, as this year’s sugaring season was bleak.

Prime sugaring conditions require warm days and freezing nights.

This daily change in temperature in the stages of early spring causes the sap to run up and down the tree.

Sap is collected and then boiled down into the product we enjoy on everything from waffles to ice cream.

While Vermont weather has generally met these conditions this year, another factor

has stifled the continued production of quality maple syrup.

The uncharacteristically warm days experienced this March caused trees to bud prematurely.

Once this budding process has begun, the chemistry of the maple tree alters, yielding sap that renders off-tasting syrup.

This typically bad-tasting syrup is called “buddy syrup.”

Because of these dismal conditions, maple sugar producers were unable to produce a standard year’s quantity of high quality syrup.

Some say climate change may be to blame for these conditions.

Where Vermont once boasted some of the best maple syrup in the world, much of that industry may soon be lost to higher quality syrup in other regions as prime sugaring conditions shift north toward Canada.

This reality has the capability to diminish the strong economic and cultural traditions of the area.

I grew up in Saint Albans and the festival has always been a part of who I am, and many others alike.

I have often expressed that there are two sides to the festival.

The ugly commercialized part is one side that is mani-

fested through the low-grade rides and fair games.

This, however, is something necessary to guarantee the continued success of such fairs.

A child is impervious to these vices, as all they see is a fantasy world triggering exhilaration and excitement.

The other side is a more wholesome tradition that actually relates to maple syrup.

There are festivities such as maple syrup quality contests, crafts and even the annual election of a maple king and queen.

Despite my original intentions of showing up at the festival, I somehow find myself gorging my face with confections like maple cotton candy, sugar on snow, maple shots, fried dough with maple syrup, maple doughnuts, maple ice cream and, somehow out of place but always there, a pint of Al’s french fries.

I know for sure, however, that this weekend I will load a car with my friends and drive to Saint Albans, just to show them a piece of my history and a small part of Vermont tradition.

Jacob Lumbra is a first-year English and studio art major. He has been writing for The Cynic since fall 2011.

DISTURBING QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“I ONLY PAID OFF MY STUDENT LOANS EIGHT YEARS AGO.” - President Barack Obama on how he knows first-hand about the burden of student loans, to a rowdy college-age crowd at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill April 24.

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OPINION

THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2012

11

COLUMNISTS

A call for more long weekends Vaccine exemption puts children at risk

BIANCA MOHN

And so we’ve come full circle. With finals week looming before us, we bid farewell to blissful Saturdays and say hello to long days in the library. It’s about this time of year that I start dreaming of long weekends and sleeping in.

Here’s a thought: What if there was a way to include more long weekends in the spring semester?

It is time to give the UVM calendar a new structure, one that is generous with threeday weekends.

This is not a call to arms to slash the number of academic school days. Indeed, it is more of a practical idea to reallocate the number of days we already have off.

Let’s start with winter break.

We all know that winter break is ridiculously long. The first week is glorious, catching up with friends and family and enjoying the comforts of

home. Then the second week rolls in, bringing other tidbits of excitement here and there.

It is not until the third or fourth week of winter break that things start looking bleak.

Instead of going out and rediscovering our hometowns, we shamelessly troll the Internet for something, anything, interesting to distract us from the crippling boredom.

There is a low point in the fourth week when the books have been read, the video games have been exhausted and the holiday treats have been consumed.

It is at this point that I propose we end this madness and head back to campus one week early.

“What,” you sputter, “End break a week early? But why?”

Simply put, three weeks off is plenty of time to regain the sanity that was lost during the fall semester.

If we had started on Jan. 9, instead of resuming classes on Jan. 17, we could have taken the five academic days normally designated for winter break and sprinkled them throughout the spring semester in the form of long weekends.

In other words, we would still have the same number of days off, and the same number of days for classes. It’s a win-win scenario.

With five days, that is five three-day weekends for the

spring semester. Imagine the adventures you could have, the glorious days of sleeping in and, of course, the extra time to study and get caught up.

As Organic Soul, a website that posts information about natural and holistic living, explains, three-day weekends give more time to improve our health by sleeping, exercising and devoting time to hobbies.

These actions are beneficial to mind and body: “Mentally, this can mean better attitude, a boost to confidence and more psychic energy to spend on other things than worrying about your problems. Physically, this means lower heart rate, blood pressure and tension, as well as better control of your breathing.”

A three-day weekend here and there would mean so much to students. That one extra day to get over a cold, finish a term paper or go for a hike would be a huge moral booster as well.

With this proposal, winter break would be shorter but it would be worth it. It’s time to shake the calendar tradition and try something new. Any takers?

Bianca Mohn is a first-year business administration major.

She has been writing for The Cynic since fall 2011.

Vermont should defend its animals Dear Editor, As I sat down to write this letter, a quick Internet search of the phrase “gestation crate” proved to be quite saddening.

The only way to describe what I saw and read about this topic would be hundreds of images of fattened pigs stuffed into crates too small to move, their tails hanging out behind them, and their snouts poking out in front of their sad eyes.

As delicious as I remember Christmas ham and Sunday morning bacon tasting, if you think about it – is it really as wonderful when you realize that the pig that was slaugh-

tered for your food was raised in a crate so small she could not turn around, could not walk, could not bury herself in mud? And then when she was no longer able to reproduce, sent to slaughter?

The meat from the pig you are eating was factory farmed for profit, and not allowed a natural, pig life outside of being on your plate.

One of the reasons I choose to live in Vermont is the progressive nature and belief of civil rights to everyone. It is time for the Green Mountain State to move even

further ahead and banish cruelty to its animals.

And a great step in this animals’ rights movement in Vermont would be for our representatives to pass S.239: An Act Relating to Ensuring the Humane Treatment and Slaughter of Animals. I encourage all our representatives to move past the “hot topics” at the Statehouse and stand up for our animals.

Please pass S.239.

Leah Korce Jericho, Vt.

Mohn Quick Opinions Bianca “I picked a bad week to

start reading ‘The Hunger Games.’ They are so addicting.”

Jacob Lumbra Illustration by Andrew Becker

“One day small animals will overcome their fear of humans and attack — i.e. squirrels and seagulls.”

ZACH DESPART

Last week, the Vermont House of Representatives voted in favor of keeping the philosophical exemption for parents to opt out of vaccinating their children.

Philosophical exemption essentially addresses the right of refusal of parents who want to enroll their children in school or child care without immunizations.

This decision could have disastrous consequences.

Since 2005, vaccination rates for kindergarteners in Vermont have decreased from 93 percent in 2005 to 83 percent in 2010. Dr. Harry Chen, the state’s public health commissioner, said that Vermont has the lowest vaccination rate in New England.

It may not seem dangerous if only a minority of parents choose not to vaccinate their children. But the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that, for example, vaccination rates must be at least 95 percent to prevent the spread of measles.

The government has an interest to ensure that children are vaccinated — those who are not vaccinated pose a threat to public health.

Perhaps we have become complacent about communicable diseases because there has not been one that has annually reached epidemic levels.

In much of the 1940s and ’50s, polio was the greatest public health risk, afflicting tens of thousands of people every year, most of them children. While virtually eradicated in the United States after the polio vaccine was developed in 1955, outbreaks still occur in central Africa and Eastern Europe.

There has been a wealth of misinformation surrounding the vaccine debate. A 1998 study authored by British physician Andrew Wakefield that linked childhood vaccines to higher rates of autism was found to be ridden with fabrications. Wakefield retracted the study in 2011, but the damage was done — vaccination rates in Britain had fallen to 80 percent, well below the WHO’s threshold for effectiveness.

Just because there have not been outbreaks of certain diseases for decades does not mean that there could not be a resurgence. There have been outbreaks of measles recently in countries that have high vaccination rates, including France, New Zealand and Australia.

The awareness organization Vaccinate Your Baby noted that the United States is “experiencing the highest

rates of whooping cough in decades.” According to Vaccine News Daily, 2011 saw the largest measles outbreak in the United States in 15 years.

At the Statehouse last month, Dr. Robert McCauley recounted how his 9-year-old daughter spent 100 days suffering from whooping cough and had to be quarantined.

Though she was vaccinated, McCauley said he believed his daughter contracted the disease from an unimmunized classmate.

According to the Burlington Free Press, town resident Cathy Donohue decided not to have her 2-year-old son immunized.

Allowing parents to choose whether or not to vaccinate their children could potentially allow diseases that we now associate with underdeveloped countries to return to our communities.

She reasoned, “I don’t believe my son — in Vermont with no polio — is at risk of polio.”

But there exists the paradox — Ms. Donahue’s son isn’t at risk for polio only because everyone has been vaccinated for the disease.

Every state except Mississippi and West Virginia permits parents to opt out for religious reasons, and 20 states allow philosophical exemptions. Evidence suggests a nationwide decrease in vaccination rates — according to the Journal of the American Medical Association, the number of philosophical objections doubled from 1991 to 2004.

After decades of medical research, we’ve been able to virtually eliminate a host of diseases that used to kill tens of thousands of children annually in the United States.

Allowing parents to choose whether or not to vaccinate their children could potentially allow diseases that we now associate with underdeveloped countries to return to our communities.

We need to listen to the experts like those doctors who have testified at the Statehouse — immunizing our children keeps health care costs down, and, most importantly, saves lives.

Zach Despart is a senior political science major. He has been writing for The Cynic since fall 2009.

D I S T RAC T I O N S

THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2012

12

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Camp Morning Wood by Scott Womer

Crossword

brought to you by bestcrosswords.com

#uvmproblems Remember when it was sunny? Neither do I #uvmproblems @jacksteele12

Just saw a kid having a staring contest with a bird outside uheights. #uvmproblems @patrickwcuervo

Discovered that my winter jacket shell is warmer, but definitely not as waterproof, as my fall jacket shell. Warm > dry? #uvmproblems @apoeticshepherd

Not sure if the weather is overcast... or if it’s 4/20 cloud cover. #uvmproblems @apoeticshepherd

Being given an extra credit assignment that involves writing a review on a movie about dumpster diving #uvmproblems @Shanny_Smith

Overzealous birkenstock lovers #uvmproblems @ElizaBessone

ACROSS 1- Ball belles 5- Abrade 10- String tie 14- Hold off 15- Broadway actress Uta 16- Affirm 17- Amazes 19-Nota ___ 20- Posterior 21- Shady 23- Run-down theater 25- Closes 26- Toothed wheels 28- Extensive plain 31- Off-Broadway theater award 34- Ailing 36- Cornered 37- Actor Herbert 38- Hug 40- Bit of film, to a photog 41- Landed propieter of Scotland 43- British nobleman 44- Doing nothing 45- Bear witness 47- Song of joy

49- The end of ___ 51- Bartender 55- Activator 58- Go to bed 59- Take ___ view of 60- Travellers 62- Pan’s opposite 63- Frasier’s brother 64- Internet writing system that popularized “pwn3d” and “n00b” 65- Checked out 66- Big 67- Colleen DOWN 1- Diminutive being of folklore 2- Art supporter 3- Please, in Potsdam 4- Where junk may be held 5- Millennialism 6- Contains 7- Turkish bigwig 8- Eats 9- Follows 10- A brook, perhaps 11- Pay more than one can afford

12- Actress Olin 13- Hurler Hershiser 18- Back of the neck 22- Dull finish 24- Clan 27- Fragment 29- Rind 30- Advantage 31- Earthen pot 32- “We’re all in the same ___” 33- Copying 35- Gold measurement 38- Car bomb?

39- Most lucid 42- Gave a new title 44- Place in position 46- Irritating 48- Copycat 50- Moving 52- Fungal infection 53- Some Art Deco works 54- Reposes 55- Attention 56- An apple ___ 57- Mosaic piece 62- PBS benefactor

Wtf Brennan’s. Where da FUCK is the popcorn machine . I’m broke and rely on it for snacks #rude #uvmproblems @punkassBIDDY

It looks like it’s going to rain death on us #uvmproblems @SteezyOGFresh

Just ordered a grilled cheese for delivery and accidentally said “loveyoubye” #uvmproblems @abidunki

SP ECTACLE

THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2012

Spectacle a look through the lens SpringFest was held on the Chittenden Buckham Wills green April 21. It featured Battle of the Bands winner Sloe Loris (top right) working the crowd. Soulive drummer Alan Evans (bottom right) pays close attention to his snare. Students danced despite the rainy weather to their favorite jams (left and bottom).

PHOTOS BY Alexa Algios

13

14

Sports

THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2012

SportsCenter just doesn’t cut it

WILL ANDREYCAK

An absolute staple of my childhood and my young adult life has been SportsCenter. The endless hours of programming has allowed me to adapt my consumption of sporting news as I have progressed through life.

When I first developed a perceptive consciousness of professional and collegiate sports, around the turn of the century, I would tune in early on Saturday mornings. As I got older — and my appreciation for sleep became more acute — I could simply tune in at 6 p.m. after the practice of whichever sport I was playing at the time.

By the time I entered high school, 11 p.m. was the most convenient time for me to get my sporting news of the day.

And now, in college, I tune in most frequently to the 1 a.m. hour.

I can say without hesitation that there is no other television program to which I have

devoted more hours. And I am certain that there are millions of sports fans around the country that would say the same.

And that is why, perhaps, I have been meaning to get this argument off my chest for the last year: SportsCenter is an overrated and diluted sporting news program.

There, I said it — man that feels good.

Don’t get me wrong: I have felt this way for a while now and I have still gone back to the program that has been my rock for the last 10-plus years.

But I do so with more and more resentment and trepidation each time. Let me explain.

SportsCenter usually runs full-length episodes for one hour — in some cases 90 minutes during weekday evenings. Live episodes are run continuously from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. There is a live episode at 6 p.m., 11 p.m. and 1 a.m.

On a usual weekday, then, SportsCenter will run nine live hours of content.

Despite having nine hours to cover the entirety of the sporting world, SportsCenter rarely broadcasts substantial highlights of the previous day’s games. Instead we are subjected to Jalen Rose telling us the Miami Heat are going to win a championship because LeBron

James and Dwyane Wade are good players and things of the like.

Or we are subject to segments like those done by Chris Connelly pretending to be a professor of quarterback mentoring. Seriously, go look up that clip on YouTube — it first ran April 22 — and tell me with a straight face that you didn’t lose a little respect for Chris Connelly as a legitimate journalist.

The majority of people that tune into SportsCenter are serious and knowledgeable fans. The last thing we want is a news program that uses the majority of its airtime for opinionated analysis that viewers can’t respond to.

The discourse of sports is a beautiful thing, but it doesn’t translate well to television. If Doug Gottlieb or Jalen Rose — yes, I have a serious problem with Jalen Rose — or Stephen A. Smith makes a controversial point that enrages a viewer, there is no way to respond or make a counter argument.

Instead viewers yell futilely at their television sets when Skip Bayless makes a colossally idiotic point.

What knowledgeable sports fans want is pure and simple: highlights. Most of us are incredibly busy and cannot devote our time to watching

hours upon hours of baseball, basketball, football, hockey or what have you. It would be nice if we could turn on SportsCenter at 11 p.m. and be overwhelmed with detailed highlights that capture the truly important moments of the day’s action.

Instead, the anchors will introduce a game and show one highlight of game action before the final score icon comes up on the screen. They then turn to an analyst who often makes overly simplistic — or even wrong — comments that go unchallenged by the anchor.

Think back to the NCAA tournament of this year. I would watch SportsCenter to get detailed highlights from incredibly important games, but instead I was shown one three-pointer or dunk being made followed by a final score box before I was whisked away to the next meaningless and unfulfilling highlight.

Besides the unsubstantial highlights, there is one huge problem I have with SportsCenter and ESPN in general: They don’t give a damn about hockey. It’s a wellestablished fact and it is one of the most frustrating problems that plagues ESPN. Last year when the Bruins and Canucks were in the midst of an epic seven game series,

ESPN treated the Stanley Cup Final like a regular season baseball game between the Reds and the Astros. That may be a bit of a stretch, but SportsCenter would give far more coverage to the HeatMavericks finals series on an off day than they would to the Stanley Cup Final on the night of a game. How is that possible?

I searched on the web for any sort of content analysis of SportsCenter and the best thing I came across was something called “Bristolmetrics,” a quasicontent analysis of the 11 p.m.

SportsCenter run by Deadspin. com.

According to Deadspin, since January 7 the NHL has made up 3.3 percent of all SportsCenter content. Three point three percent? I am sure this number will go up in the playoffs, but only marginally.

Perhaps this is the reason why so few people care about the NHL in this country.

The basic problem is that the program favors opinionated analysis and speculation over hard journalism and substantial highlights. They have nine hours to cover sports and they can’t devote more than 20 seconds to a given highlight.

I hate to say it, but the show that I have loved for most of my childhood and adult life just doesn’t do it for me anymore.

Intensity taken too far The weekly recap

MIKE EATON

If you’ve been watching the Stanley Cup playoffs, you’ve probably seen more fights than in a high school hallway. Take the Kings vs. Canucks game last Sunday — apparently I turned on the TV to watch a fight and, somewhere in the action, a hockey game broke out.

But that’s not the only instance. Almost every series so far this postseason has featured a number of fights and, in some instances, large brawls.

The highlight of the incidents so far has been Raffi Torres’ vicious shoulder to the chin of the Blackhawks’ Marian Hossa. This landed Torres a 25-game suspension, and made him the ninth player to be suspended during the playoffs.

But isn’t the game of hockey built around an intense style of play, fights being both allowed by the rulebook and encouraged to build team momentum? Well yes, but there comes a point when the malicious intent to harm another player is taken too far.

These incidents have been happening in multiple sports; this year seems to be the climax

of it all. But when does the bad blood equals good ratings system become imbalanced?

Professional sports leagues seem to believe that it is happening now and are starting to crack down.

Hockey’s example is with Torres, a 25-game suspension being a huge statement to the rest of the league. No player wants a ticket off the ice because he played a little too rough.

Another recent example comes from the NFL. Roger Goodell, continuing his work as the head of the “No Fun League,” suspended several Saints’ coaches, including head coach Sean Payton, over an alleged bounty program designed to award players who injured their opponents. This time, in terms of punishment, Goodell got it right.

Also recently was Metta World Peace’s savage elbow to the face of the Thunder’s James Harden. While Metta World Peace is supposed to be encouraging us to think of world peace, all he has us thinking now is Ron Artest.

That’s right, you remember Ron Artest, the guy who started the infamous Pacers/Pistons fight. He had a pretty good disguise going on with that whole world peace thing, but, in the end, Scooby and the Gang didn’t even have to chase him: Artest ripped his own mask off. He was suspended for seven games, as the NBA wishes to teach their players a lesson.

So yes, leagues have been

trying to crack down and set some ground rules, and correctly so. There should be an intensity to every sports matchup — that’s what makes it so fun to watch, right? But that intensity shouldn’t result in a player being knocked out or taking a flying bow to the temple.

As fans, it’s always fun to see a fight — whether it’s a bench-clearing brawl on the diamond or a monitored fight in the NHL. We should, however, cheer on those that don’t injure other players.

There should be no fanbased cheering award or financial compensation if a player breaks the quarterback’s legs or knocks a guy out. We need to go back to the more harmless, intensity-based altercations rather than continuing on the path to bodily destruction.

Everyone likes to see a fight, but not too many people want to watch someone get killed.

The only exception is, of course, Varitek’s claw to the eyes of A-Rod. That’s totally excusable, and probably the only victory Sox fans will be able to boast about if this season continues in the way it’s going.

I’m not saying everyone should be friends, and I would be terribly disappointed if it got to the point where there were no more fights in any sport.

Let’s just not let it get to that point.

By Julia Dwyer Assistant Sports Editor

Boss of the week: Philip Humber

For the first time in nearly two years, Philip Humber threw a perfect game, leading the Chicago White Sox to a 4-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners on April 21.

Perfect games are a rarity, this being baseball’s 21st and the third in White Sox’s

history.

Humber threw 96 pitches, striking out the mariners nine times, drawing five ground outs and 13 fly outs. Humber was an unlikely candidate for this achievement, but he made it look effortless.

Quote of the week

“

For 78 minutes I was dead, and, even if I lived, [I] was expected to have suffered brain damage.

”

- Bolton soccer player Fabrice Muamba who made a miraculous recovery after his heart stopped beating at last month’s FA cup match at Tottenham. He walked out of the hospital and returned home this week.

Goat of the week: Metta World Peace

With a name change that was meant to usher in a new attitude, Los Angeles Lakers forward Metta World Peace, formerly Ron Artest, seemed

to return to his old ways in a game against Oklahoma City Thunder.

World Peace made a cheap shot at OKC guard James Harden with an elbow to the side of the head after putting in a left-handed dunk in the final minute of the first half. The Los Angeles crowd cheered for him as he was ejected from the game — real classy.

S P O RT S

THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2012

One unhappy Red Sox fan

This was quite a weekend in Boston.

Cheers for the 100-year celebration of Fenway Park turned to a chorus of boos when the Red Sox lost for the ninth time in 13 games.

As an encore, the Red Sox let a 9-0 lead slip away in the latter innings on Saturday. Six Boston relievers allowed 15 runs over a three-inning span against their rival Yankees.

Outside of Pedro returning to Fenway, Sunday’s rainout may have been the highlight of the weekend.

Despite a $173 million payroll, the Red Sox are the fourth best team in their division with very little to look forward to. The contracts of John Lackey and Carl Crawford — thanks, Theo — will be on the books until 2015 and 2017. These ill-advised deals, combining for over $200 million, among others, restrict Boston’s ability to patch their sizable and numerous holes entering 2012.

The first issue that needs addressing is the bullpen.

Headline offseason acquisition Andrew Bailey hasn’t had a fully healthy season since his ’09 rookie campaign when the Athletics abused his arm in a fashion that would make Dusty Baker cringe. Alfredo Aceves, recently the sixth best starter/rubber arm for the Yankees and Red Sox, is masquerading as a closer.

Mark Melancon entered the season as the set-up man, but took a quick path to obscurity and can now be seen pitching in Pawtucket.

We in New England call that the Bobby Jenks career path.

The rotation features a solid 1-2 punch in Jon Lester and Josh Beckett, but there is nothing but question marks once you

Illustration by Stephanie Feinberg

JAKE BIELECKI

get past the two. Clay Buchholz reached 100 innings just once since his 2006 debut. Rookie Felix Doubront could establish himself as a middle-of-therotation arm, but could just as easily falter and fill a bullpen role.

Daniel Bard has the talent but whether he’s suited for a rotation spot is up in the air.

He may be yanked and tossed back to the ‘pen before we have the chance to really find out.

Batting practice tossers Vicente Padilla, Aaron Cook, John Lackey and Daisuke Matsuzaka lurk as potential replacements for later in the year.

When healthy, the daily lineup is a bright spot, though it’s not without its warts. For starters, Kevin Youkilis is aging at the rate of an NFL running back. He hasn’t seen 500 at-bats since 2008, and at 33-years-old he isn’t the same defensively, especially at third base.

Without Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford, who will be out for a while, the lineup becomes ordinary and slow.

On the bright side, Cody Ross is a solid signing and JD Drew is pulling a hammy on his own time, so that’s something.

While I may just sound like a disgruntled fan — and I am — some of the decisions made by the Red Sox in recent seasons are truly baffling. Hindsight is 20/20, but common sense is 15/20.

John Lackey was never anything special, but he was given ace money at 82.5 million over five years. At 29-years-old Carl Crawford received 20 million a year for seven seasons. His best asset is speed, the first tool baseball players generally lose.

Last year he only attempted 24 steals, down from his average of 66 the previous two seasons. Given his inability to hit lefties he could be a platoon player by the end of his contract.

If you’re holding out hope that this slow start will quickly turn around a la 2011, don’t. A third place finish should be considered a success at this point. The first step is admitting the problem, and hopefully the Red Sox will stop throwing money around like they got a new ballpark in Miami. Here’s to the Xander Bogaerts and Ryan Lavarnway show in 2014.

15

Player Profile: Amy Glen

By Taylor Feuess Staff Writer

One-tenth of a second may not seem like a significant amount of time to many — it’s less time than it takes to blink.

But for senior Amy Glen, that fragment of a second has made all the difference.

I recently got to sit down with Glen and talk about the ups, downs and close finishes from her past four years as a Nordic skier for the University of Vermont.

Glen recently completed her final season as a Catamount in the best way possible — by winning a national championship.

Her win in the women’s 15k classic at Bohort Ranch in Montana was the cherry on top of a solid day of skiing for the UVM ski team, as it helped earn them the NCAA championship.

After earning countless honors over the span of her college experience, Glen’s whole career came down to this last race facing Dartmouth’s Sophie Caldwell.

“At the start of the race, my goal was to just ski it really relaxed and stay calm the whole time,” said Glen.

This plan worked until the end of the race drew closer; Glen managed to get a slight lead heading into the finish, until Caldwell passed her for a split second. But, fortunately enough for Glen, she “sprinted and managed to get ahead by two inches,” — a final push that made a big difference in who was standing on that podium at the end.

Glen learned to ski at the young age of two on manmade hills in her backyard. Glen, a native Alaskan, transferred to UVM after spending her freshman year as an AlaskaAnchorage Seawolf. Even as a first-year, Glen earned top rankings like a fourth place finish in the U.S. National Championships in the classic sprint in 2009.

Glen was drawn to the Green Mountain State by UVM’s strong reputation of having a competitive ski team mixed with good academics.

It also didn’t hurt that Glen comes from a long line of Vermont alumni, many of whom still live in the area, which makes Vermont feel like a home away from home.

Before college, Glen attended high school in her hometown of Anchorage, Alaska. A resilient skier for her high school team, Glen also skied for a competitive club team on the side.

Being a part of both teams was demanding, but was something that she loved to do.

By the time she left Anchorage, Glen was already a two-time Alaska state high school champion, and held other honors such as being

COURTESY OF BRETT WILHELM, NCAA PHOTOGRAPHY

Senior Amy Glen competes in the NCAA ski championships in Bozeman, Mont., Feb. 7-10. Glen and the University of Vermont ski team won its first NCAA National Championship since 1994. selected twice for all-state.

Glen’s multitude of high school successes continued throughout her years at the UVM as she appeared in multiple carnivals and finished in the top 10 in all seven races in which she competed in her previous season, as a junior.

In her senior year, Glen repeatedly came close to winning races, but the first place spot had never been hers.

It all came down to the final race in Montana — the last one Glen would ski for Vermont.

“It was definitely my best race,” Glen said. “Having my final race being the one that I finally won, well, I can’t really ask for anything better than that.”

Winning with a time of 53:25.1, Glen beat out Caldwell in what came down to a photo finish of mere inches and tenths of a second. After a moment, the realization set in: what was her final race at Vermont had just become her first collegiate victory.

“I can’t say I really led my team; we just had a strong team overall,” Glen said when asked about the win. “I hadn’t won any races going into the championship; I had been up there consistently but I hadn’t actually won one yet.”

Glen refused to take much credit for giving her team that extra push to get them to the top.

“My teammates who were

also at the championships had won their races,” she said. “So I can’t really say that I lead them.”

Even with that modesty, Glen recently was nationally recognized by Sports Illustrated. Featured in the April edition of the sports magazine, Glen was awarded an honor that not many have been given — being named as one of Sports Illustrated’s Faces in the Crown.

Next year, Glen will continue her skiing career as a member of a professional cross-country ski team based in Craftsbury, Vt. As a member of the Nordic Ski Club, training will last throughout the year in preparation for competitions.

This, however, won’t be a problem for Glen, who is eager to be a part of this new team.

“I’ll be living up there, training and doing some form of work,” Glen said. “I’m really excited.”

Glen has come a long way from when she started skiing in her backyard. Regardless of any highs or lows these past few years, Glen managed to go out with a bang and make a name for herself, and not just in Vermont, but across the nation.

The Vermont Nordic Ski Team may be losing one of their strongest skiers, but Glen’s legacy won’t be forgotten.

16

S P O RT S

THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2012

Track and field compete in two meets

Cats earn strong finishes in events at both California and Middlebury

By Julia Dwyer Assistant Sports Editor

The University of Vermont men and women’s track and field competed in two separate tournaments, April 21. A select group of Catamounts took part in the Beach Invitational hosted

by Long Beach State at Cerritos College in California, while the rest competed in the Middlebury Invitational at Dragone Track.

At the Beach Invitational Vermont again saw success.

In the men’s 1,500-meter run junior Ethan McBrien set a personal best with a time of 3:50.96 and finished fourth in his division.

On the women’s side, junior Julie McGilpin and sophomore Yolanda Ngarambe both set new personal records in the women’s 1,500-meter run. The duo earned the first and second spots in their section and 18th and 19th overall.

Sophomore Nika Ouellette — who won the 2011 America East Outdoor Track and Field Championships and was the first Catamount to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships — shined once again by qualifying for the finals in the women’s javelin competition with a javelin throw of 46.36 meters.

The rest of the Catamounts competed back East in the

WALKER SULTZBACH The Vermont Cynic

Tyler Parent throws a javelin in a track and field event against Middlebury in the Catamount Invitational, April 17. The meet was the first held at the new Frank H. Livak Track and Field Facility.

Middlebury Invitational.

At Middlebury, first-year Sydney Eberth earned her first collegiate win in the 400-meter dash with a time of 59.30. In the 200-meter race, senior Mari Fourie earned the top title with a time of 26.31, while Eberth placed behind her for second.

Senior Lindsey Millikin also picked up her first career win

in the 100-meter with a time of 13.75.

The men’s team earned high marks with a win by senior Jake Hopkins in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:58.54. Hopkins also joined a 4x400-meter relay team with senior Jim Montague, first-year Mallory Duncan and senior Nick Archer. The foursome won its race division

Cats on the prowl

By Jeremy Karpf Senior Staff Writer

On April 21, the day that Virtue Field, the new home of the Catamounts, was dedicated, Catamount lacrosse had a big day. Both squads beat Binghamton and snapped losing streaks.

The women won 12-7 getting much of their production from seniors Allison Pfohl and Adison Rounds, who each scored a hat trick, and senior Samantha Stern, who had four points.

After Rounds netted the game’s first goal at the 13:13 mark, Binghamton responded just a minute later to tie the game at 1-1.

The Cats were able to score three more goals from three different players to take a 4-1 lead into the half.

Despite several quick Binghamton goals opening the second half and cutting the lead to two, Vermont scored the next five goals to take a 10-5 lead with just over 13 minutes to go.

From there, the Catamounts and Bearcats traded goals.

The win broke a four game losing streak for Vermont and raises their record to 9-7 overall and 2-3 in America East play, good for a tie for fourth place with Albany and New Hampshire.

The Catamounts got the tie with New Hampshire after beating them earlier this season, and will host Albany this weekend at Virtue Field.

The winner of the game will earn a spot in the America East playoffs.

with a time of 3:29.83.

On the field side at Middlebury, senior Sam Hoadley won the men’s javelin event with a throw good for 63.70. Senior Peter Foley nabbed the top spot in shot put with a throw of 13.69 meters.

In the men’s long jump, junior Dan Ciabattoni won the top title with a jump distance

of 6.40 meters. Senior Chris Lemieux took the win in the high jump by clearing 1.83 meters.

Additionally, sophomore Bobby Mitros earned first in the men’s pole vault.

For the women on the field side, first-years Jessica Varney and Katherine Harrington finished first and second, respectively, in the women’s discus throw. The rookie Catamounts continued proving themselves as first-year Kelsie Benjamin took the women’s shot put event with a mark of 10.51. Additionally, first-year Cassie Marion earned the title for best women’s triple jump with a distance of 10.86.

In the women’s hammer throw event, sophomore Charlotte Mintzer won with a mark of 48.40 meters, while senior Lisa Bunn followed behind for second.

The Catamounts swept the top four spots in the event.

While there were many worthy showings from the Vermont men and women’s track and field team, the Middlebury women’s team defeated the Vermont women 103-73 and the Middlebury men’s team topped the Vermont men 102-65.

The Catamounts will compete Saturday, April 28 in the UNH Invitational in Durham, N.H.

athletetweets 1st trip to the library since transferring to UVM, hope its the last as well.

Whitlee Burghardt

Sophomore midfielder for UVM field hockey @holla_shitlee02 WALKER SULTZBACH The Vermont Cynic

Senior defender Caitie Izzo handles the ball in a game against New Hampshire at Virtue Field, March 31. The Vermont women’s lacrosse team is 9-7 overall and 2-3 in the America East conference.

“I think defensively we goals and never looked back. played amazing — to hold them Galvin scored a career high of to one goal in that first half was four goals and Philie added great,” said women’s coach Jen a hat trick, and senior David Johnson postgame. “We knew Barton stopped 10 shots. Firstafter last week that we had to year Mark D’Anthony earned win our next two games if we his first career point, tallying want to make the tournament.” an assist on the Philie’s second The men also took control of goal of the third quarter. their postseason destiny in their “I really think that it was 11-5 victory over Binghamton. just the team coming together Senior Thomas Galvin and — everyone did their part,” said junior Drew Philie combined for Galvin. “It was up to us to score seven goals. The win improves some goals and we moved the Vermont’s record to 2-10 overall ball well and a lot of people got and 1-3 in America East. involved.”

“I thought we played pretty Vermont’s season will well all around,” said men’s come down to a showdown coach Ryan Curtis. “We knew this weekend at Hartford. A this team was scrappy and that win would clinch a spot in the they would come back if we got America East tournament. up on them; they’ve shown that “Our goal all along was to they could do that all season.” get to the tournament and we Despite trailing 4-3 in still have a shot at that,” Curtis the third quarter, the Cats said. responded with eight straight

The bigger the bills, the harder you ball

Four McGlynn

First-year point guard for UVM men’s basketball @fourbb_4

Wow @Sstalberg8 had to up me one with scoring in his first pro game #ionlymanagedanapple #congrats

Viktor Stalberg

Right wing for the Chicago Blackhawks and brother of former UVM hockey player Sebastian Stalberg @VStalberg