Issue 16 Spring 2013

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Inside: Fourty years later, Max Creek still jammin’

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Magic Hat: brew story

T h u r s d a y, J a n u a r y 3 1 , 2 0 1 3 – Vo l u m e 1 2 9 I s s u e 1 6 | B u r l i n g t o n , Ve r m o n t

Students still fight for divestment

A look at Student Climate Culture’s new initiatives

Thomas Gambino Cynic Correspondent Walking into the Magic Hat brewery is like entering Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. Only 10 minutes away from campus, the Magic Hat brewery has become a tourist destination and part of Burlington culture. It’s a given, however, that you must be over 21 to “imbibe with your tribe” as one of the sayings on their signature bottle caps reads. Started by Seventh Generation cleaning product company workers Allan Newman and Bob Johnson, the brewery has remained in the same location since it began in 1997. Years after Johnson and Newman had left the cleaning company, the men met on Church Street down town for some beers. ity for beer, the friends spawned the idea to start brewing their own. They took a trip out to the of American craft beers were being brewed, visiting breweries such as Big Sky Brewing, Full Sail Brewing Company and many more. Over the duration of the one-week trip, the pair visited 33 different breweries. With their newly attained knowledge of the craft beer brewing style, the two brought their skills back east to craft what would become Magic Hat beer. Appropriately named, Bob’s First Ale is now known as Humble Patience, an Irish Red Ale still being sold by the local company today. Pulling open the heavy steel doors, the tour-goer is immediately greeted with a bombardment of hats, bags, glasses for both drinking and wearing, scarves, t-shirts, 6-packs, 12-packs and yes, even condoms. ager of the brewery’s self-proclaimed Artifactory, was happy to provide a tour of the said

See story on page 3

COURTESY OF STUDENT CLIMATE CULTURE CLUB Senior David Fernandez and the Student Climate Culture Club march in support of fossil fuel divestment in front of Bailey-Howe last semester.

Cats claw forward in league ranks Colin Hekimian Assitant Sports Editor The Vermont men’s basketball team became the only team to take the second place position in the America East conference after they beat the Albany Great Danes 50-43 on the Danes’ home court this past Saturday, January 26. The win improved the Catamount’s standings to 13-7 overall and 6-2 in the America East standings. The Catamount victory caused Albany to fall 16-6 and 6-3 in the conference, dropin the America East standings. “Great win for us tonight on the road, we’ve been struggling on the road,” head coach John Becker said in an interview with WPTZ. “To come in to 4,000 plus people here today it was a great college atmosphere. I thought the kids played really hard and they made the plays.” Junior forward Clancy Rugg earned his third career doubledouble in the game with a total of 14 points and 10 rebounds.

functioned as the brewery’s gift shop. Complemented by an adornment of multiple wall decorations and guitars signed by various appreciative artists, the Artifactory offers each and every one of Magic Hat’s 50 beers on tap. Sophomore Hunter Jakupko had this to say about the gift shop.

See BREWERY on page 6

forward Luke Apfeld since his

ALEX EDELMAN The Vermont Cynic First-year Ethan O’Day nets the ball in the win against Albany Jan. 26.

Apfeld out of play for another two to four weeks, missing a

long series of America East play. “We decided that it was the right time to take a few weeks to get healthy again,” Apfeld said in an interview with WCAX earlier this month. Since his debut on the starting lineup, Rugg has averaged 17.8 points per game. He has a span of six straight games and has had another two doubledoubles in a span of three games. Rugg was named the America East Player of the Week last week after the win against team rival the Stony Brook Seawolves. First-year forward Ethan O’Day scored 14 points while racking up four rebounds and three blocks. Junior guard Sandro Carissimo scored 13 points don Rusin who netted 10. held the Great Danes to 6-for-

tered into the half with a score of 22-15 in favor of the men in the green and gold. The Cats managed to hold onto their 11-point lead with 11:35 remaining in the second

See BASKETBALL on page 10

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N EWS

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2013

Snowfall boosting business at slopes Ben Plotzker Staff Writer The mild weather for the last ski season was not favorable for most ski businesses in Vermont, but this year the weather has been off to a much better start for the resorts, according to several ski mountains in Vermont. Ski resorts as far south as Mount Snow and as far north as Jay Peak have been recording much better skier visits than last season, the snow reports on the mountains’ websites stated. But, in order to make sure business stays successful, many resorts have looked toward other outlets for revenue and ways to keep their trails covered with snow. Snowmaking was the crutch for many of these ski resorts to stay open last season and helped keep the snow sufJesse Paul, the general manager of Cochrans Ski Area in Richmond. “Cochrans now has a 100 percent snowmaking coverage

on its trails, which proved to help out very well when conditions permitted last season,” he said. Cochrans has also seen an increase in skiers this season due to the change of climate, Paul said. “This season has been very good so far and the addition of UVM’s Alpine Team training here has helped us out,” he said. Killington resort is also off to a better start than last season, but continues to use snowmaking on its trails, said Sarah Thorson of Killington Resort media room. “Overall we were up 18 percent in skier visits over the recent Martin Luther King weekend, thanks to one of the largest snowmaking arsenals in the state with 1,700 snowmaking guns,” she said. Stratton Mountain in southern Vermont has upgraded its snowmaking to one more trail this season and has activities throughout the year to keep business thriving, such as an 18-hole golf course and hiking trails, said Meryl Robinson,

communication coordinator at Stratton. “Snowfall came out of hibernation in late December with a huge accumulation,” Robinson said. “We have had a great start to the season and it’s good to be back in full force. Really nice, cold, great snow, and a world of difference from

last season.” Most ski areas in Vermont have seen more snow so far this season that they had all last season, according to various Vermont mountains’ snow reports. Many UVM sophomores did not get to see accumulation on the trails until this year.

“There’s more snow already and it’s not as icy,” sophomore Emily Gluckin said. “I only went a few times last year and this year. I was not as tempted to go as much last year and now I have a ‘2 For You’ pass.”

New scholarships awarded to students Danielle Kainadow Cynic Correspondent

Five students were awarded scholarships from the United Academics Scholarship Committee, said Committee Chair Denise Youngblood. These awards were given based on outstanding academics and commitment to social and economic justice, she said. The University’s faculty union, United Academics, presented the 2012 Linda Backus

Memorial Scholarship to senior Thomas Charbonneau and the Jeffrey Brace Book Award to juniors Larkin Coffey, Ian Hulbert, Indigo James and Arline Weaver. The Backus Scholarship is an award of $1,000 presented to an undergraduate and the Brace Book Award is $500 toward books and supplies, according to the United Academics news release. “The Backus Scholarship was established in 2005, the

year of Linda Backus’s death,

awarded only last year,” Youngblood said. Because Backus was highly involved as a union organizer, an additional requirement for this scholarship is that the recipient has immediate family that is a member of any Vermont union, the news release stated. At 32 years-old, Charbonneau may not be the traditional UVM undergraduate, but his

family has been in Vermont and most have attended UVM since 1922, he said. The Brace Book Awards were established in 2003 and are funded by United Academics member dues, Youngblood said. “[The scholarship) is part of our own commitment to community engagement and social and economic justice issues,” she said. Winners of the award are involved in organizations

geared toward educating students and ending world hunger, including Students Stand Up! and FeelGood, winners Coffey and Hulbert said. “We’re trying to educate students about the continual tuition hikes and corporatization of our university and our national education system in general,” Coffey said of Students Stand Up!.

SGA UPDATES Marissa Beinhauer Staff Writer

SGA allotted the sailing team $19,000 to buy 18 new sailboats to replace their current fleet of 18 boats that they plan to sell. The rest of the money needed to purchase the boats will come through fundraising and donations. The Neighborhood Revitalization project that looks for projects to improve communities surrounding Burlington (between campus and Church, Main and Pearl Streets), is going to the state government to remind them that students are an important part of Burlington and to not cut funding for its organization. Dr. Michael Kimmel, a specialist in sociology and gender, will be coming to UVM to speak on Feb. 13. 11 new senators were sworn into the SGA Jan. 29. DEVON LINDSEY The Vermont Cynic SGA Vice President Samantha Holland speaks at an SGA meeting Jan. 29.


N EWS

CRIME LOG

THURSDAY, JANUARY31, 2013

Prof. pushes for Portuguese minor

Lauren Drasler Staff Writer

Steph Beland Staff Writer

Jan. 20 7:28 p.m. in from Christie Hall. Someone had marked up a hallway of the building. Although no serious damage was done,

this incident.

Jan. 21 12:35 a.m. A person called police services because a sign had been stolen outside the Redstone Lofts. The person who called in was able to provide police with descriptive information. The sign was found and the people involved in the

2:14 a.m. A student was found passed out in a bathroom in Christie Hall. It was determined that he/she had been drinking and was sent to ACT to detox. The student’s Blood Alcohol Content was

9:53 a.m. A staff member working in the Marche in the Living/ Learning Center reported that someone had stolen bread from the facility. The theft was reported late because it was unknown what time the bread was actually taken.

Jan. 22 1:57 a.m. An anonymous report came in to police services stating that the caller had heard gunshots by Trinity Campus. It was later determined that set off in the general vicinity. Police concluded this after consulting with the Burlington Police Department because they were receiving similar calls from citizens living near Trinity Campus.

2:35 p.m. An employee of the business school reported a laptop belonging to the School of Business Administration stolen from a conference room in Kalkin Hall. It is unknown when the laptop was taken. The laptop has not yet been found, and no one has been

Jan. 23 3:37 p.m. Hall staff in Slade Hall called in an odor of marijuana coming from one of the dorm rooms. Upon an mined the students in the dorm room were not using drugs, but were instead burning incense.

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DEVON LINDSEY The Vermont Cynic

SCC seeks to divest Kiley Falcone Cynic Correspondent Student Climate Culture club (SCC) is stepping up its efforts to push divestment from fossil fuel companies in the University’s endowment, sophomore and member Dan Cmejla said. Recently the group has been working on a summit called the Ownership Reclamation Series Economics Institute and the University’s Gund Institute of Technology. The summit will promote environmentally friendly economic ideals and raise awareness for the problems with fossil fuels, Cmejla said. “In two weeks, UVM could be something better than we are now,” he said. Through the series, SCC hopes to strengthen the relationship between various new economy initiatives in Vermont, to increase awareness of alternatives through public events and teach-ins, Cmejla said. The group previously proposed a resolution to SGA for divestment from Blackrock AllCap Energy Fund Dec. 2 but was denied, SGA President senior Connor Daley explained. The SCC will resubmit the resolution to divest from Blackrock and invest in socially responsible companies during a presentation Feb. 5, Daley said. SCC will hold a panel discussion on divestment Feb. 6 with Richard Cate, vice president of

chair of the Socially Responsible Investment Work Group as part of its kick-off event for the Ownership Reclamation Series, he said. And then there are other methods to attract the public’s attention. During one of the board of trustees meetings Feb. 8-9, the group will stage a nonintrusive protest act, he said. Looking for other ways to take on climate change, Cmejla and senior Alex Prolman, another member of SCC, have Economy Coalition to hold a forum series, Prolman said. The forum series would allow the SCC to engage people through this values-based summit, he said. “The economy should be grounded in ecological and democratic values,” Prolman said. ownership of the economy in multiple ways, he said. “The country and world need an example of a group that could do it right and we think it could be UVM,” Cmejla said. “To set this example all we need to do is agree to divest on this one account.” First-year Stephanie Marandi, member of SSC, said ence other schools to follow. “We can set the standard for thousands of schools around the nation,” she said. For more information, check out SCC on Facebook. com.

Being raised in both Brazil and the U.S. has given Dr. Debora Teixiera a reason to work toward expanding the UVM Portuguese program since she began teaching at the University four years ago. Teixiera said she wants to teach higher levels of Portuguese at UVM and one day have it offered as a minor. Two Brazilian news publications, A Cidade and Revista Veja, have done features on Teixiera concerning the rise of the use of Portuguese around the world, she said. “The magazine found me through a website for Portuguese teachers that allows us to share ideas and curriculums,” Teixiera said. “After that, a local newspaper (A Cidade) had contacted me to give an interview.” Portuguese is only offered at the University through the intermediate level. “I hope the administration will help move it forward,” she said. “Students stop taking Portuguese because it stops after the intermediate level.” Portugese is becoming more popular in the United States because Brazil is beginning to play a stronger economic role in the country, Teixiera said. “I think it’s important for the University to consider expanding the program with Portuguese as a rising U.S. language,”

Other reasons for the growing interest in the Portuguese language throughout the world is the World Cup and the next summer Olympics being hosted in Brazil, Teixiera said. “There are students that want to be able to speak the language if they go,” she said. In order to promote the program’s growth, Teixiera hosts cultural events around campus.

“There are students that want to be able to speak the language if they go.” Debora Teixeira

UVM Professor

“I think for people interested in business, engineering or the environment, Portuguese is a good language to know now because there are currently not many speakers in the states,” she said. “Having Portuguese on your resume for four semesters will add to your possibilities.” However, due to lack of enrollment, the Portuguese department may not see expansion presently, according to Cristina Mozzoni, chair of the romance language department. “I don’t see an expansion in the immediate future,” she said. “The department fully supports the Portuguese program, but we will need more student enrollment before we are able to expand the program.”


ARTS

The Cynic goes Creeking, finds a Phish Alex Karambelas Cynic Correspondent Max Creek is a versatile jam band that began in the early 70s and has continued to grow and make music for the last 40 years. Although Burlington has been a mainstay of their past tours, including an especially memorable show with Phish in UVM’s Patrick Gym in ‘89, their show Friday, Jan. 25, at Higher playing in Burlington in seven years. The band currently consists of the three veterans from the early years, Scott Milanowski (guitar), Mark Mercier (keyboard) and John Rider (bass), and new members Bill Carbone (drums) and Jamemurrel Stanley (percussion). Throughout the years, the band has undergone many member changes and has expanded their sound to ecompess a wide range of the musical spectrum. Their show at Higher Ground was sparked with a surprise appearance from Phish’s bassist Mike Gordon, who came on stage to play in the band’s original song “Wild Side,” and got the whole crowd singing along to a cover of “Stay With Me” by The Faces. The Cynic caught up with Bill Carbone, Mark Mercier, and Scott Murawski before the show to discuss their 40-Year musical evolution, what the deal is with the rubber duckies and the philosophy that has allowed them to stay together for so long. Vermont Cynic (VC): Okay so, just because I’m curious, what’s with the ducks? [There is always a rubber duck present on stage during shows] Mark Mercier (MM): Well, sound systems were preted out in 1972-73. So we experimented with these various things. Our guitar player had this speaker system with this wide range horn on the top and it looked like a duck’s bill so we called it the “Georgia Quaker.” So when we started a sound company that was associated with the band we called it “Quack Sound” and so ducks just became part of the whole situation. Scott Murawski (SM): We used to have a six foot one that we just hauled around with us everywhere. VC: How has your music evolved over the 40 years you guys have been together? SM: started it was a three piece, an acoustic kind of country rock band and then it got very much hasn’t changed a lot since then except I would say it’s gotten more mature and we’ve tried to ences into what we do. I would say probably the way it’s developed the most is just by playing together for that many years, it’s developed a level of ESP where we don’t have to look at each other or talk to each other or anything to know what’s going on. VC: Do you plan your sets ahead of time? SM: We try not to plan our

ERIKA COLBERTALDO The Vermont Cynic

Max Creek vocalist Scott Murawski plays at Higher Ground Jan. 25. Max Creek is an American rock band originally formed in 1971. sets ahead of time. There are two different theories as far as that goes within the band… I avoid set lists and other people kind of like them. MM: Well the other thing to play like all the time, and when you do that, you don’t get much of a chance to see anybody else play.

“We have a lot of people that come up and say ‘Oh yeah my mom and dad used to see you guys back in the 80s’ and so we get two generations of fans. It’s pretty cool.” Scott Murawski Guitarist

And then in ‘92 we stopped touring for a short while and it gave us a chance to kind of look around and go “oh my god there’s all this music that’s going on out here.” So we started bringing more stuff in in that particular point in time. VC: So is there a particular song you guys have enjoyed playing lately? SM: It really varies. MM: Sometimes you’re sick of everything and sometimes everything is new, so it just is really interesting. Bill Carbone (BC): It’s all new to me, though. SM: It’s also interesting too because I mean, like, Bill has been in the band for just over a year along with Jay [Jamemurrel Stanley] and the other three have been here for over 40 years. VC to SM: What’s the relationship between your side projects and this band? SM:

everything else. It’s like when I go to play those bands… obviously I have so much history here that I bring out there. But playing with Mike [Gordon] and [Bill] Kruetzman [Grateful Dead’s drummer] you just learn so much and I bring that back here. I think everybody does that, I mean Bill’s got a hundred different projects that he plays with and so he brings those here as well. VC to BC: So when you came into the band, were you coming from a certain kind of music scene? BC: I’ve always said yes to every opportunity; I have tried to do everything. SM: [coughs] slut [coughs]. BC: [laughs] Yeah, so I don’t know, there’s like a million things that I love, and it’s all so different. MM: It’s funny, we all come from different things, because you [Bill] have more of a rock pelin type situation, I came from New Orleans and ragtime and stuff like that, and the bass player is more folk and country, each other. New Orleans is still my favorite though. VC: So with all these changing places and your musical changes over so much time, has your fan base and community stayed somewhat the same? SM: We cycle through fan bases. Basically, they stay the same age while we get older and older. MM: Well, a lot of people leave and have families and get jobs and so on and so forth and we think they’ve outgrown us and then they come back with their kids. SM: We have a lot of people that come up and say ‘Oh yeah my mom and dad used to see you guys back in the 80s’ and so we get two generations of fans.

ERIKA COLBERTALDO The Vermont Cynic

Keyboardist Mark Mercier performs at Higher Ground Jan. 25. It’s pretty cool. VC: do you guys have a certain philosophy for your band, or a way that has kept you alive for so many years? SM: We don’t speak to each other [laughs]. No, way back in the early days we came up with this idea that the band would be a place for people that were outcasts everywhere else to come and be creative and express. It’s kind of been an acceptance thing, where if someone brings in an idea, we’re game, we’ll do it, and if it works,

it works, and if it doesn’t, it doesn’t, but we’re always game. So we’re very tolerant of each other’s ideas. I don’t think there’s anybody whose ego is in the way who says ‘no it has to be this way’ and ‘no I refuse to do that’ or anything like that. It’s always been about anything that anybody wants to do Can’t get enough Max Creek? Check out Bill Carbone’s band Sparkplug, accompanied by Scott Murawski, playing at Nectar’s Feb. 16. Must be age 21+.


THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2013

Film uncovers the body Madeleine Gibson Assistant Arts Editor

This Week in Arts: Feb. 1-6

The 2012-2013 UVM Film Series: The Body in Film premiered Jan. 24 with a showing of surrealist writer/director Darren Aronofsky’s “The Fountain.” The series was developed in partnership with UVM’s Lane Series, Film and Television Studies Department and the Fleming Museum. and moviegoers alike lounged in the Billings Lecture Hall for a pre-show talk with Film and Television Studies associate professor Hilary Neroni, followed by the movie and a Q&A. Neroni’s lecture introduced the two ways in which ian and unknowable. The talk analyzed the body’s role as canvas for the stories and experiences of humanity. courages the viewer to acknowledge the physical body for its utilitarian purpose as a vessel for survival,” Neroni said. During the Vietnam War, the hard bodies of Rambolike characters embodied the unending strength and courage necessary to mend the broken American spirit, she added. Neroni suggests it functions additionally to represent a singular depiction of masculinity.

LORENO LINERO The Vermont Cynic

Professor Hilary Neroni talks to students about Darren Aronofsky’s “The second body is body as subject…a body we don’t have access too,” Neroni conconnection to the mind-body psyche…desiring and inscrutable.” It is this second category in which Aronofsky explores the body, highlighting deeply complex themes of mortality, love and progress. The Fountain’s main characters, Tommy and Izzie, engage the viewer with their Neroni urged the audience to take notice of the bodies in The Fountain. Senior Mackey Landy recalled his initial interpretation of Tommy’s body, played by Hugh Jackman. “In the tai chi scene…it is very ambiguous,” Landy said. “He is a force, one of a few

beings moving through the world.” Aronofsky’s heavy use of light and shadow illuminated the stark contrast between life and death. “Aronofsky literally took their bodies and put them together to have a yin and yang effect,” sophomore Jacob Schneider said. In the Q&A, Schneider further explained this idea that Tommy’s darkness represented the relationship’s overwhelming passion. Izzie’s angelic radiance, the light to the symbol of unity, depicted the couple’s grace. The Body in Film will continue until April 18, with three Q&A to follow. Check out the UVM Lane Series website for more information.

The Cynical Viewer ist Paul Lieberman wrote a seven-part LA Time’s series detailing how Cohen was removed from power by a covert group of LA cops following World War II. The work done by Lieberman is the basis for despite its roots in reality PHIL CHENEY

“Gangster Squad” ain’t ‘G’

and is more reminiscent of a western than a classic mob

“Gangster Squad” is a newly released action-crime drama by Ruben Fleischer, director of “Zombieland.” With a title like Gangster Squad it ends up being a

starred Jesse Eisenberg but

expect: thugs, gruesome deaths, heroes in fedoras, who mostly just sit on the sideline of men’s brutality. Believe it or not it’s based on a true story. Sean Penn’s character, Mickey Cohen, is a boxer-turned-barbaricmobster whose gangster career as a part of the JewBugsy Siegel, Frank Sinatra and Richard Nixon. Mickey Cohen died in 1976 and in 2008 journal-

5

Ruben Fleischer is a relatively new and upcoming

has gone in a more serious direction, upgrading to an experienced cast featuring Penn, Josh Brolin and Ryan Gosling. Emma Stone, who played a crafty survivor in “Zombieland,” works with Fleischer again, acting as Penn and Gosling’s shared love interest. Your personal taste for the actors will most likely dictate whether you aren’t a fan of the cast, don’t see it. The actors fail to give the performance of their careers, but overall they do a solid job. I’ve thought of Gosling as a good actor since “Blue Valentine” and

a smooth talking, chainsmoking, wise guy cop the actor appears to have had fun playing and is therefore enjoyable to watch. Josh Brolin, known for his great role in “No Country for Old Men,” gives a standard performance portraying a hard-headed, honorable, tough guy who leads over most of the shots, giving it a post WWII period look. The movie that delivers a good car chase, slow motion violence to Jazz music and an orgy of machine guns where hardly anyone When it’s all said and doesn’t give your mind anything to mull over, especially in comparison to more as “Goodfellas.” Overall it is destined to become a classic. “Gangster Squad” is currently playing at the Roxy and Majestic theatres. Check out Phil’s review of Quentin Tarantino’s “Djago Unchained” online at www.vermontcynic.com

SARAH STICKLE

This Week in Arts highlights upcoming events at UVM and in the Burlington community. Sarah Sickle provides her recommendations for local concerts.

strong vocal leads. It will be a real treat to have them around. As an added bonus, Kat & Brett will be gracing you with their dulcet tones as the opening act. You know Kat from her soul nights at the Radio Bean, and you know Brett from…well… everywhere. Have you seen a Burlington-based band before? If Brett hasn’t played with them, they want him to.

Monday Feb. 4

Friday Feb. 1

The “Good” Reverend Donovan

BRaiNSCaPeS

Radio Bean, 7:30 p.m.

Radio Bean, 12:30 a.m. BRaiNSCaPeS is a psychedelic Bob Wagner and Matt Hagen project. Frankly, anything that either of these two touch is pure gold. Check out their new sound at a free, all ages show; no excuses.

Saturday Feb. 2 Vedora Radio Bean, 10:30 p.m. Vedora makes a surprising amount of noise for just three people. Exploring punk and rock and roll, Vedora is dark but a blast to see live. Delicious guitar lines, driving drums and killer bass parts accentuate Caroline O’Connor and Matt Hastings’ vocal harmonies. They’re a mix between The Cure and stellar, dark pop music. An unexpected and welcomed blend of genres.

Sunday Feb. 3 Joy Kills Sorrow and Kat Wright & Brett Hughes Signal Kitchen, 8 p.m. $10 and 18+ Joy Kills Sorrow is a Boston-based band, but claims alternate “hometowns” as Portland, Maine and Brooklyn. Let’s make Burlington a new home for them. This dynamic bluegrass quartet instrumental

work

and

I think calling him The “Good” is a stretch, but his musical abilities are in my good, if not great, graces. Join recent UVM grad Ben Donovan for some good old-fashioned Honky Tonk drinking tunes. His pipes are unbeatable and he knows just what to say. You will leave a happy camper.

Tuesday Feb. 5 The Hardscrabble Hounds The Monkey House, 8:30 p.m. $3

Join local boys the Hardscrabble Hounds for some innovative Americana. playing, courtesy of Tuck Hanson, and a viciously powerful lead vocal with lyrics that sit with you, you should make the trip to Winooski for a night. Then get the hell out of there.

Wednesday Feb. 6 Trapper Keeper and the Worst 5 Minutes of You Life Radio Bean, 11 p.m. It’s punk rock night at the Bean, so come see some of Burlington’s best that is normally hidden away at 2424 Main or out-of-state. Rage.


Life

Local entrepreneurs live the Wild Life Hunter G. Foreman Cynic Correspondent

“In a business sense, we need to get more recognizable brands in order to be on-trend and on-par with everything else out there,” he said. By virtue of Burlington’s close social networking circle, Mullin and Banks said that they have realized that social media plays a big role in driving sales. “All we have is word of mouth and social media,” Mullin said. “We just hit 900 likes [on Facebook] with Sticky Brand right behind it.” Wild Life recently had another opportunity to showcase their products when hip-hop group The Pharcyde played at Higher Ground Jan. 29. The Pharcyde participated in an in-store autograph signing with Scott Lavalla from local hip hop group The Lynguistic Civil-

Directly next to the Kountry Kart Deli and one short walk up the stairs reveals a stickerridden door bearing the name Wild Life. Only a year old, Wild Life Clothing is home to roughly 20 exclusive brands in Burlington, including Products of Human Creativity, Burlington Virgin Threads, Where, Face (neck warmers), Silver Stream Jewelry and Coleno Apparel. Dave Mullin and Ben Banks, former students of Champlain College and Lyndon State College respectively, both graduated with degrees in graphic design. They went on to team up for the creation of The Sticky Brand – a side company they own and Wild Life. With a startup investment of $300, these two entrepreneurial spirits networked with local Burlington businesses and boutique stores in the area before they had the resources and contacts needed to open up Wildlife Clothing. Considering their roots, the Wild Life crew collaborates to help other start-up brands and local Burlington businesses get the ball rolling. Through representing apparel suppliers as vendors in their store, they give these

NATALIE WILLIAMS The Vermont Cynic

Co-owner Ben Banks organizes shirts before an in-store autograph signing with the Pharcyde at his shop, Wild Life on Main Street Jan. 29. Although only a year old, they house roughly 20 local brands. brands a chance to break into the apparel world and expand their customer base. An entrepreneur himself, sophomore Connor Nolan’s clothing line Coleno Apparel is represented in the store. “I told [Ben] I had just started a line recently, and had three designs on me,” Nolan said. “He was super into them and basically asked me if I

wanted to throw a couple on sale in the store... they’re always so supportive of kids and local artists, and that’s what I feel like it’s all about.” Mullin said they are always checking out up-and-coming trends in street wear, making a point to stay ahead of the curve and keep the Burlington style fresh. The pair attended the Agen-

da Trade Show, which ran from Jan. 23-24, in order to network with representatives from other brands around the Northeast, Mullin said. While the hyper-focus on local brands has served the shop well so far, Mullin said that moving forward, they are looking to include other companies beyond those native to Burlington.

Mascara Militia’s mountainous mark Lydia Horne Staff Writer In a sport typically dominated by men, the Mascara Militia is taking over one mountain at a time. Founded by recent alum Britt Horowitz, the Mascara Militia (MaMi) is an all female snowboarding group aimed at connecting riders over their shared love of the sport, Horowitz said. Based at Sugarbush Mountain, the crew consists of girls year Lily Calabrese, sophomore Hailey Ronconi and alum Jessa Gilbert. Horowitz said she founded MaMi after seeing a lack of girls on the slopes to ride with and few women riders in online edits. The MaMi crew began with a group of girls she met on the mountain and at competitions. “I picked the MaMi team based on three things: snowboard ability, positive attitudes, rider gives off to other people,” Horowitz said. The Militia does not schedule regular practices. But with competitions taking them to mountains across the Norththemselves at the mountain most of the week, said sophomore Hailey Ronconi, who hits “We all have certain tricks we want to work on and certain goals in our heads, but sometimes the best part of snowboarding is just shredding and having fun without any pressure,” Ronconi said.

The crew recently completed The 5 Mountains in 5 Days trip, where they boarded at various mountains on the East Coast including Killington, Mt. Snow, Sugarbush, Waterville Valley and Whiteface. Like many of their snowboarding adventures, MaMi recorded the 5 Mountains in 5 to be uploaded to their website. Their website includes footage of the girls showcasing their talents in the terrain park, giving spotlight segments for each of the girls representing the team. MaMi’s online presence may be part of an increasing trend that features video edits of women’s snowboarding. Ronconi said that the recent online women’s snowboarding has helped her boarding in a technical way. “All these videos are awesome for girls like myself who get stoked on seeing girls shred,” she said. “They’re inspiring since it’s sometimes easier to connect with watching a girl do a trick and transfer that to doing it yourself.” “Since girls are built differently than guys, we carry a lot of weight in our hips, we move slightly differently, so watching another girl do a trick you would like to do helps you learn a way that you can do it successfully yourself,” Ronconi said. She added that the growing presence of girls on the slopes has created a positive outlook. “I think girl snowboarding is heading in a good direction, especially compared to when she said. “Recently, I have seen

sponsors. They even wore Wild Life clothing at the show to further promote the shop, Mullin said. Wild Life is offering a free Street Grape sticker for those who mention this article in their Main St. To check out their shwag and photos, like Wild Life Clothing on Facebook.com/ thewildlifeshop and follow its Instagram feed @thewildlifeshop.

BREWERY

the Magic Hat Tour ...continued from page 1

“In this negative degree wonderland known as Burlington, Vermont, simply wearing

PHOTO COURTESY OF GREG FUREY

A Mascara Militia snowboarder rides at Sugarbush. They are a group of female snowboarders, including three UVM students. better turn outs for girls at rail jams.” “And by better, I still only good turn out,” she said. But even with more women competing in contests and rail jams, Horowitz said she wishes fellow riders would take more risks. “At times I have felt it appears [contest riders] aren’t hucking the bigger tricks,” she said. “They want to secure a spot on the podium with a solid run of things they know they can land versus taking the risk to do something really gnarly.” Boarding aside, MaMi has done more than achieve success on the slopes. For riders like Ronconi and Horowitz, the team has brought that can inspire other female riders. “Mascara Militia is great because it has introduced me to a bunch of girls who shred,

who have taught me a lot and who are super encouraging,” Ronconi said. “It has been really good for me to just to have a lot of ladies to shred with.” Senior Connor Winton, who has worked with MaMi shooting edits, has taken notice. “Watching a whole crew of badass girls pushing each other to ride is something that snowboarding needs more of,” he said. Keep your eyes peeled for MaMi’s participation in the Billabong Flaunt It Snowboard Series running January to April and the Volcom Peanut Butter and Rail Jam (PBRJ) coming up in March. You can track the ladies on their webpage at www.mascaramilitia.com and follow their Instagram feed @mascaramilitia. the 5 Mountain in 5 Days Tour have already dropped, so stay tuned for the rest.

anymore. You need a beer turtleneck, beer sweater, and a beer parka,” Jakupso said. The atmosphere conveyed in the Artifactory is not the only aspect of Magic Hat’s impact on the community. It also directly impacts the Hope Works program in town. Contributing over $250,000 dollars to women rape crisis center, the Magic Hat brewery has lent a helping hand to the organization according to its website. As typically displayed by most Vermont-based organizations, environmental awareness is also high on the brewery’s list of civic duties. They are, in fact, the only brewery known to use an Anaerobic Digester. machine is designed to practice the most environmentally conscious method in breaking down and condensing the barley and grain during the brewing process. With over two hundred different types of beer, there seems to be a brew for just about everyone. The Indian Pale Ales, though, have a much higher alcohol content. With a 7.0% alcohol content, 5 beers is more like 7 or 8. The Magic Hat brewery and Artifactory is open MondaySunday: Noon-5pm.


D I ST R ACT I O N S

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2013

This week in

7

Middle Ages Distractions:Under 1066 to the 1485 sea Fish are friends

By Hope Olszewski, Staff Writer

Across 2. Nemo is a ________. 4. One of the biggest fears of the ocean 6. Seen leaping out of the ocean 8. Famous for its eight arms 10. Flower of the sea 13. Clawed crustacean 14. Flattened sea urchin 16. Magic ______ shell 18. Coral system 19. Lives inside of a shell Down 1. A source of food for whales 3. Type of seaweed 5. The biggest underwater mammal 7. Patrick from Spongebob Squarepants 9. Their eggs are laid in the sand 12. Also known as the killer whale 15. Almost like a unicorn of the sea

Answers to last week’s crossword: Saddle Up Across 3. Bounty hunter 5. Gold rush 6. Bandit 7. Bandana 10. Cowboy 12. Chaps 14. Calamity Jane 15. Lasso

18. Rawhide 20. Buffalo Bill Down 1. Ghost town 2. Bandwagon 4. Nighthawk 7. Butch Cassidy 8. Corral

9. Bronco 10. Cow boss 11. Rodeo 13. Ranch 16. Spurs 17. Tenderfoot 19. Wrangler

Fun Facts

The body of a tains 95% water.

By Jenna Bushor, Illustrations Editor

Octopi are deaf.

Camp Morning Wood by Scott Womer Seahorses mate for life.

While mating, seahorses utter musical sounds.

The blueringed octopus is the most poisonous animal on earth.

Sources: see-the-sea. org, aquaviews.net


STAFF EDITORIAL

THE VERMONT

CYNIC

EDITORIAL BOARD Editor-in-Chief Mike Eaton

cynic@uvm.edu

802-656-0337

Managing Editor Devin Karambelas

cynicnewsroom@gmail.com

News Katy Cardin

cynicnews@gmail.com

Opinion Jacob Lumbra

cynicopinion@gmail.com

Sports Taylor Feuss

cynicsportseditor@gmail.com

Life/Feature Thomas Rogers

cyniclifeeditor@gmail.com

Arts Dillon Baker

cynicartseditor@gmail.com

Multimedia Natalie Williams

cynicphoto@gmail.com

Layout Aviva Loeb

layout.cynic@gmail.com

Copy Chief Elizabeth Bengel

cyniccopychief@gmail.com

Illustration Jenna Bushor

cynicsketches@gmail.com

Enterprise Becky Hayes

cynicenterprise@gmail.com

Web Emma Murphy

vermontcynicweb@gmail.com

Social Media Natalie Slack

socialcyniceditor@gmail.com

STAFF Assistant Editors Stephanie Santos, Madeleine Gibson, Walker Sultzbach, Phoebe Sheehan, Mackenzie Jones, Alex Goldenberg, Colin Hekimian, Matthew Blanchard

Page Designers Grace Buckles, Carly Kemp,Tyler Molleur, Vivian Nicastro, Laurel Saldinger, Amelia Schumacher, Emelie Tenander

Copy Editors Autumn McNabb-Schoch, Sammie Ibrahim, Joe Tomlinson, Emily Bartran and Ayla Yersel

OPERATIONS Operations Manager Victor Hartmann

cynicoperations@gmail.com

Distribution Manager Kyle DeVivo kdevivo@uvm.edu

Advertising Manager Liza Battaglia cynicalads@gmail.com

ADVISER Faculty Adviser Chris Evans

Opinion

College media loses its liberties Up north, college journalists’ access to information is going south. Dec. 7 that would allow it to deny access to information requested by The McGill Daily, Concordia’s The Link and website McGilliLeaked. The motion seeks to deny current information requested by the 14 respondents named in the document, many of them students, as well as any future record requests that these individuals may issue. Like Vermont, Canada has an Access to Information Act that requires any government-run and publically funded institution — like McGill — to release certain documents to the theconcordian.com explained. For their part, administrators at McGill allege the respondents have been making “repetitious and abusive requests” for information in the aftermath of campus protests that took place between 2011-2012 in response to a tuition hike, The McGill Daily reported Jan. 19. We at The Cynic would like to offer our support to our fellow journalists across the border. Fortunately, UVM administrators generally comply with our records requests; but then again, the requests themselves typically are few and far between. In the case of McGill, it seems as if the university has pitted itself against its students. As a service, it is The McGill Daily’s job to inform the community and hold community members accountable if warranted. That’s not “abusive,” that’s journalism. The records request process may sometimes be inconvenient. It can be messy, and once in one. But to hinder that process is to undermine the egalitarian values that educational institutions are built It is our hope that McGill’s pursued litigation will prove unsuccessful and that the blacklisted fourteen will maintain the right to do their job.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Matters of manliness Dear Editor, The purpose of this letter is to initiate a dialogue about men that goes beyond rhetoric and negative stereotypes. It also aims to increase the student body’s awareness of the unique needs of college men and to introduce the proposal for a Men’s Educational Center (MEC) at the University of Vermont. In early September 2012, Tom Gustafson and Annie Stevens released a report updating the UVM community on the 2011 Sigma Phi Epsilon incident. This report contained multiple recommendations made by the Gender Based and Sexual Violence Task Force. Two of these recommendations were the hiring of a men’s educator and the creation of a men’s educational center. I believe that for the sake of all men and women at UVM, it is the duty of the university to take these recommendations seriously and act upon them. Some may ask why UVM should follow through on these recommendations. Some will say that men don’t have “issues” related to their gender. Some will say that men have enough privilege, however, this is not the case. The fact is, men have been socialized since birth to be “competitive, unemotional, and invulnerable.”

Unsigned editorials officially reflect the views of The Cynic and its staff. All signed opinion pieces and columns do not necessarily do so. The Cynic accepts letters in response to anything you see printed as well as any issues of interest in the community. Please limit letters to 350 words. Send letters to cynicopinion@gmail.com

Boys’ socialization into adulthood includes a great deal of societal and peer pressure to conform to an unattainable model of masculinity, which results in many negative and destructive outcomes. For example, men are more likely to be the victims of violent crime, men ages 15-24 comthe rate of women, men have a four-year university graduation rate 10 percent lower than that of women and the percentage of incarcerated men ages 18-24 is 14 times higher than that of women. UVM’s 2011 Campus Climate Survey reports that male students are more likely to experience harassment and discrimination. They also report lower rates of feeling a sense of belonging in the UVM campus community and lower rates of knowing how and where to get help if they are physically or sexually assaulted. These are some of the serious issues college aged men face that need attention. A men’s center would play a critical role at UVM by addressing these issues and creating a safe space for men where they will not feel judged or looked down upon. This safe space would allow for one-on-one or group interactions to discuss issues such as personal health, past trauma or any number of personal issues.

A men’s center can offer educational resources and resuch as substance use/abuse, sexual and mental health, abuse and developmental concerns. A men’s center would provide this bridge while educating men about diverse expressions of masculinity, not just our society’s set ideal (heterosexual white male, focused on making money, overtly sexually active, overly aggressive, competitive, risk-taker, avoids femininity). A men’s center would strive to promote positive masculine ideals that are inclusive of sexuality, race, gender, sex, likes and dislikes. I wrote this article to bring attention to the challenges that men face, and to generate discussion about these issues. It is time for our society and the university to put a focus on men’s issues. Therefore I fully support the hiring of a men’s educator in combination with the creation of a men’s educational center, and I urge the appropriate university tion on these recommendations. a survey on the issue of a Men’s Educational Center at UVM, please go to the following link: http://goo.gl/lMyVT. Sincerely, Christian Matthews Class of 2014

THE VERMONT CYNIC www.vermontcynic.com 116 Dudley H. Davis Center, First issue free, second issue 50 cents. 590 Main Street, Burlington, VT 05405 ADVERTISING cynicalads@gmail.com — 802.656.4412


THURSDAY, JANUARY31, 2013

9

Bearing arms over gun control issue

JOSH GACHETTE

Guns and cars have long been among the leading causes of non-medical deaths in the U.S. ing to research conducted by Bloomberg. As stated by The University of Chicago Crime Lab and the arms are responsible for ending an average of 87 lives every day in the U.S. The possibility of that statistic going up by even the slightest amount is extremely unnerving. Delving further into the demore bad news. The crime lab’s research estimates the annual cost of gun violence to society at $100 billion. At least 17 mass shootings happened in 2012 alone, leaving upward of 90 dead. In Chicago alone, over 4,000 people age 21

JOEY BROWN

A refrain that I hear often from liberals is that liberalism is “empirical,” “logical” or “pragmatic” when making decisions on state policy. Liberalism is incorrectly seen as the ideology of reason; conservatives are not allowed the same image. Conservatives are falsely la-

or younger have been shot in the last four years. In the face of this ever-worsening public health and safety crisis, there are many who still claim that the Second Amendment is a necessary right. They believe the ability to bear arms is vital to resisting tyrannical government. There is some debate as to what the Second Amendment gives full rights for when it comes to gun ownership. Even when reading the amendment in a way that increases the ability to own more powerful and violent guns, there is no doubt that the supreme law can be changed. The Constitution has been changed numerous times in its 226 years of existence and so why not now? The sale and distribution of alcohol was, for a point in time, prohibited by it; just as women’s suffrage, and clear parameters of citizenship were once ignored. But as times changed, so did the document. Then there is the argument that a well-armed citizenry is necessary to keep Big Brother at bay. As someone who varies from being untrusting to deeply skeptical of the federal government on any given day, I will admit to being wooed by the argument before.

However, thinking about it practically, it is outright nonsensical. It is romantic to imagine gallantly against oppressive government. As is the case with most instances of romanticized bravado, it will never happen. The United States military is the most advanced and best world. Accordingly, the only way the American public could ever possibly resist excessive government by force would be for it to be comparably armed; something for which no one would advocate. So, who is responsible for the stagnant dialogue on gun ownership in the United States? Since 2005, donations to the NRA from all “corporate partners,” including both gun industries and non-gun industries, total between $19.8 million and $52.6 million. Over 70 percent of money contributed to the NRA from “corporate partners” comes industry who want to keep selling. Beretta, a manufacturer, do-

POINTCOUNTERPOINT

beled as reactionary zealots who act irrationally in the name of tradition. Indeed, conservatives who claim to be informed by science on, say, abortion, are met with scorn and relentless jeers. To the chagrin of conservatives, this false logic has followed them to the debate on gun control. One must ask, however, what are the statistics on the issue of gun control? Does gun control work? Before presenting the facts proving the failure of gun confer a few of my thoughts on the debate. As noted economist Thomas Sowell correctly observed in a recent column, media discussions of the issue of gun control revolve primarily around two

conservative allies: the NRA and the Second Amendment. Mind you, neither of these factors are “bulletproof.” Interest groups can be denied by Congress and amendments to the Constitution can be created and repealed. It’s happened before. Let’s assume, for all intents and purposes, that the facts of gun control have a liberal bias, that conservatives are incorrect in defending gun ownership, as guns are more detrimental than It would, therefore, be obvious that the NRA has no case, and that the Second Amendment is an outdated right, more intuipistols, as opposed to AR-15s and semi-automatic handguns, were the arms of choice. That gun control advocates the debate are on their side shows a lack of honesty on their part. Why don’t they put the Second Amendment on the table? An honest debate would jeopardize the Second Amendment, grounds. Gun control advocates choose to ignore — or dismiss — the fact that gun control laws

Quick Opinion

nated one million dollars to the NRA to work to overturn gun control laws in the wake of the 2008 U.S. Supreme Court decision in “District of Columbia v. Heller,” which recognized an individual’s right to possess a handgun in the home for selfdefense. Thinking of the NRA in these terms completely changes the national discussion on arms. The evidence suggests that the group exists as a lobbying group for arms manufactures instead of an advocacy group for decent gun owners.

“To those parents threatening to remove their children from the daycare center which recently offered to shelter the homeless: Way to teach lessons of charity, moral decency and human equality.” Jeff Ayers Illustration by Andrew Becker

crimes. In fact, in many instances, they raise them. To realize this, we ought not look any further than Chicago. Is it any coincidence that the city with the strictest gun control laws in the nation also has the nation’s highest murder rate? Washington D.C., too, is a perfect example of how gun control legislation begets the opposite of its intended effect. Internationally, the results are the same. Mexico has stricter gun control laws than we do and they have much more violent crime. Australia, too, proves to be a dangerous country, with approximately 30 percent of its citizens victimized by violent crime. Keep in mind that Australia has some of the strictest gun control laws in the world. Conversely, in places with little to no gun control laws, the results contradict those in places with high gun control. Indeed, think of our neighbors in New Hampshire, who have nearly no restrictions on among the top ten states with the lowest crime rate. Internationally, too, conservative logic prevails. Ever wonder why Switzerland has no standing army? It’s because the Swiss gov-

The “freedom of choice” argument on which gun advocates have rested their laurels loses all legitimacy in my eyes. With the tremendous human cost of rampant gun ownership in this country paired with a lack of legislation for stricter gun laws, I see stronger government control over arms sales as essential.

ernment supplies all males, between the ages of 20 and 30, with a SIG SG 550—a fully aumagazine containing double the former national limit and with bullets of the same caliber as the thoroughly demonized AR15—in order to create a standing militia. It is important to note that Switzerland has one of the lowest crime rates in the world. Mind you, Switzerland’s guns do not necessarily afford the country its low crime rate. However, if liberal logic holds that more guns equal more crime, then they have struck out A cardinal concept that gun control advocates ignore is that their proposed legislation would disarm law-abiding gun owners, thus empowering criminals to be more overt and active in their illicit activities. Alternately, criminals would not be encumbered in obtaining Gun control doesn’t work, and, for the sake of the image that liberals are pragmatic by nature, liberals ought to cede the debate.

CONTROVERSIAL QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA BOARD WOULD BE MAKING A SERIOUS MISTAKE TO BOW TO THE STRONG-ARM TACTICS OF LGBT ACTIVISTS AND OPEN THE ORGANIZATION TO HOMOSEXUALITY.” Family Research Council President Tony Perkins expresses his concerns over the BSA’s vote in the coming week that could lift the national ban on gay scouts and leaders.


Sports

Spectacle a look through the lens Catamount Swim Team competes against URI for their senior meet, the last home meet of the season. They won the meet 170-124, resulting in a 9-5 record for the year. This year’s seniors are Kailey Gardner, Susannah Gruner, Emily Healy, Chelsea Krisandra and Abby Mundt. PHOTOS BY Alicia Accetta

BASKETBALL

Cats jump in AE

...continued from page 1

half, however six minutes later Albany’s Mike Black led the Great Danes to a score of 17-5. Black added a personal nine points to the team’s run to steal Vermont’s lead away at 39-38. With just minutes left in the notched a three-pointer as the shot clock expired to increase the lead to four points for Vermont. The Catamounts hit multiple clutch free throws down the Carissimo. The defeat pushed Vermont is 56-16 in America East play since the 2008-09 season and 31-6 at home in conference action. The Catamounts nasium and 16 out of their last 17 Vermont has the top scorranks 28th in Division I, allow-

ALEX EDELMAN The Vermont Cynic Junior guard Sandro Carissimo moves the ball down the court in a game against Albany at Albany Jan. 26.

Stony Brook Vermont Boston University Hartford Albany Maine

Brian Voelkel was recently -

Voelkel was also named to the America East All-Conferalso been named to the 2012America Team. Next, the Catamounts return New Hampshire Wildcats next Wednesday Feb. 6. The last time the teams faced

in his America East debut. New Hampshire holds an East. The Wildcats hold the the nine possible teams.

W-L 16-5 13-7 11-10 11-9 16-7 8-12

Conf. 7-1 6-2 5-3 4-3 5-4 3-4


THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2012

11

Livestrong loses its luster post scandal

WILL ANDREYCAK

I do not care about cycling. Never really have. I vaguely remember watching some bits and pieces of the Tour De France with my father on sweltering July afternoons. Even today I couldn’t tell you a damn thing about the rules, sport. Quick, name the person who won the Tour De France last year. No idea, right? Despite the lack of attention cycling gets in the U.S., it still produced the most dominant and mythical winner in the history of athletics. be a champion and showed us all what hard work and unbreakable perseverance could achieve. He was a role model, survivor, inspiration and hero. And in a sport that competes at the international level, he was ours. He emerged at a time when America was still enjoying global hegemony and his dominance embodied this “Built-in-America” nationalism. He won the hardest race man has ever designed seven consecutive times between 1999

and 2005. What makes his story so incredibly powerful is that he did it after beating testicular cancer, which spread to his lungs as well as his brain. He beat the disease and less than two years later began an unprecedented ascendance to the top of his sport. His success in cycling, and his inspiring story, allowed him to create one of the most wellknown and well-publicized nonToday millions wear the yellow LIVESTRONG bracelets and the organization has generated nearly $500 million for cancer research. Lance Armstrong represented the best of humanity. Or so we thought. Accusations of use of Performance Enhancing Drugs were publically made against Armand he feverishly denied them. This would be the theme for the next eight years; allegations being made only to be totally and unequivocally denied. Interestingly, the public and the media largely supported Armstrong; partly because his denials of guilt were so emphatic, but more so because we needed Lance to be innocent. Years passed and the allegations grew more frequent and detailed. Still, Armstrong defended his record and brought litigation against anyone who those who spoke against him. He did what ever it took to control the narrative about his career and life. But with hishighly publicized confession to Oprah Win-

Cats ski solid slopes Josh Aronson Staff Writer If the Catamounts want a repeat as National Champions this year, the team will have to rely heavily on sophomore Alpine skier Kristina Riis-Johannessen. Last season she was a First Team All-American in slalom as well as EISA All-East First Team. For those who don’t know, slalom skiing is an alpine discipline where participants must weave their way through poles placed close together. The men’s and women’s ski team has competed in seven carnivals thus far this season, all of place title in. The Cynic had the opportunity to sit down with Johannessen to ask a few questions about the season, her expectations for the future and even the weather. “There have already been so many good moments in this season, and highlighting one is hard,” Johannessen said. “But the women’s alpine team has swiped the podium twice this season.” Even after losing a majority of the big contributors that helped lead the team to a National Championship last season, the men and women of both the nordic and alpine teams have pulled together and are well on their way to another championship season.

“The hard work the team put in this fall has paid off and I’m becoming more and more constrong team in the NCAAs,” said Johannessen. With a new season come new goals and expectations. Last year it was to be good enough to earn the top title in the NCAA, Johannessen said. “We all knew that we have to work hard if we were to go for the top of the podium in the NCAA championships again,” she said. “Of course we have a season knowing that we were the best team last year.” There can also be uncertainties about changing weather conditions, yet this does not seem to affect the team’s performance. “It has been extremely cold out lately and our toes and noses don’t like it, but it doesn’t stop us from training or racing,” Johannessen said. “We have all been out in the cold before you just have to bundle up to stay warm.” The men’s and women’s ski teams’ next outing takes place this weekend as they host their second carnival of the season in Stowe, this time for the nordic team only. Later on in the season the National Championships will be held at Middlebury College and all Catamount fans are urged to attend and support the men and women of the ski team.

frey last week, the real Armstrong narrative was revealed to the world. Not only did he orchestrate one of the most sophisticated doping programs in the history of organized athletics, he grossly misled the American people for nearly a decade in a vile way. As a young American sports fan, I have seen many icons in sports turn out to be cheats. But Armstrong’s story is the most painful of them all. No betrayal has ever chipped away at our collective faith in people like this one has.

I am angry because he stood for something so powerful and good. I am angry because he respresented perseverence in the purist of ways. When I watched Armstrong’s cold, soulless confession last week, I felt my goodwill escaping. I searched for my faith in heroes but it eluded me. I felt as if I was aging; the youthful optimism and belief in the infallibility of role models was replaced by a cynical dark something that I can’t quite describe with words. I am angry at Armstrong for this. I am angry because he stood for something so powerful and good. I am angry because he

will make it hard for us to believe in a story like his ever again. I am angry because he represented perseverance in the purist of ways. I am angry because he was the symbol for conquering cancer and for possible achievement after the disease has been conquered. My own mother was diagnosed with breast cancer about two years ago. She battled the disease and beat it. As I watched Armstrong’s confession I thought of her. I felt compelled to call her that night and asked her to share her perspective. She sounded disappointed but in no way shared the feeling of betrayal that I felt. Perhaps she had learned long ago to refrain from putting too much faith in a symbol. She said that Armstrong was a despicable and vile individual but she dismissed that it meant anything more to her as a cancer survivor and this gave me comfort in a way. She went on to tell me that, “it seems to me that he has wasted the gift of life that he was given.”

And indeed he has. My mother told me that my goodwill was terribly misplaced in believing in what Lance Armstrong represented. But she assured me that, one day, I would My mother reminds me that strong to embody the strength it takes to beat cancer or achieve There are heroes that embody that strength surrounding me everyday. My own mother who beat cancer, and yours, who may one day face that grueling battle as well. It is in these people that I will invest my faith. These heroes, I am certain, will never let me down. The Armstrong doping scandal should be considered nothing less than the biggest tragedy in American sports history. My generation has been stripped of something that we can never get back: the belief in something extraordinary. The too- good-to-be-true mindset will accompany any act of greatness that we witness for the rest of our lives. And for this, Lance Armstrong, you will never be forgiven.

athletetweets Colin Hekiaman Assistant Sports Editor

The Gut was rocking last night! Thank you to all the fans last night! Best ive seen it in my years here. We will need it again tonight!! Connor Brickley @ConnorBrickley Do not ever discuss Twitter or Instagram with me in real life. Trey Blue @treyblue Wasnt quiet when Kanye tore it down last month! RT@KrisHumphries: Big game tonight! The Garden got really quiet on the way out! #Brooklyn JR Smith @TheRealJRSmith So the Kings getting sold for 525M!! And the owners ain’t making no money huh? What the hell we have a lookout for. Get the hell out of here LeBron James @KingJames


12

S PO RTS

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31 , 2013

Hoffman leads team to 7th win

Vermont splits back-to-back matches against UMass Amherst Jeremy Karpf Senior Staff Writer Over the weekend the Catamounts took on the UMass Amherst Minutemen in a back-toback at Gutterson Fieldhouse. The teams split the series, each winning by a score of 3-2. But Friday and Saturday were vastly different games. Friday night, after Vermont climbed back from a 0-2 hole, UMass scored on a power play into the third period that ultimately made the difference. goal in the closing moment of to be exact. Vermont struggled early to get into their offense and were unable to create second shot opportunities through one period. UMass added their second on a power play goal at 6:23,

ALEX EDELMAN The Vermont Cynic

Hoffman’s blocker. The Cats were able to immediately recover, scoring on sophomore forward Kyle Reynolds with an unassisted wrist shot high glove side. Any momentum built by the UMass power play goal was killed and both teams became physical trying to get an edge. Late in the second period Vermont was able to even the score with a diving one-timer

from outside the left circle by junior Connor Brickley off a pass from sophomore Jacob Fallon. With the game tied, both teams continued the aggressive riod. Massachusetts was able to get the game-winner on their UMass cycled the puck well for the entire game and this time was able to beat Hoffman low, just slipping the puck under his pads. power play after a Minuteman The Cats pulled Hoffman, putting six men on the attack, but were unable to get past UMass goalie Steve Mastalerz. Saturday’s game began on a different note. Reynolds scored just 3:23 into the game, assisted by juniors Nick Bruneteau and Matt White. Vermont scored heir second goal later in the period when junior team captain H.T. Lenz took a slap shot that ricocheted off of Mastalerz and Reynolds adding to their lead. intermission in the lead. They padded on a power play goal by Fallon off of a pass

half minutes left in the second. UMass was able to get one back before the end of the second. To open the third, Vermont was forced to kill four power plays and remained in control. Massachusetts, after calling a time out, was able to net another goal after pulling their goalie for an extra attacker. Hoffman made several key saves with under a minute left to secure the win. “Our penalty kill was excellent tonight and (Hoffman) played well all game but really played well at the end to preserve the win,” said head coach Kevin Sneddon. “They gave us everything we could handle literally right to the last shot. describe our play tonight was relentless. It was a total team win but some guys stepped up for us tonight.” After the weekend series, play. The Minutemen drop to The win on Saturday broke a mont. Next up, Vermont travels to Chestnut Hill, Mass. to take


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