Vermont Cynic Spring 2013 Issue 26

The Vermont

CYNIC 16

The University of Vermont’s independent voice since 1883

Club Ice Skating Feature

T h u r s d a y, A p r i l 2 5 , 2 0 1 3 – Vo l u m e 1 2 9 I s s u e 2 6 | B u r l i n g t o n , Ve r m o n t

Dorms slated for big change

Meet the bands of SpringFest page 8

Kevin Santamaria Staff Writer Every 10 to 15 years UVM and Residential Life creates a Housing Master Plan to strategize for the housing demand of students.

The Housing Master Plan looks at housing in the broadest way possible, director of residential life Stacy Miller said.

Some of the main changes include tearing down housing on Redstone and Central campuses and building more student housing in their place and on Athletic.

“We are looking at housing for on-campus students, upper-class students and graduate students,” Miller said. “The comprehensive Housing Master Plan helps us plan how we can renovate, upgrade and accommodate for current classes and for future classes coming to UVM.” UVM hired the contracting company Biddison Hier to help provide resource planning and management services, director of capital planning and management Bob Vaughan said.

“It wasn’t just ‘come here and give us a master plan’,” Vaughan said. “This has been a long effort on their part.”

Over the course of the last year, Biddison Hier has been gathering data, conducting interviews and surveys of students, and assessing the existing facilities, Vaughan said.

Based on their research, Miller said Biddison Hier made recommendations that were approved by President Thomas Sullivan and endorsed by the board of trustees in their February meeting.

“One of the biggest recomyears out of Trinity and make it into a graduate student dorm,” Vaughan said.

Trinity would be repurposed to resemble suites, which would include removing triples, improving bathrooms and adding elevators, he said.

Miller said that even though Trinity is not necessarily farther away, its location does make it feel farther away for students.

“We do recognize that where

See MASTER PLAN on page 4

ALEXA ALGIOS The Vermont Cynic

Students dance at Soulive’s performance on the CBW green at SpringFest 2012. MGMT will be headlining this year’s SpringFest on April 27.

‘Eat More Kale’ waiting for a patent Staff Report Bo Muller-Moore is tired of playing the waiting game.

The man behind the handstenciled “Eat More Kale” Tshirts—a Montpelier-based operation—said he never thought it would have taken the U.S. government 14 months to decide whether or not his three famous words would be patented.

“I was really geared up to all I got was a wishy-washy ‘no’,” Muller-Moore said in his signature Southern twang. “It all feels so absurd.”

On Monday, the U.S. gave Muller-Moore a “preliminary no” on his application to protect the phrase that has led to a two-year battle with rescame after the artist in 2011 on the grounds that “Eat More Kale” was too similar to “Eat Mor Chikin,” the Rutland Herald reported. sued a statement in 2011 stating that it had been aware of “Eat More Kale” since 2006. It was only when Muller-Moore

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PHOTO COURTESY OF EMILY MCMANAMY/BURLINGTON FREE PRESS

Montpelier resident Bo Muller-Moore poses with his ‘Eat More Kale’ stickers. National fast-food chain Chick-Fil-A issued a cease-and-desist order after he attempted to trademark the ‘Eat More Kale’ slogan. decided to trademark his slogan that the restaurant chain decided to “legally defend and protect” its slogan to maintain its rights, the statement read.

But Muller-Moore said comparing the two slogans is not even a case of apples to or-

anges, but “apples to beavers.”

“It’s as simple as this,” he said. “If I were opening a restaurant selling vegetarian food, I would agree with their claim that the slogans are too confusing to customers and mine would be stealing their thun-

der. But we’re not in the same business.”

The Atlanta-based Chickbillion and operates about 1,500 locations across the

See EAT MORE KALE on page 2

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THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

Provost finalists found Staff Report UVM has come one step vost this week as the provost and senior vice president search committee narrowed its Laura Steinberg of Syracuse University, Dr. Robert Newman of the University of Utah, Dr. David Rosowsky of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Dr. Phillip Yeagle of Rutgers University, according to an email sent by Dean of Honors College Abu Rizvi and the provost search committee April 23.

All four candidates could be found on campus this past week meeting with faculty panels, deans, chairs of the Presidential Commissions and senior leaders.

Each applicant also held a forum one day this week starting Monday, with the fourth candidate, Yeagle, set to speak this afternoon in Waterman’s Memorial Lounge.

Laura Steinberg currently serves as the Dean of the L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science at Syracuse University. With engineering degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Chicago and Duke, Steinberg has also served as chair of the department of environmental and civil engineering at Southern

Methodist University and has taught at George Washington University and Tulane, according to her CV. At the University of Utah, Robert Newman is the current dean of humanities where he also served as a professor of English, a special advisor to the senior vice president for academic affairs and the associate vice president for interdisciplinary studies according to his CV. Before that, Newman had taught English at the University of South Carolina and Texas A&M University. He graduated with degrees in English and literature from Pennsylvania State University, Goddard College and UNC Chapel Hill.

David Rosowsky’s is the current dean of engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI).

Prior to this, his CV states he was the head of Texas A&M’s civil engineering department. He has degrees in civil engineering from Tufts University and received his PhD from Johns Hopkins University.

Rounding out the candidates is Phillip Yeagle, the interim chancellor at Rutgers University, where he also served as dean of the faculty of arts and sciences until 2011, his CV stated.

In addition, Yeagle has also been the department of molecular and cell biology at the University of Connecticut.

He has authored over 150 journal articles and seven books, and he received chemistry degrees from the University of Cambridge in England and St. Olaf College as well as his PhD from Duke University.

Former Provost Jane Knodell left her position Jan. 1 of this year to resume her faculty position in UVM’s economics department.

Running on the Progressive ticket, Knodell was also recently elected Ward 2 City Councillor this past March.

Since January, professor emeritus in molecular physiology and biophysics Robert Low has served as interim provost.

This week both Rizvi and President Sullivan have sent separate emails to the University community asking students, faculty and staff to take an active role in the provost search.

“It is essential that we select the right individual for this critical role,” Sullivan stated in his email sent yesterday.

While the salary for the University’s next provost has was paid $270,000 a year Information about the candidates and the search process is available on the committee’s website at http:// www.uvm.edu/president/ provsrch/?Page=input_provostsearch.html.

EAT MORE KALE

Govt. says no

...continued from page 1 country, according to a 2011 Burlington Free Press article.

The roots of “Eat More Kale” are slightly more humble.

Muller-Moore, who said in a 2012 TEDtalk video that he came to Vermont from Alabama because he was “impressed by the creative, do-ityourself nature” of the state, began stenciling his “Eat More Kale” slogan in 2012 at the behest of a farmer friend who wanted a few T shirts made for a farmers market during a good kale crop season.

But the phrase caught on virtually overnight, appearing on T-shirts, stickers and other merchandise.

“I had people coming up to me saying ‘I love kale, this is the greatest T shirt of all time’!”

Muller-Moore said in the video. “And then I had other folks saying ‘I hate kale, this is the greatest T shirt of all time!’ It seemed to be a win-win.”

Social media has been an important factor for growing the “Eat More Kale” brand— an aspect of the business Mullercal about but has now grown to embrace in the video.

Now the “Eat More Kale” purveyor has taken to Facebook to bolster support for his legal campaign against Chick3,801 likes, features a timeline photo of a sunglass-sporting Muller-Moore posing in front one Vermonter out of busi-

ness for using the phrase ‘Eat More Kale’,” the page description states. “They need to be stopped! Support Bo MullerMoore.”

But despite its small business success, “Eat More Kale” Moore said without protection from the U.S. government he will never be able to sell his business.

“No one’s becoming rich over here,” he said. MullerMoore and his wife make their living off of being foster parents.

As it stands, he said he has six months to the respond to the ruling. Because the preliminary ruling does not affect the civil court process, where battle, “Eat More Kale” can remain in production unless the company decides to pursue the cease-and-desist order.

In that case, he said he would have to prove in court that his slogan is different customer would ever confuse the two.

But the initial reason why Muller-Moore sought protection for his slogan was because his own. No fewer than nine T shirt makers have attempted to replicate his design, the Rutland Herland reported.

“I’m going to keep printing shirts,” he said. “This just copy cats.”

SGA UPDATES Marissa Beinhauer Staff Writer

A new ad hoc committee called the Financial Reform Committee will seek to look at the way SGA budgets the money they allocate to University clubs. SGA president Connor Daley said he wants the clubs to be less about numbers and more about the value of the allocations by looking at what the clubs do with or could do with the money.

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THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

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Professor solves rare medical mystery Ayla Yersel Staff Writer A UVM biology professor played a key role in solving a 60-year-old medical mystery relating to the blood type “Velnegative.” ported some patients rejecting blood transfusions because of a molecule in the patients’ red blood cells. Today, about North America have the blood type that doesn’t make the Small Integral Membrane Proor three individuals in France and two to four in America need this rare blood, professor Bryan Ballif said.

This unknown molecule remained a mystery until Ballif and his colleague Dr. Lionel which causes people with the Vel-blood type to reject certain types of blood.

“I am fascinated by how proteins function to govern all aspects biological systems,” he said.“[The] project was immediately interesting to me, as it was one where I saw the potential for an important, immeditransfusion.”

The project has been in the works for about four years, collaborating with Arnaud to identify the unknown molecule using an instrument called a mass spectrometer that allows scientists to weigh and break down a molecule to determine

CRIME LOG Lauren Drasler Staff Writer

April 17 12:51 p.m. ticed that there were students outside on the roof of the that the students get off the roof, and they complied.

April 18 9:44 a..m.

A report came in about a person walking in the Marsh Austin Tupper dorm complex and was described as having “no apparent purpose” for being in the building. Police services investigated, and determined that the person being described was a high school student who was visiting family and was waiting to be picked up by his/her mom.

10:38 p.m. acting strangely near the PFG Parking Lot. Apparently the student walked from the garage to Marsh Hall, onto East Avenue and the bike path and then back to Gutterson. When student, it was apparent that nothing was amiss and there were no further issues with this person.

its identity, Ballif said.

“It’s a ‘Humpty Dumpty’ approach,” he said. “Humpty Dumpty breaks in a diagnostic manner, and then you put the pieces back together and you “It’s like a word puzzle, where a protein has maybe 600 letters, and then someone gives you six of those and says ‘What is the identity?’” he said.

The scientists were then able to search in a protein lar amino acid sequence that matched their molecule, Ballif said. The results told Ballif that “At the time, it was actually a theoretical protein-- it wasn’t even known to be a protein,” he said.

In the past, the blood type bodies rejected blood transfusions. Now, scientists can look tify the blood type, making it easier to match blood donors with recipients, Ballif said.

“If you can’t give them the blood, people can die- and they have died,” Ballif said. “It becomes a very stressful situation every time a patient needs this rare blood.”

“Now we can identify this rare blood in a very short period of time with very little trouble, even in the blood that’s available to these people in all of the hospitals and clinics,” he said. “Now they don’t have to call up France or Germany to get this rare blood.”

Although this research is useful to only a handful of peo-

9:57 p.m.

Hall staff in Marsh Hall reported an odor of marijuana coming from one of the dorm rooms in the building. An ofdetermine where the odor was coming from. Upon investigagrams of the drug from the students.

10:57 p.m.

Police services received information from people stating that there were going to be marijuana brownies sold at UVM’s of marijuana, along with a pipe and grinder from a dorm room in Wing Hall.

April 19 12:02 a.m.

Police services received a call from a student that there was an intoxicated person in Urived on the scene, and found vomit on the ground but no intoxicated person. Upon speaking with the student caller, the intoxicated person in question had taken off after the student tried to talk to him/her.

Go online to see the

cynic Crime Map

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LORENA LINERO The Vermont Cynic

Associate professor of biology Bryan Ballif shows his work in his lab April 18. Ballif and his colleagues have discovered a protein that causes people with a certain blood type to reject some transfusions. ple in the world, Ballif said he “We are in an age of what we call ‘personalized medido our best to treat individuals, population,” he said.

Ballif said that solving these rare mysteries involved in blood or organ rejection may medical assistance to those rare individuals who reject transfusions or transplants.

“I take great comfort that their lives could either be sig-

in some cases saved, by the research I am pursuing with my collaborators,” he said.

“When you get a transfusion, you’re not going to say out my problem,’ you’ll want it right then,” he said. “Now, two hours is enough time to be able to save someone’s life if they’re needing this immediate transfusion.”

Additionally, he said that the transfusion work inspired him to start a new project at UVM that involves identifying proteins responsible for organ

transplant rejection.

“I have begun this study in collaboration with Dr. Antonio Di Carlo in UVM’s Department of Surgery and together we were recently selected for funding by a UVM REACH grant,” he said.

Sophomore Rachael Bassett said she thinks the discovery has made a great impact on UVM and the world of medicine.

“If you can discover something applicable and advantageous to modern medicine, you can impact millions,” Bassett said.

Vantage Point to begin blog Ayla Yersel Staff Writer Despite starting the semester with just $50 to its name, campus literary journal Vantage Point will survive to print another year, thanks in part to contributions from SGA’s Finance Committee, committee leader Andrew Daughtery said.

The committee has decided to allot the journal $6,500 for zine lost its funding from the English department this past year, Daugherty said.

“It’s huge for the future of our journal,” Vantage Point editor-in-chief senior Julian Van der Tak said. “It ensures that we can print successful issues in the next three semesters.”

Until this year, Vantage its funding from SGA and the Buckham fund, a $3.5 million grant from the school to the English department to help with English departmentrelated publications, trips, grants, societies, etc., Van der Tak said.

This year, however, the Buckham fund ran out, leaving Vantage Point without a significant portion of its budget.

“We had enough money to print last semester, but at the beginning of this semester we literally had no money,” Van Der Tak said.

decided to increase funding to Vantage Point after the club submitted a budget proposal that included a request for “We said ‘all right, you lost that external source of funding, so now we have to make up that part of the fund,’” he said. million, Daugherty said.

“There’s a huge discrepancy between what they ask for and what we actually have,” Daugherty said. have also meant the journal has had to make artistic adjustments, Van der Tak said.

“It’s harder to build on a theme when you have [fewer] people submitting and less space to create the journal you want to create,” he said. “We should have been meeting but because we weren’t even sure that we were going to be able to be a club, we had to start late.”

Literary Assistant Doug Taylor said that Vantage Point is also thinking of doing events to increase membership.

“It’s been a little better most nights,” he said. “But I remember when I did it last year, Taylor said the journal would be hosting events such as poetry readings and an open

mic night.

“I know that there are a lot of events like that already, but another one won’t hurt,” he said.

Under the looming budget cuts, Vantage Point began to look for ways to keep its journal alive. Now the journal is toying with the idea of a blog, which would include more visual media and longer pieces, Taylor said.

“Because it’s so expensive to print in color, the amount of art submissions that we accept is really low,” he said.

The blog would include more art, and include longer works that would normally be cut from the journal, he said.

“We usually cap it at about four pages, and with the size of the journal, four pages is only Taylor said he would be concerned about a blog complicating the selection process. en the end-of-semester review process, because [pieces] could go into the journal or into the blog,” he said.

First-year Alison Frank said she thinks the paper should do more to get more members to join.

“I mean maybe put [Vantage Point] in dorms,” she said.

“I always see papers in my building.”

For now the journal will exist for three more semesters and will continue its search for new members.

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THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

MASTER PLAN

Master Plan proposes to tear down dorms on Redstone and Central campuses

...continued from page 1 Trinity is located might not be the best location for undergraduates and we should move them closer to campus,” Miller said. “Maybe that would be an ideal place for graduate students that don’t mind feeling further away and would enjoy being closer to Downtown.” year students would be housed on Athletic and Central, while sophomores would be placed exclusively on Redstone. students out of Trinity and Redstone and pull them in the central core of campus to provide that extra focus of support, Vaughan said.

In addition, the plan recommends removing and replacing Chittenden, Buckham and Wills Halls on Central Campus and

Coolidge Hall on Redstone, and constructing a new building behind Harris-Millis Halls.

Coolidge and CBW were built in the 1940s with poured to restructure, Vaughan said.

With the moisture problems and small rooms, it is more costeffective to remove them and replace them, he said.

The three new buildings on Central and Athletic campuses would help keep the existing number of beds without further adding to the number of students currently living on campus.

The new residential hall that would replace CBW would also have a dining hall, Vaughan said.

“The ultimate desire for Cook Commons is to become

part of Billings,” he said.

The Master Housing Plan University uses a third party to ond year students.

“We currently have money to do some things,” Miller said.

“But some of the loftier parts of the plan need funding.”

Unlike previous building projects, the new residential University capital, Vaughan said.

“We are not looking to build our own residence halls any longer,” Vaughan said. “We just

Timeline of Residence Halls at UVM 1960 Marsh/ Coolidge 1928 Hall Austin/ Tupper Slade Hall Chittenden/ Complex 1947

1889

Robinson Hall

Both of these buildings are listed on the This building is listed on the National National Register of Historic Places Register of Historic Places

Converse Hall

1895

The first building was Mann Hall.

1940

Professional Success.

1971 HarrisMillis

0

200

Buckham/ Wills Complex

0 Trinity 180 Campus

Academic Excellence.

time, the ground lease for the Redstone Lofts is for 49 years,” he said. “It is going to be a long association with whoever is chosen and you are going to have a relation with that entity for almost 50 years.”

Since the Master Housing Plan is looking into the future, it is probably unlikely that current students will see these changes, Miller said.

“Our Master Housing Plan is a way for us to look into the future and plan our resources to create facilities that students are happy with,” she said.

don’t have the capital.”

The new residential complexes are likely to still be managed by Residential Life but the University plans to make third party arrangements similar to the Redstone Lofts and Redstone apartments, he said.

“They didn’t use our money, they used their developers money,” he said.

The halls would be similar to the Lofts in the sense of being paid in a lease arrangement or a fee and then house our students there, Vaughan said.

“You end up contracting with someone for a very long

0 190 Jeanne

Mason/ Simpson/ Hamilton Complex

Mance 1962

University Heights 2006

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Life

Fans phishing for tickets opt to trade Devin Karambelas Managing Editor For music that tends to preach good vibes and low stress, it’s long been a point of irony for fans of jam bands that the process to see their favorite artists can be cutthroat at times.

Such was the case in 2009, when tickets to see Phish on tour skyrocketed, leaving many of its diehards in a ticket-buying bind.

“Me and Brando were old school fans,” Dusty Rich said.

“Prices were way up than face value, which was disappointing.”

To tackle the problem of scalping in the ticket industry, Dusty and his brother Brandon—both web designers and dead heads, launched CashorTrade.org to help music lovers score tickets at face value.

Fast-forward four years, and CashorTrade.org has been on a long, strange trip indeed.

With nearly 22,000 registered users and a following, what began as a hub for jam band ticket buying has expanded to a fair trade marketplace that now includes everything from art to airline miles.

So how does a trade actually work?

“It’s pretty easy,” Rich said. “You log in and post to the board whether you’re

buying, selling or trading. manage interactions, commit to a trade, make a payment, and then leave a review.”

The review format, which allows members who have obtained positive reviews to some of the hardest-to-score tickets.

A feature like this enables the system to run itself, Rich said.

“We’re actually launching today a fan point system which offers incentives for fans to take part in the ethical aspect of the website,” he said.

Creating an alternative to secondary ticket markets like Live Nation or Stub Hub— companies that are largely run by brokers and often include exorbitant service charges—comes with its own set of challenges, however.

Building the site out of pocket after founding SimpleNation.com and LiveMusicMatch.com, Rich said CashorTrade.org has not again, monetization was never really the goal.

“The music community within the jam niche happens to be pretty open to the idea of trade and they’ve been very supportive,” he said. “With this market, it’s been able to to take this and throw it into a different genre, maybe it wouldn’t work as well in the

JULIA MAILLE The Vermont Cynic

Co-Founder of CashorTrade.org Dusty Rich speaks about the website during an interview April 19. beginning phases.”

Dusty said its Vermont roots have also been an asset to the company.

“I think Vermont is very open to ethical marketplace,” he said. “It’s accepting of it.”

Sophomore Emily Saber has used the website about three times now and agreed scalping in the ticket industry that often rips off the most diehard fans.

“I’m going to Furthur this weekend in Atlantic City -

The Broad View

Studying abroad: a how to in an English-speaking country. to do research, and lot’s of it. the UVM Study Abroad Of-

GRACE BUCKLES

The study abroad blues may not be so foreign to students wishing to get out of the country.

According to posters scattered around campus, students intending on studying abroad next fall have missed the boat, and those who have their sights set on next spring should have already begun preparing.

It’s a stressful process, but it’s also one that more students than ever are going through. al Education is helpful, but even its instructions can get confusing. Here’s a step-bystep guide that will get you to your destination successfully, without losing your mind along the way: My process began during the fall of my second year at UVM. To say my knowledge of studying abroad was minimal would be an understatement.

My only priority: that I study

It’s the jackpot of research, complete with a thorough checklist of things to do before going abroad and a cial planning.

Trust me, a checklist will be your bible up until the day you depart.

Apart from choosing where to go, money can be for a student on a budget.

No need to fret, however.

The UVM SOA is on your side. The detailed budget list by a staff member and handed in weeks before you get the seal of approval to study abroad.

Preparation is key. A budgeted student can succeed if enough time is devoted to the plan.

The support does not stop there. After you choose a destination, you are assigned a Study Abroad adviser.

The adviser is there to answer any questions that come to mind and to help ensure that your experience meets every one of your desires.

Choosing a program is

perhaps the most stressful part of the process UVM offers a variety of programs that cater to many different types of student interests. of the programs that were provided, so I chose to go through Butler University’s Institute for Study Abroad (IFSA).

This program gave me the independence I wanted but remained an outlet for any questions or troubles I had along the way.

Another aspect that grants consideration is your GPA. Although going abroad can lead to distractions from schoolwork. This can be an issue if your GPA transfers.

Some programs like IFSAButler only transfer credit, not grades. Your GPA will not be affected, however you still need to pass in order for the credit to transfer.

Although at times it may be hard to focus, the different academic system abroad is part of the experience.

When abroad, live in the moment. Be spontaneous and safe. Be exciting and thoughtful. This mindset warrants a semester of a lifetime.

And just remember, a prepared journey is a great one.

ets for this show for a few bucks less than what the guy bought them,” Saber said. “It [CashorTrade.org] would be ticket if I had an extra.”

Next up, the website has mont business pitch competition that gives the winning entrepreneur $20,000 in cash and $40,000 in services.

In the meantime the Rich brothers are gearing up for this summer’s festival season.

Rich also said the website is looking to branch further out of the music industry, although he sees that their roots will always be tied to jam bands.

“We started this site to found a non-scalping community that would give true fans access,” Rich said, sporting his own Phish New Year’s Eve 2013 concert T-shirt.

“The diehards are the people sustaining the band’s life cycle, not the one time buyers.”

UVM shares secrets Student-made confession page blows up Johnny Sudekum Life Editor Whether you’re posting your thoughts and concerns on a daily basis, or you’ve learned that you’re another student’s secret crush, UVM Confessions has made its mark on student culture.

Within UVM confessions, students are able to anonymously post whatever is on their mind, resulting in scandalous sex stories and roommate rants.

The creator behind the Facebook page explained that he/she started this project after witnessing other school’s confessional pages and decided it was UVM’s turn.

“The page began in February, and within a month it only had about 250 likes.

However, since the past three weekends, it has escalated to over 3,000 likes,” the administrator, who wished to remain anonymous stated.

While things started off slowly, at its peak, UVM confessions received more than 100 submissions within one hour.

“Now that it’s died down we get probably 300-400 a day. Right now there’s 7,500 submissions,” the administrator said.

UVM Confessions consists of a team of four stu-

dents who review confessions via a Google Doc and post them with a corresponding number.

When they recieve a confession, the team is unable to see who sent it.

“All we can see is the submission itself, date and time.”

The page’s administrator explained this is cause for relief for the team.

“We’re very glad that [we’re] not able to see everyone who confesses... otherwise [we] would judge everyone on campus,” the administrator said.

Students have held back nothing as they tackle relational issues and more.

“Does anyone else feel like the guys here smoke too much weed to have bangin’ sex?” Confession #7925 said.

With the onslaught of posts, the team said they want to keep the ball rolling.

“We want to start making money with it,” the administrator said. “Maybe start a website so we can run ads.”

For now, the team will stick to Facebook, allowing UVM students to get everything off their chests.

“When my roommate sleeps I throw my food crumbs and wrappers at her.

When she’s not in the room I blow my nose on her towels #sorryimnotsorry,” confession #7852 said.

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THURSDAY, APRIL 25 2013

The Bite

Food trucks make for moveable feast

all paired with unique fried rice – and all for $5.

There’s also a $5 special every week including a stirfry with a side of fried rice.

It may not be the most decadent and up-scale Chinese joint, but it is cheap and ISABELLA BROWNE LORCHER

In most towns you can or cart; usually it’s a dirtywater hot dog stand or an over-priced ice cream truck.

But Burlington has a surprising number of diverse food trucks and carts.

Of course, eating food out of a truck is a hit or miss because other than the Skinny Pancake Airstream, they can be rather scathing from a quick look.

But I guarantee, if you do a double take, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

There are four trucks in total along University Place.

Closest to Main Steet is Pam’s Deli. Walking toward Pearl Ahli Baba’s and Big Daddy’s Food Truck.

The light blue truck in front of Williams is Ahli Baba’s. Their food truck serves to supplement their downtown storefront restaurant on Main Street next to the assortment of pitas, from Chicken to Falafel, for a range between $6-$7.

A few steps down from Ahli Baba’s, also in front of Williams, is the big yellow

ERIKA HURTH The Vermont Cynic

Senior Corrine Yonce buys pizza from the Big Daddy’s food truck March 27. Pam’s Deli, Lucky’s, Ahli Baba’s and Big Daddy’s are the four food trucks that are parked on University Place near campus. and white Big Daddy’s Food Truck. Big Daddy’s has a restaurant downtown as well.

If you’re as broke as I am, their $1 cheese slices are deemed promising – but make sure to bring cash, because they slap you with a $5 credit card minimum.

If you’re looking for cheap breakfast food, Pam’s Deli will do the trick. They are a cash or charge joint.

As you approach Pam’s, a sign stating “Eggs Served All Day” proudly hangs above pictures of messy but deli-

cious-looking combinations of egg, cheese and meat on bread. It is all cheap.

If it’s nearing noon and bling, I urge you to take the short walk to the small white box-like trailer, Lucky Chinese Food Truck.

Lucky’s is run by one man, Lep, with a large array that day’s offerings.

“It’s just me. It always has been,” he said. year on campus. “That’s a

long time,” he said. He said he enjoys his small business “I like to work here. I’m like a friend to students, which is very special to me,” he said.

Lucky’s Chinese Food Truck offers an individual and a combination menu.

The individual menu is “a la carte” style featuring all of the classics: egg rolls, veggie fried rice and crab Rangoon – all for under $5.

The combination menu is

Unlike other food trucks, Lucky’s stays all year round.

“I still work here in the summer, to serve summer school and the professors,” he said.

This is Lep’s only occupation and he dedicates his energy every day to have a presence on campus.

“If I don’t work here, I don’t know what I’d do,” he said.

Lep was the most friendly of all of the food truck workers. When a customer came up to ask if he takes credit cards, he said “no” and sent them to one of his competitors, Pam’s.

The students appreciate him too.

One student in line greeted Lep like a good friend. “I like it a lot! Out of all of the vendors on campus, this is the one I come too,” said Junior Matt Rosenthal.

The food trucks on-campus have you covered.

Go online to watch

CYNiC ViDeO www.vermontcynic.com/video www.youtube.com/CynicVideo

Funky threads for all of your vintage desires Julia Moreno Staff Writer With rap duo Macklemore and Ryan Lewis performing in town this week, it seemed appropriate that the Cynic would take a look at one of Burlington’s own thrift stores that, until recently, existed above Ken’s Pizza.

But three years of building a reputation as one of the best vintage consignment shops in Burlington— thanks to a prime location on Church Street and the colorful personality of owner James De Rosia—have given the store the support and funds to expand to a newer and larger space.

“The new space has an a better layout, and there’s not a huge increase in rent!”

DeRosia said. “The move is for all positive reasons and I think our customers will agree it’s an upgrade.”

Despite the success of the store and its recent doubling of square footage, DeRosia explained that Downtown threads started with very little image in mind. no idea whether my business or fun or if people would like it,” he said.

After graduating from

Northeastern University with a degree in electrical engineering, DeRosia said that he never thought he would work in retail— at least initially.

“I was too well dressed and too much fun to work in engineering, so I quit,” DeRosia said. his father, who owned Battery Street Jeans at the time, DeRosia decided to strike out on his own, compiling clothing from his mother’s store in Rutland and from various suppliers he found online.

“I just had some used clothing racks and random vintage clothes without any cohesive vision of what the store would be like,” he said.

To DeRosia’s surprise, Downtown Threads does not receive a lot of consignment.

“Instead we actually buy a lot of our clothing from vintage wholesalers, who are he said.

Without “large statistical databases like big corporations,” DeRosia said he makes decisions like any other small business owner and often relies on feedback from his staff and customers about inventory.

“I just talk to people who come in or who I work with and look at my customers and since I’m a small busi-

ness with relatively low volume I can react pretty quickly to the market,” he said.

This business model seems to have worked well for Downtown Threads, which has to compete with seveal other vintage stores in the area including Dirt Chic on Main Street and St. Anthony’s on Flynn Avenue.

Perhaps this has been, in part, thanks to the store’s location at 73 Church Street on top of Ken’s Pizza and the boutique Monelle.

“It was perfect because the rent was reasonable, it was available immediately, and I could get a month-tomonth lease,” he said. “It was a place to conduct an experiment: Can I run a successful vintage clothing store?”

So far, the answer appears sia said he isn’t done experimenting yet.

With bright teal walls and lots of windows, Downtown Threads’ new location above Tradewinds at 108 Church Street is about twice as big as the original store.

“This time the question is, ‘Will Burlington support a vintage denim store?’ We’ll see,” DeRosia said.

He explained that while he initially wanted to close the store’s former location, he has a few inventory ideas that

LORENA LINEROThe Vermont Cynic

Vintage clothes are displayed at Downtown Threads on Church Street April 23. They just moved and doubled their square footage. are more denim oriented.

“We are planning to have a vintage denim store there where we’ll sell vintage jeans, denim jackets, vintage t-shirts, western shirts and Though even with some creative ideas for the future, a layer of uncertainty remains.

“I wish I had some kind of cohesive business strategy that I could layout, but I don’t. For now, I’m just going to continue to roll as much money as I can into the store to improve the inventory for our customers,” he said.

-

er, is to invest into the store with hopes to build customer loyalty.

“I’d also like to offer new items online to capture some more customers from out of town and would love to increase the amount of consignment we take in while still remaining very selective about the items we accept,” DeRosia said.

Check out Downtown Threads’ website at www. downtownthreads.net or its Facebook page for all your thrift store needs.

Díaz visits UVM Madeleine Gibson Assistant Arts Editor With the same straightforward and honest wit recognizable in his writing, author Junot Díaz read from his latest collection of short stories, “This Is How You Lose Her,” and provided unconventional insight to a UVM community of artists and admirers April 22.

A Dominican immigrant whose experiences growing up in New Jersey make their way into his novel’s familiar characters like Junior, Díaz’s uninhibited style has earned him the Pulitzer Prize and most recently a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship.

As a Rutgers graduate and the Rudge and Nancy Allen Professor of Writing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Díaz made no pretenses about college education.

“I pursue this as an art and therefore don’t give advice. But my one blip on a 10 billion-point map is to spend your undergraduate career not trying to be an artist,” Díaz said. “If you are a writer don’t take a creative writing class. When you graduate your real training begins.”

Increasingly, the gap between undergraduate and graduate school is shrinking; students are jumping from school to school with little time spent living outside academia.

“The biggest harm we’ve done to students is that we’ve professionalized the arts.

We’ve gotten kids to be terrorized of the world and now

ARTS

all they give us [in art] are these faces of the insides of these institutions,” Díaz explained.

Díaz transitioned quickly from poking fun at the youth’s phobia of the “real world,” to sincerely critiquing the creative and societal consequences of such limited training.

“Just so people know, it’s absolutely ok to be good at something you find difficult. I find being a writer endlessly difficult.”

Junot Diaz Writer “Junot Díaz shook most of us out of Monday afternoon blues and made us think about our relationship to literature and art as a society and how that relationship and English major, Michelle Lineberger said. “Junot Díaz fucking rocks!”

With the professionalization of the arts, Díaz suggested that as a society we’ve trained individuals to believe that talent is automatic; that true artistry is inherent, requiring no practice.

But writing and other forms of creative expression are not always so easy.

“Just so people know, it’s absolutely ok to be good at the self-proclaimed nerd ad-

ALICIA ACCETTA The Vermont Cynic

Experimental exlectronic rock band Sound Tribe Sector 9 performs at Higer ground April 17. Formed in 1998, they have relased eleven full albums. Their 2005 album Artifact reached #12 on Billboard charts.

Fans rejoice for late STS9 addition at HG Erin Kelley Cynic Correspondent To the dismay of Sound Tribe Sector 9 fans, their original spring tour dates did not include Burlington.

Then, on Valentine’s Day the members of Sound Tribe—the nickname for instrumental post-rock dance group STS9—announced that they didn’t think they were going to see enough smiling faces on their tour.

The band decided to add three more weeks of shows.

Burlington fans rejoiced knowing that they would get The night of the sold-out were lined up out the door.

The show sold out earlier that day, so there was a mass of people trying to get inside.

Upon entering the Higher Ground Ballroom you could feel how excited everybody was for the show to begin.

When the band came out, the bassist and keyboardist, David Murphy, thanked everybody for coming out.

They started the show off playing the groovy “Really Wut?” to get everybody moving. Then, they went right into “Beyond Right Now” to really get people dancing.

The show continued on at an energetic pace that was accompanied by an innovative light show.

The lights appeared to match up to the music quite well and whenever there was an extended jam a different colored light would shine on bers.

JULIA MAILLE The Vermont Cynic

Author Junot Díaz speaks about school and writing in the Grand Maple Ballroom April 22. Díaz won a Pulizter among other awards.

“Hidden Hand Hidden Fist” and elicited cheers for more as the band left the stage for a set break.

As the Sound Tribe returned to the stage they expressed their gratitude to the

ALICIA ACCETTA The Vermont Cynic

Exlectronic Sound Tribe Sector 9 plays at Higer Ground April 17. audience again and started the second set with “Vapors.”

The band got right back into the groove and the audience appeared to be quite pleased with this. more songs before they ended the second set with their older song “Inspire Strikes Back.”

Everybody continued to clap and cheer until the band came back for their encore.

First they played “This, Us” which the audience displayed

gratitude for in exuberant dancing.

However, when they played their hit song “Circus,” out. According to concert attendee and junior, Lara Nargozian, “They couldn’t have ended on a better note.”

8

S p r i n g feSt

THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

Rap duo ascends stairs Michael Messina Staff Writer

PHOTO COURTESY OF BOOMBOX PRESS

Members of the American rock band BoomBox pose near a door.

They will be opening for MGMT this Saturday at SpringFest 2013.

BoomBox live

First-year to play SpringFest Aidan Dolbashian Senior Staff Writer Will Overman may be a

Russ Randolph (RR): Arianna Dayharsh Cynic Correspondent

Will Overman (WO):

VC: WO:

VC: WO:

VC: WO:

VC: VC: Cynic

WO:

WO:

Vermont Cynic (VC):

Behind the Bible Camp Sleepovers

Vermont Cynic (VC):

Aidan Dolbashian Senior Staff Writer

EC: VC:

Zion Godchaux (ZG):

WM:

VC:

Tom Shahan (TS):

TS: EC:

WM:

ZG: RR:

VC:

Cynic VC: Vermont Cynic (VC):

VC:

WM: EC:

ZG:

VC:

Want to learn more about BoomBox? Check out the whole interview online at vermontcynic.com

Erin

Cassels

(EC): TS:

Willoughby (WM):

Morse EC:

Read the whole interview online at vermontcynic.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

A RTS

9

Slow Magic: an An ‘intricate puzzle’ imaginary show TIM BUTLER

Something that struck me about halfway through “To Have and To Hold,� the fourth episode of Mad Men’s sixth season, is how the gender and identity of the viewer watching the show can completely transform how the viewer interprets what happens on the show.

Most men like Don Draper as a character and root for and empathize with him while completely ignoring the deplorable actions his character repeatedly takes throughout the course of the show.

Most women champion characters like Peggy and Joan, while choosing to forget that they too can do terrible things, like steal a former mentor’s line for a big pitch, or wield a gross amount of power over employees who may very well be more deserving of the partnership they’ve just dubiously acquired.

“To Have and To Hold� is a curious thing; it’s one of the most plot oriented episodes of the show in quite some time, pushing storylines forward in a fast and frenzied manner.

At the same time, almost every scene seems contradictory to the last. I suspect many viewers found themselves hating characters they though they loved this week, spect for ones they never cared for before.

Mad Men is an intricate, deliberate puzzle, and no character is truly good or bad.

They simply are. Sure, Harry’s blowup during the partner’s meeting was cruel and childish. That doesn’t change the fact that nearly every fact he brings up during his meltdown is almost completely true.

Don is cheating on his wife. Does this invalidate his intense, irrational jealousy at Megan’s soap opera “lovescenes�? Some of you say yes, some of you say no. There is no right answer.

The best moment in “To Have and To Hold� occurs when Don overhears Peggy using a line he used back in season three: “If you don’t like what’s being said, change the conversation.�

Don’s instant recognition

of Peggy’s “theft� is beautiful and ingenious for a few reasons: Don sees now, more than ever, that Peggy has eclipsed him, or if she hasn’t yet, she’s about to.

But the reason I so deeply love this moment is because it shows us that Don Draper is aware of who he pretends to be.

Throughout all six seasons of Mad Men, Don has cept. A symbol of god-like status. To the viewer it’s been a constant struggle to discern just how much of Don is real and how much is a calculated facade. “If you don’t like what’s being said, change the conversation� is a line that could have been interpreted by the viewer back in season three as a throw-away piece of suave intelligence from a man who can’t seem to say anything otherwise.

But when Don hears Peggy steal it, we recognize it instantly. And so does he. It’s a telling moment, reminding us that Don, too, is a human being, still stuck six years on, playing roles and looking for the right part to play.

Jess Schwartz Senior Staff Writer With only a handful of people aware of his true identity, Slow Magic performed with El Ten Eleven in BurSignal Kitchen March 17. “I want to keep the music project upfront instead of a location or identity,� Slow Magic said.

Slow Magic was born with the release of “Triangle,� which was originally an EP. Although having made music with various bands in the past, Slow Magic’s debut performance at Signal Kitchthe masked musician had toured as an individual act. “A little while ago I worked with Flower Booking, who El Ten Eleven was working with as well,� he said. “It started with a few dates for Colorado and New Mexico, which went really well. We really liked each other’s music and after that they wanted to take me on the next tour as well.�

The Signal Kitchen crowd swarmed with interest when Slow Magic walked on to stage in his colorful and intricate disguise, with his DJ deck and drum set in tow. “A friend of mine who is a really good painter [Joan McCullage] designed it because I told him I needed an imaginary animal mask,� Slow Magic said. “He did a really good job and helped bring a design to the forefront. It kind of became a character for me to play on stage.�

Jumping around stage

from his DJ equipment to his drum set, Slow Magic played songs from “Triangle� such as “Feel Flows,� “Sorry Safari� and “On Yr Side.�

Slow Magic also showcased songs from an upcoming album to be released once With exciting drumbeats and electronic synths, Slow Magic produces a unique style of music that he refers to as “dreamwave.� “I was joking around about genre titles with some friends and I liked the way it sounded,� he explained. “It’s fun to think about music being separated from reality. I understand people relating music to other kinds of music but it’s hard to nail any band down to a genre.�

Slow Magic describes his music as “Music from your imaginary friend.� “I felt like an imaginary friend was a playful way to think of music coming from somewhere else,� Slow Magic said. “I feel like music comes from a place that’s really unexplainable but simple at the same time.�

Due to his “imaginary� identity, Slow Magic may not receive the recognition that his music truly deserves, but he isn’t fazed. “I didn’t want it to be about me, I wanted it to be about this is what I make,� he said. “The music comes from a personal place but it’s fun to hide. Sometimes I do want the credit but then I just have to remind myself as long as the music is out there, that’s all the credit I need.�

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JULIA MAILLE The Vermont Cynic

Guitarist Kristian Dunn of El Ten Eleven performs at Signal Kitchen April 17. They played in a show along with Slow Magic.

STAFF EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL BOARD Editor-in-Chief Mike Eaton

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Enterprise

Opinion

Shoebox dorms a thing of the past The Groovy UV is getting a makeover.

In a recent proposal to the board of trustees, a housing masterplan was introduced that will tear down, renovate, repurpose and build new residential halls on the University of Vermont campus.

The plan includes expanding the MAT residential halls by nearly two-fold, removing the “shoeboxes” on Central Campus and replacing them with new ones and repurposing Trinity Campus for Graduate students.

Additionally, more community spaces within the already existing residential halls will be

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areas.

The masterplan is a huge step for the UVM community but an absolutely necessary one that will only serve to improve the physical campus as well as student experience.

First of all, UVM is desperately in need of more and better residential halls.

The shoeboxes are a great location to live on campus, but they look like some prison donated a few rows of cells and we fashioned them into semi-livable spaces, charging thousands of dollars for students to live in them.

Second of all, who wants to live on Trinity? No one, that’s who.

Thirdly, and most importantly, the masterplan will help students of any year have the most enjoyable experience possible.

The plan is to make distinct certain residential areas on cam-

COLUMNIST

Visa promises are evaded On the Department of State website, a video titled “Let’s talk numbers” boasts of the ways in which the department “is meeting the growing demand for visas.”

In the video, a narrator walks

upperclassmen. to be in the heart of campus—on Central and Athletic—to become accustomed to campus and take advantage of campus events which are, admittedly, far less attractive to upperclassmen.

Whereas upperclassmen seem to prefer Redstone. By renovating residential halls on Redstone while supplying more community spaces, social and general experience will only improve.

And this MAT expansion will give us a nice new building at the very start of campus.

So when prospective students coming to visit UVM get they will see is a band new residential hall that will not—and crossing—be designed by the architects over at the Redstone Lofts.

JEFF AYERS

As prized targets of Taliban violence, Afghan interpreters face a tangled web of bureaucracy when applying for potentially life-saving United States visas.

The New York Times reported that only 12 percent of the 7,500 special visas the Department of State has set aside for Afghan interpreters employed by the U.S. government have been issued, with possibly thousands backlogged.

The wait can last years — years spent wondering when way into the side of your car, or a gunman might cross your path.

With family and friends at risk, these men and women turn to the U.S. embassy only to be stonewalled.

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

100-plus new staffers in China and Brazil, 220 visa-issuing consulates, 7 day wait for interviews, etc.

The number 7,500 is conspicuously absent. And for a promotional video, that makes sense.

The Department’s performance in Afghanistan has been woefully inadequate and if I were them, I would try to hide that fact as well.

The Times story painted a compelling picture of Afghans who had their paperwork lost, were interviewed with no followup and have had their inquiries met with automated responses.

Afghan civilians did not take jobs with the U.S. government curity; they were banking on actual security as well.

We owe it to them to do all in our power to keep them safe. For many, that entails a new home in the United States.

The visa program, dubiously named “Afghan Allies,” is set to expire during 2013.

Members of congress have begun calling for an extension of the program, which is good. But simply continuing the status quo isn’t enough.

We must do more. Let’s grow the staff at Afghan consulates, increase the available interview windows in order to see as many people as possible and establish deadlines for decisions after interviews.

And no more automated replies.

When your life lies in the balance, silence is an unacceptable response to a visa application. Keeping someone in the loop is the least we can do.

An open dialogue combined with a renewed focus on serving us will ease anxieties — and save lives.

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THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

11

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

COLUMNIST

Intolerance runs rampant Recruiting for peace BIANCA MOHN

In times of national grief, it is an instinct to search for unity and solidarity in processing the tragedy at hand. The Boston bombings have brought people together to mourn the loss of life, recognize heroes and celebrate the capture of the suspect.

As consumers of media, we have seen pictures and articles that have given us many reasons to stand together as a nation and say that we are “Boston Strong.”

In the wake of a horrible event, we view national unity as sacred. What we fail to realize during the emotional response is that unity has more dimensions than one. As Americans, we have forgotten that in today’s political and social environment, unity is created in opposition to something else, or the “other.”

The media displays how we are united in our grief for the victims and support for their families, and how we have rejoiced in the arrest of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. But, if we are united, what are we united against?

It is important not only to rehow we process and respond to the given calamity. When critically examining our group response to the Boston Marathon bombing through the media, it is clear that America has united against several troubling factors.

This media coverage has America is troubled by Islam, Americans maintain a paradigm

of “our country verses theirs” and cultural differences are viewed in a negative light.

The media portrayal of the Boston attack and the Tsarnaev brothers has been biased and shameful. Across media outlets, the number of times the brothers’ religion and national origin is mentioned is alarming.

One particularly disturbing news report is from Fox News.

The article reported, “On Thursday night, hours after the gered by the FBI and their images circulated around the world, they killed a Massachusetts Institute of Technology police ofa man who later escaped.”

We united in support of suffering Americans, but we also united in our fear of Islam, of foreign nations and of different cultural practices.

Not only is the language violent and accusatory, the use of the phrase “radicalized MusOther news sources have used more subtle language to call attention to the brothers’ origins and that they are foreign and differ from typical citizens.

According to NBC news, “Police cornered Tsarnaev around 7 p.m., less than an hour after the police lifted a stay-indoors order for the city and its suburbs.”

Several sources have published Tamerlan’s quote from the Boston University student

magazine from 2010, where he said that he did not drink because “God said no alcohol.”

Tamerlan was further quoted in the press saying, “I don’t have a single American friend.

I don’t understand them.”

Dzhokhar’s social media page was also referenced repeatedly, with his worldview indicated as “Islam” and his personal goal being “career and money.”

Why is it important that Tamerlan did not drink alcohol? Why did the many of news sources report that Dzhokhar it matter that Tamerlan did not “understand” Americans?

It’s because the United rhetoric of “us verses them.” We united in support of suffering Americans, but we also united unconsciously in our fear of Islam, of foreign nations and of different cultural practices.

A Yahoo News article interviewed Paula Gillette, a neighbor of Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who said of Tamerlan’s wife, “When she left, she was a normal American girl and when she returned ance had changed completely and she wore a headscarf.”

Gillette clearly implies that a “normal American girl” is not one who wears a headscarf. It is this publicized discrimination runs deep in America’s soil.

The media reports on the Boston bombings have revealed a great deal about America’s views on religion, national origin and how we perceive our country in relation to the world, but this is a learning opportunity.

We must recognize America’s shortcomings and identify prejudices. Otherwise, we risk fostering a society that is intolerant, discriminatory and xenophobic.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Let’s stop hiding in basements

Dear Editor, Pot smoking in 2013 is similar to alcohol prohibition circa 1923 — a lot of people do it, a lot of people like doing it, and those same people won’t give it up just because it’s illegal. I am not an opponent of marijuana smoking even though it is illegal.

Let’s face it, there are a lot of the law as being “illegal,” yet we continue to do them anyway.

One of these activities is purchasing, furnishing to, and yes, even consuming alcohol under the age of 21.

I ask you this question: do you think this is a just law? The conservatives in the early 1980s seemed to think so.

During a time of moral and wholesome fervor that gripped our country during Reagan’s time at the helm, a small but Mother’s Against Drunk Driving (MADD — angry indeed!) was able to lobby for their cause of ending teenage deaths on the road due to alcohol intoxication.

In 1984, Congress passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act, which mandated that every state change their

minimum drinking ages to 21.

As many of you know, this was not a mandate.

States can have 18-year old drinking ages, but lose 10 percent of highway funding that the federal government supplies.

As a result, most states changed their laws immediate1986, at which point the college out of the bars and into dirty, crowded basements. Those potering the drinking age and I am not ashamed to say so. Yes, alcohol is a drug and has the potential to harm when abused.

I can give basic reasons why the age should be lowered.

An 18-year old American can legally wed, give consent, join the army, die for our country in the name of preserving freedom, and yet these same “adult” Americans do not have the right to enjoy a night out on the town and buy some drinks.

Instead, college life on the weekends is a strange place, where the thought of consuming alcohol and having a good time if you are under 21 (and let’s face it, most of us here are) is met with the risk of getting caught.

Marijuana, although illegal, is a unique way of escaping and “letting loose.”

Easy to obtain, more socially acceptable in public and glorichoice for many American college weekenders. If you want my perspective, pot is no fun.

I would rather curl up into a alone after ripping a bong than enjoying a fun night out with friends and a few drinks.

America, don’t let us down this time. We are adults, and we want to be treated as such.

States should be able to make laws without having the federal government poking its A safe atmosphere starts with awareness. Alcohol, like any vice, is dangerous when abused. But we are in control of our bodies and we should be able to understand what responsible behavior consists of.

In college, this should be expected of us. The Canadians got it right. It’s about damn time we realize this about ourselves.

Dear Editor,

As the Peace Corps recruiter at the University of Vermont, I would like to respond to the artivolunteers.”

As a professional service organization, the Peace Corps including no fees (volunteers are actually provided a stipend, which covers basic living expenses), medical coverage, career support upon return to the United States, an unparalleled reputation and graduate college scholarship opportunities.

The Peace Corps also partners with a number of organizations to help prepare volunteers to support community projects around the world.

We encourage applicants to gain volunteer experience both overseas and here at home and to continue their community service efforts when they return to the U.S. In addition to volunteer exibility and a willingness to serve where the need is greatest.

For example, while Peace Corps considers geographical preferences, we place volunteers where their skills match the needs of the host countries.

This ensures that, in addition to connecting with a new culture and building relationships, vol-

unteers can make a meaningful contribution while overseas.

While volunteers are assigned to work in program sectors including education, health and agriculture, they are also able to develop additional proj-

munities.

These secondary projects are often where a volunteer’s passions and a community’s needs intersect.

Following in Vermont’s tradition of community building and service, the University of Vermont is nationally ranked for the high number of alumni who serve as Peace Corps volunteers.

Readers who would like to learn more about how they can make a difference in a community overseas are welcome to contact me at (802) 656-8269 or peace.corps@uvm.edu.

As a former Peace Corps volunteer, a Peace Corps Fellow here at UVM, and the current recruiter, I am forever grateful to the organization and how it has allowed me to grow as both a person and a professional dedicated to service.

Sincerely, Kelly K. Dolan Peace Corps Recruiter The University of Vermont Peace.Corps@uvm.edu

Tree huggers united Dear Editor, This Friday, April 26, students from the HCOL 186 and NR 206 classes will hold an event in front of the Davis Center to showcase the importance of trees and demonstrate why we should care about them.

The ultimate goal of this and the associated research is to have UVM selected as a Tree Campus, a special Arbor Day Foundation designation.

Join us from 1 to 3 p.m. on Friday for an afternoon of storytelling and education. Learn in our greater community and what we can do to protect and promote them.

We welcome your input, opinions and suggestions. In case of rain, the event will be held in the Billings round room at the same time.

Trees are an important, if oft ignored, part of our world as hu-

mans. They provide habitat for a variety of animals, create oxygen and absorb carbon, serve as a food source for people and animals and stabilize the soil.

They are also highly culturCertain trees have been revered as sacred, while others have been reviled as almost demonic, seen as hosts to evil spirits. Today, people value trees for their aesthetic appeal.

Their presence as ornamentals can break up the otherwise monotonous city landscape of steel and concrete, and larger trees can provide valuable shade during the hot summer months.

In recognition of these and join us in celebrating the trees on campus.

Sincerely, Students of HCOL 186 and NR 206

CONTROVERSIAL QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“WHY, WHETHER IT’S AL-QAEDA CENTRAL OUT OF THE FATAS OR TWO TWISTED, PERVERTED, COWARDLY, KNOCKOFF JIHADIS HERE IN BOSTON. WHY DO THEY DO WHAT THEY DO?” memorial speech, Joe Biden expresses his feelings for the two bombers with a callous and provincial mentality. This mentality is one well described in Bianca Mohn’s column on this page.

Sincerely,

Correction: An article titled “Inside the underground” in

Andrew Fusco Class of 2015

as “Mushpot” and spelled its founder’s last name wrong. His name is Nick Concklin, not Nick Conklin.

12

D i st r act i o n s

THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

This week in

Ages Distractions: Middle (automobilesß 1066 to 1485

By Hope Olszewski, Cynic Staff Across 3. Typical passenger car 4. Swedish manufacturer with high safety ratings 7. Italian sport scar manufacturer whose symbol includes a bull 8. Sport utility vehicle 9. Popular luxury car from Germany 11. Zoom-zoom 14. Modern company that introduced large scale manufacturing of automobiles Down 1. Most cars run on _____________ 2. Car brand that people always mispronounce 5. Famous for the bug 6. British television show about cars 10. A family vehicle with good mileage 12. Car good for the environment 13. Mustangs are an example of _________ cars sive

15. Popular type of car in Vermont 16. Two door car 17. Great car for the country 18. Everyone knows someone who loves a _________ 20. Kind of car soccer moms drive 21. Put the top down

-

Illustrations by Laurel Saldinger Answers to last week’s crossword: Lion Around Acriss 2. Binoculars 5. Grazers 7. Watering hole 9. Jeep 11. Pith helmet

13. Giraffe 17. Wild Thornberrys 18. Cheetah 19. Zebra 20. Prey

Down 1. Ecotourism 3. Antelope 4. Savannah 6. Predators 8. Safari

10. Plains 12. The bush 14. Africa 15. Sanctuary 16. Poachers

COLLEGE PRO is now hiring painters all across the state to work outdoors w/other students. Earn $3k-5k. Advancement opportunities + internships.

1-888-277-9787 or www.collegepro.com Illustration by Austin Grant

UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT COLLEGIATE COLLECTION

MADE IN AMERICA WITH LOVE ™ | WWW.ALEXANDANI.COM

Sports Lax advances in league ranks she proved why she is one of the best players in the country.”

East regular season play this Saturday on the road against Albany in a win-or-go-home game with the winner heading to the America East Conference Tournament.

America East Conference Tournament Preview

off an upset against Albany or UMBC: Coming off a tough bound against New Hampshire on Saturday. UMBC played Albany tight, losing 15-9 and this season have been led by Alyssa Semones who has 32 goals and 12 assists through 15 games.

has not only been the best team in the America East this season they currently are 13-2

for a competitive game against one of the top 2 teams.

country.

The Seawolves are lead by

SCORES THIS WEEK

goals and six assists on the year. conference tournament handthe NCAA Tournament.

Albany: Albany is currently 4-1 in America East play, with its JONATHAN POLSON The Vermont Cynic Junior attacker Sydney Mas looks for an open teammate in a matchup against the Boston College Eagles on Virtue Field April 12. The game resulted in a 12-6 loss. The Catamounts have an away game against Albany this weekend.

Josh Aronson Staff Writer Junior Sydney Mas scored the winning goal last Saturday against UMBC as Vermont won its second America East Conference game of the season 8-7 on a memorable senior day.

Vermont moved to 7-9 overall and into a three-way tie for third as the season heads into its

Mas led the way for the Cats, tallying four points including three goals, while Sophomore Jessica Roach added three goals of her own.

However, the real star for the Cats was First-year goalie game with 7 saves, earning her The Retrievers jumped out to a 2-goal lead, before Vermont scored 5 straight and was lead-

the second half, the Cats found themselves trailing 7-6 with just over 7 minutes to play in the ly answered with a goal from Vanessa VanderZalm tying the game.

“It obviously would’ve been great to have a senior score the game winning goal,”a smiling senior captain Danielle O’Dwyer said. “We have been relying on Sydney’s play all year and today

Overall Albany is 10-4, and is playing well as of late.

As the clear second seed in the Tournament, Albany will need a near perfect game to Vermont: Vermont has a spot in the America East Tournament. The Cats are lead by Sydney Mas who has 47 goals and nine assists.

If the Cats can build on mo-

COMING UP

14

S PO RTS

THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

Cats host benefit talent show Colin Hekimian Assistant Sports Editor UVM’s Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) hosted the third annual Catamount Special Olympics Vermont April 13.

It was an afternoon of dancing, singing, music and comedy with the all-encompassing theme of raising money for the Special Olympics.

Special Olympics Vermont provides year round training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop courage, experience joy and participate in the sharing of gifts, skills and friendships with their families, peers and community.

The event, hosted by men’s Basketball’s Ben Crenca and Special Olympian Josh Beaupre, took place in the Grand Maple Ballroom in the Davis Center on the UVM campus. The competition was judged by Dr. Bob Corran, Bill Reichelt and Lisa DeNatale.

“The hosts of the show were outstanding,” Taylor Silvestro, vice-chair of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee said.

“They kept the audience entertained and laughing. Ben and Josh made a fantastic team. You would have thought they were professionals.”Ben Crenca is a

four-year member and senior on the men’s basketball team at UVM. He was named team captain for the 2012-2013 season.

Beaupre is a 20-year-old Special Olympics Vermont Athlete from Burlington.

He competes in cross country skiing, bowling, bocce and soccer. He performed a dance to the Michael Jackson song, “They Don’t Care About Us.” “Community service is a strong emphasis that we focus on,” Silvestro said. “We decided to have a Catamount Talent Show to raise money for Vermont Special Olympics.

Our motto that we say often is “athletes helping other athletes.” With the money that we raised last year, we were able to help send special Olympians to South Korea to compete. This year marked our third annual talent show.”

Special Olympics Vermont returned to UVM for the Spring Sports basketball tournament, April 20-21. More than 350 athletes and partners from 16 delegations competed for a chance to represent Vermont at the 2014 Special Olympics National Games in Princeton, NJ. “I think the event went well,” Silvestro said, “We had some great talent that competed and had a variety of acts, including people from outside the UVM community.” drawn twice during the show.

Host Josh Beaupre was the -

PHOTO COURTESY OF MATT BLANCHARD/ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS Sophomore Christian Lewis performs “When I Was Your Man” by Bruno Mars at the Catamount Country Talent Show in the Grand Maple Ballroom April 13. The event was held to help fundraise for Special Olympics Vermont.

guitar player Christian Lewis, improv troupe People With Faces, guitarist Suzanne Friedman, young singer Mollie Allen and A Capella group the Top Cats.

The second half of the show featured the Top Cats yet again, singer Miriam Romero, standup comedian Dustin Bruley, Spanish singer Sasha Birge, the father-son musician duo Brian and Mark Slevin and the UVM

Jazbaa club.

“You could tell that all the performers were passionate about their performances,” Silvestro said. “They helped keep the high-energy going.”

Brian and Mark Slevin were the winners of the talent show.

They played “Love Potion Number 9” by The Searchers and “The Weight” by The Band.

“Brian and Mark Slevin were quite the duo,” Silvestro said

about the tournament winners. father-son performance and it was impressive.”

“It is important to have the UVM athletics support because many of the audience members are from the athletic community,” Silvestro said. “Many athletes come to support the performers and also their teammates that had organized the event.”

S po rts

THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

15

The New York State of Mind

Healing effects of sports hosting the Atlanta Braves in the City just ten days removed from the darkest day in the city’s—and nation’s—history.

Before the game, tributes to WILL ANDREYCAK PHOTO COURTESY OF ALASTAIR INGRAM

Junior Nika Oullette competes in the javelin event at the America East Outdoor Championship at UMBC May 7, 2011.

Athlete of the Week Nika Ouellette, Track and Field Stu Laperle Staff Writer Class: Junior Event: Javelin Hometown: Brookline, Mass.

High School: Brookline High School Previous accomplishments: While attending Brookline High School, Ouellette competed on both the teams. She was the 2010 Massachusetts State Champions in the Javelin event. That year she was also named AllScholastic, while earning the Brookline High School Female Athlete of the Year award.

Accomplishments at UVM: Ouellette earned her third consecutive America East Female Field Performer of the Week with her dominant performance at the George Mason Invitational in Fairfax, Va. Ouellette broke both the

conference and school record in the javelin event with her throw of 49.98 meters at the 2012 America East Outdoor Championships. In 2012, mount ever to earn NCAA Second Team All-America honors.

Winning six javelin comOuellette received the title of America East Most Outstanding Rookie, while claiming the Women’s Track and Field MVP award in both 2011 and 2012. Ouellette hopes to continue her dominance in the javelin at the upcoming UMASS Invitational in Amherst, Mass.

athleteconfessions Taylor Feuss Sports Editor

I was 10 at the time so I couldn’t really comprehend the gravity of what had happened.

That isn’t to say I don’t remember it; the memories are quite vivid.

The images in my head are as clear as the sky was that morning, but the weight of what I was seeing on the television screen in my living room, of the looks on my parent’s faces, somehow failed to resonate in me the way they should have.

As I sat and absorbed the images of the attacks at last week’s Boston Marathon I – like many others – was immediately taken back to September 11, 2001.

Except this time I felt what then eluded me. This time I could feel the weight of such senseless evil pressing down upon me; for a moment draining my faith in the world and inciting cynicism in humanity.

But these low moments of despair eventually pass for all of us. Days like September 11th 2001 stay with us for our entire life, but the acuteness of the pain eventually dissipates, leaving scars that grow fainter day-byday.

It is incredible that most of us can heal from such traumatic moments. In the immediate aftermath of a tragedy like last week it certainly feels like we never will recover.

But when all feels hopeless, have recovered in the past in order to move forward toward a bright future.

The night was September 21, 2001. The New York Mets were

ers stirred overwhelming emotion in those who were in attendance and those watching from home.

As the players from both teams stood on the baselines as the national anthem was sung – donning caps stitched with FDNY and NYPD rather than the traditional team logos – the tears in their eyes.

The sound of our nation’s anthem has never been more hauntingly beautiful.

The Mets trailed that game for most of the evening, leaving the fans with little to cheer about for the majority of the game.

But in the bottom of the eighth inning – down by one run came to bat with a man on base. into the New York City night, the stadium erupted in a type of joy that I can’t quite describe with words. It was a bottled up euhad been lost for too long.

It was numbing, it was beautiful, it was surreal and it was medicine. ball out of Shea Stadium New Yorkers remembered what it felt like to feel happiness once again.

More than winning the World Series in 1969 and 1986, this moment was the most important in the history of the New York Mets.

For millions of Americans, sport it is a respite from the ties and tragedies of life.

If only for a moment, it can divert our minds from our troubles in a way that little else can.

In bringing together complete strangers to support a common purpose it is uniting.

For cities like New York and Boston, sports are engrained in our cultural DNA. When the troubles of daily life face us we often look to our teams for moments of peace.

And this dependence for diswhen we are faced with days like April 15th.

Boston will recover; the people that live there are some of the strongest in the country.

And I am certain that in the recovery process the purpose of teams like the Bruins, the Red Sox and the Celtics will take on new meaning.

The emotion of the Bruins will likely trump that of a Stanley Cup Finals game.

And as a New York Sports fan—normally sworn enemy of the Boston sports nation—I almost hope they win the cup this year.

Because I know what that would mean to the people of Boston and to the country as a whole.

It would go miles in healing that city and it would give them moments of joy that will melt away part of their pain in much for New Yorkers twelve years before.

In our search for answers and outlets of healing we all seek different things.

For cities like New York and Boston, sport is synonymous with distraction. And in the synonymous with healing.

It is amusing to me when people emphatically insist that sports is just a game. How could that be so?

In times like this, we see evidence that, in fact, they mean so much more.

254. I’m in love with the entire quidditch team 247. the tall lanky freshman basketball player. i think his name is ethan o’day... he gets me every time with that face he makes 222. Candon Rusin is easily the sexiest man at UVM 136. I’ve been hooking up with this stud of an athlete for the past year and a half. I’ve never met his friends, never seen him outside of practice or our bedrooms, and he is a complete ass to me sometimes. But I still love him and keep hoping for a relationship. I am delusional and let themselves be used by jerks.

I know it’s wrong but I can’t seem to stop!

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Fans celebrate UVM sports Joe Tomlinson Cynic Correspondent This Saturday, Vermont Athletics will host Fan Appreciation Day at Virtue Field to celebrate an outstanding year for UVM’s competitive teams.

The event starts at 12:00 pm and will conclude at 1:30—just enough time to make it over to Springfest.

Fan Appreciation Day includes free food, games and Bagels Plus, Boloco, Ben and Jerry’s, Cabot, Coca Cola, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Hannaford’s, Leonardo’s, Ramunto’s and Sodexo are providing food.

come from Five Guys, the DoubleTree by Hilton, Junior’s, the Vermont Lake Monsters, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Nectar’s and more.

Top Hat Entertainment will be providing a bounce house, and DJ Josh Bugbee will be providing tunes.

After enjoying some free food and entertainment, Vermont Athletics invites you to cheer on the Catamounts men’s lacrosse team as they take on the University of Hartford at 1:00 p.m.

The event is free to all UVM students with a student ID. Students are encouraged to bring

friends or family to the event.

Tickets are $5 for the general public, $3 for children 17 and under and free for kids 12 and under.

UVM faculty and staff tickets are $3, and Victory Club members and Rally’s Round Up members can enter for free with their membership cards.

The event was planned and CDAE 195: Event Planning for Athletics class.

The class worked in teams to tackle issues of ticket operations, event marketing and entertainment.

16

S PO RTS

THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

A year of firsts for skaters Jeremy Karpf Senior Staff Writer Following the UVM Figure Skating Show that took place April 14 at Gutterson Fieldhouse, The Cynic thought it was a good time to get to know Figure Skating Club a little better. the team. They started their season placOpen in early December, and followed that up with a strong performance at the Eastern Synchronized Skating Competition in Lake Placid February 2 where they placed sixth. club’s history, four skaters traveled to the University of Delaware to compete in a freestyle competition.

The team’s recent successes are made even more impressive due to the fact that this season they coached themselves.

There was not enough in their budget to hire a coach and pay for ice time.

“We had some of the girls who were most knowledgeable take the reins in the choreography and running practice.

Then we all just shared our ideas about what we needed to improve on and how we should go about it,” sophomore Annie Maheux said.

“I think it’s notable that there were four skaters who went to the freestyle

the other two were sophomores,” Maheux said. “There is a growing movement of more interest in competitions and more involvement in the club.”

Maheux feels that in this past season, the freestyle team blossomed and grew the collegiate freestyle competition. Freestyle is different from synchronized skating because instead of fourteen girls skating in unison it’s now one girl all by herself.

Solomon said. “But only three girls skated synchro before they came to UVM.” For many of the members of the Club, life for years. Annie Maheux thinks that they’re looking for schools that have skating and so getting our name out there at competitions is huge. As is having our name on the United States Figure Skating Association website. I think that’s a big thing in college searches.”

“When you’re on the ice with people several hours per week you become really close to them, even if you don’t necessarily share a lot in comon with them. So you form really great bonds with people you would not have met otherwise. ” Annie Maheux Sophomore Next year, when Maheux is co-captain of the synchronized skating team, she hopes to, “have many more freestyle competitions along with synchronized.”

Sophomore Alyssa Solomon said that, there has recently been more interest in competing than ever before. Alyssa is next year’s vice-president and freestyle chair.

“Right now our club has 27 members, and there are 14 on the synchro team,”

cent hobby. Regardless of skill level, even individuals interested in learning to skate are welcome in the club. Next year the club will begin to run structured lessons for those who want to learn. There is also open ice time three mornings per week for club members to skate and practice.

But it’s not only those interested in skating who have joined the club.

“Our announcer at the show, he doesn’t skate, but he wanted to support us by announcing,” Solomon said. “There are other volunteer positions during our events that people can help out with.“ has helped them transition into college.

For Annie, “the best relationships I’ve made in my life have been through skating. I think a lot of skaters feel that same way. When you’re on the ice with people several hours per week you become close to them. I think it’s a great way, especially coming into college, to branch out and make a wide variety of friends.”

Alyssa agrees. “We are a very diverse group of girls who have very diverse interests off the ice, but skating is this common interest for all of us and we can all connect through skating and that really opens to door for meeting people.”

Support for the club has been steadily increasing as of lately, and the show on April 14 was the club’s most successful fundraiser ever. “We had never had that many people in the audience for a show.

I think that the club is growing,” Maheux said.

If you are interested in joining the Figure Skating Club or want to learn ing@gmail.com. As well as check out their website at http://thelynx.collegiateing-club.

Top: A figure skater performs during the UVM Figure Skating Show in the Gutterson Arena April 14. The Figure Skating Club placed first in a show last December.

Left: Sophomore figure skater Annie Maheux skates along side first-year teammate Donna Waterman at the UVM Figure Skating Show in the Gutterson Arena April 14.

PHOTOS BY ALICIA ACCETTA The Vermont Cynic