Vermont Cynic Spring 2015 Issue 21

SKI TEAM WINS 20TH CARNIVAL See Photo Spectacle on Page 10 vtcynic.com

We d n e s d a y, Fe b r u a r y 2 5 , 2 0 1 5

Vo l u m e 1 3 1 I s s u e 2 1

SGA hosts debate for Progressives, city officials examine ethics in election elections

Controversial ties Jacob Holzman Enterprise Editor

John Riedel & Margaux Rioux

Sarah Olsen As election day nears, con-

said.

Senior Carmen Scoles and

ter.

BECCA ADAMS The Vermont Cynic

FACEBOOK

JEN RAMIREZ The Vermont Cynic

UVM student Adam Roof, an in-

said.

said.

(Left) Progressive Councilor Max Tracy. (Center) Kesha Ram is pictured in the Davis Center Oct. 14. JEN

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said.

These are important constitutional rights these people have, to engage in the political process, and you know the government should be very careful to get in the way of that

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Mayor Miro Weinberger

similar concerns to Tracy.

ARTS

Swimming and diving finish 3rd in championships

Yankee Tattoo, a shop on Pearl Street, has been tattooing and piercing students since its opening. It remains one of the oldest tattoo shops in Burlington and is widely respected.

Catamounts swimming and diving team finish program record of 662 points at the American East Champion ship game in Worchester, Massachusetts.

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015

CRIME LOG

Budget system approved

Feb. 12 2:54 p.m.

A student in Mason Hall re-

Aidan Breen Cynic Correspondent

Guiding Principles of IBB

Monteiro said.

1.

Create incentives that promote academic quality and excellence.

left many students confused,

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Create incentives at all levels of the University that

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Feb. 13 9:51 p.m.

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Encourage innovation and entrepreneurship.

PRESIDENT TOM SULLIVAN

to students.

Provide transparency, clarity and predictibility.

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10:33 p.m. memo.

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Can be easily understood; easy to implement and operate,

6. Can operate in all economic cycles.

According to a memo from President Tom Sullivan

Feb. 14 1:57 a.m.

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8:15 p.m.

RYAN THORNTON The Vermont Cynic

Improving the Humanites Center Caroline Alkire Cynic Correspondent

Standards.

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Feb. 15

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classes for students interested

1:59 a.m.

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—Jill Vaglica

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and UVM faculty and students, -

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said.

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What we want to say is that humanites are very much a part of the dynamism of a research university right now

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Luis Vivanco

Center.

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Conducting a jazz revolution David Dubrul Cynic Correspondent

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Whatever it is you listen to, listen to it with a little bit more of an educated approach

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nity.

Lecturer Ray Vega -

cation leads to success.

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LYDIA KOERNER The Vermont Cynic

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said.

said.

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area.

really listen to it and listen in-

Arraignment held for suspect of burglaries Jill Vaglica said.

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WALKER SULTZBACH The Vermont Cynic -

Farm being renovated

court records.

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Kelsey Neubauer

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release stated.

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The new instructional barn will be a first-class facility and a great learning laboratory for our students Tom Vogelmann CALS Dean

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site.

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UVM President Tom Sulli-

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ences.

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said.

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Blatt’s criminal records.

said. said.

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focus on your career and your Moll said.

cords.

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release.

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Russell, associate director of

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015

Record number of admitted students Allie Orsono As many admitted students

ate admissions, said.

UVM.

ternational recruiters, said.

FREDDY MORIN The Vermont Cynic

CONTROVERSY ...continued from page 1

tial candidates to run.

said.

said.

DEBATE

...continued from page 1

said. non-student resident relations tion.

VICTORIA CASSAR The Vermont Cynic

Candidates for Ward 8, Ward 1 and East District participate in a debate

dates and students alike.

Peace Corps at UVM

Crimmin said.

Application Workshop Choose where you want to go.

Apply in one hour.

Make a difference overseas as a Peace Corps Volunteer

said.

said Roof. said.

Scoles said.

Friday, February 27 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Morrill Hall - Lab (Morrill Hall 005) University of Vermont

Peace Corps peacecorps.gov - 855.855.1961

Life

Gender equality thrives at UVM Harper Simpson Cynic Correspondent Students at UVM are likely familiar with the openness at their University. Now every reader of The New York Times is as well.

Just over two weeks ago, New York Times writer Julie Scelfo wrote an article about the transgender community at UVM. The headline read “A University Recognizes a Third Gender: Neutral” and in just four days, 3.3 million people had viewed the article, University Registrar Keith Williams said.

Senior Rocko Gieselman, who was featured in the New York Times article, said they were unhappy with the inaccuracy of the headline.

“Identity is genderqueer not third gender,” Gieselman said.

Within the last decade or so, the transgender community can feel safer because of one slight change in the Banner system.

Williams said Banner is the “most widely-used information system in the world.”

Gieselman said that they came to UVM knowing their identity would be supported.

“Banner is our student

“

but ignored all requests so UVM made the change themselves, Brauer said.

After about 10 years, the system and now UVM is to use Banner and modify the database.

The change became active in January 2009, Williams said.

Since then, Williams said that UVM has helped other universities become more welcoming by giving them the new software within the Banner system that Williams created to allow for the change.

Williams said this is easily the most important project that he has worked on in his career.

“I think that UVM has been really, really supportive,” Gieselman said. “It is, however, important to recognize that all of the advocacy work and software patch is coming from a select group of people, not just UVM as a whole.”

Gieselman said that “UVM has been getting a lot of positive media, but that it is important that the administration put their money where their mouth is.”

Rocko said that the pub-

It is important that the administration put their money where their mouth is.

“

Rocko Gieselman Senior information system,” said Dot Brauer, the director of UVM’s LGBTQA center.

In 2001, Williams was approached by Brauer, he said.

The two were able to join together with a team of other dents the option to specify their preferred pronoun.

They also gave students the ability to change their name on university documents, regardless of whether they had changed their name legally, Williams said.

The Banner system had been approached by many colleges asking for change,

licity on this matter has potential to bring in a lot of money into the university in the near future.

With that, they said it is “pertinent” that the programs supporting transgender equality be funded more However, Williams said UVM’s new system has received a lot of recognition.

“Since the change went live, I have been called by schools all over the country,” Williams said. “In the last six years on average, I probably get one phone call a week asking how we did this.”

But Williams said he

LYDIA KOERNER The Vermont Cynic

couldn’t have done it without the help of one student in particular.

Williams gives all credit to the change in the system involving preferred pronouns to 2009 graduate Elliot Kennedy, who was a transgender student here at UVM. “It is so gratifying to hear that this change has created a supportive environment at UVM and makes it stand out from other universities,” Kennedy said.

It wasn’t until Kennedy explained the importance of the preferred pronouns change in the system that Williams even thought of it, he said.

Kennedy said it is the students who are the driving force behind progressive change.

“It is great that this matter has brought so much publicity, but what I would like to see is that students see the power they have,” he said. “It is the students who have the power to create change at UVM.” Kennedy said he now works as the special expert partment of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C. Looking into the future, there is still more progress to be made.

“We don’t get it all right, we’re people, we make mistakes,” Williams said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROCKO GIESELMAN Senior Rocko Gieselman is pictured. Gieselman was featured in a New York Times article regarding the nuances of gender identity on campus.

The choice of one less can benefit your overall health Allison Carey Weekly Health Columnist More often than not, our lives come down to little everyday decisions rather than monumental, life-changing

ones.

That is why it is usually the combination of these little decisions that decides the direction we are going.

Bentley University’s Choose OneLess program uses this idea to motivate college students to choose one less drink per night or to go out one less night a month.

This is done in hopes that it will result in one less hungover morning, one less missed class or one less embarrassing text message.

The OneLess program gives us something else that we can apply to the rest of our lives.

Focusing on small, manageable decisions keeps us from getting overwhelmed

with all of the things we may want to change in our lives.

This way, we can concentrate on one thing at a time.

We then have the opportunity to create habits we can us in the long run. to have fun in college, be careful.

And maybe one night,

stay home with some snacks, instead of going out.

Or if you do go out, have one less drink than you normally would.

These small decisions ent and hopefully better.

Allison Carey is a senior English major. She has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2014.

Li fe

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015

Fighting for education Katie Hickey Assistant Life Editor

Beer Columnist

and conversation. dle,” is about the Iranian government’s systematic oppression of the Baha’i, will play Feb. 25 in the Davis Center.

The Baha’i religion was around the belief that there was a new prophet named com.

“I’ve not heard anything substantial about it, but would about it,” sophomore Masha Nazarko said.

First-year Erika Torres, global campaign, “Education is Not a Crime,” which illuminates the Baha’i struggle for religious tolerance, access to higher education and human rights.

“You can’t wait for someone to make a move, you take initiative … so I just did,” she said.

Assistant religion professor Ilyse Morgenstein Fuerst, who studies Islam, said Iran – a predominantly Islamic nation – does not accept the Baha’i recognition of another prophet in addition to Muhammad.

Along with the Christian, Islamic and Jewish prophets, “as the new messenger versus

The clean-crisp taste of a patriotic pale ale Tommy Gambino

A UVM student is helping a persecuted religious communi-

PHOTO COURTESY OF MAZIAR BAHARI’S FACEBOOK

Fuerst said.

The prejudice towards the Baha’i comes from “the rulbut as a deviation from Islam,” she said.

The Iranian government restricts members of the religion from higher education and practice, according to the Education Is Not a Crime website.

“Education has a lot of from the Baha’i.”

Iran continues to violate human rights and persecute minorities, according to a Dec. 2014 United Nations article.

Torres said she hopes that

Baha’i’s cause and start conversations among students. is pressure the government,” Torres said. “Iran likes to have a good image so we must make voices loud.”

Last year, the UVM Amnesty International Club “sent letters of solidarity to Baha’i leaders in prison, whom Amnesty has declared ‘prisoners of conscience,” said senior Sammie Ibrahim, president of UVM’s Amnesty International club.

Ibrahim said she is “glad” that there is “discussion about the issue of religious persecution occurring on campus.”

“If people become educated about the matter slowly over change,” she said.

students can contribute to the

6

Dale’s Pale Ale, brewed

by Oskar Blues Brewery, is a patriotic canned beer that is sure to turn you into a lover of pale ales. vor, the ale has just the right amount of bitterness to its aftertaste that it doesn’t distract from the true taste of the beer.

It has a full pale ale taste of hops – light enough to quench your thirst.

This leads the beer to be what I call an “easy drinker.”

A pale ale is a good way to acquire a taste for hoppier beers, like Sixpoint Brewery’s Resin or The Alchemist’s Heady Topper.

Both of those beers have a strong aftertaste that really requires some getting used to if you’re not already into that type of brew.

If that’s the case, a less hoppy, clean tasting Dale’s would be the way to go.

My advice: be care-

ful when drinking a sixpack.

With a 6.5 percent alcohol by volume and a 65 on the international bitterness unit scale, those 72 ounces will disappear before you can say “blueberry pie.”

And for all the earth conscious people out there, Oskar Blues Brewery has placed three recycling reminders on their cans.

As a personal lover of the pale ale genre, I can say that Dale’s Pale Ale is one of my favorites.

Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale, the breweries signature beer and another one of my favorites, is neckand-neck with Dale’s for the position of my personal favorite.

Oskar Blues Brewery has two locations, one in Longmont, Colorado and another in Dr. Brevard, North Carolina, according to the breweries website.

The Colorado location began brewing and canning Dale’s Pale Ale in 2002, according to the website.

Thomas Gambino is a senior English major. He has been writing for the Cynic since Spring 2014.

The art of the swipe: finding a match Anthony Gemma Cynic Correspondent On

sophomore

Abigail

array of apps like Snapchat, Pandora and Words With Friends. But there is one you “The concept is creepy and say yes or no based on someone’s picture” Howlett said.

Tinder allows users to connect with people around them, according to the Tinder website.

Users can swipe right if they like a person or swipe left to pass.

If both people swipe right,

then they form a match, according to the site. From there, users can message the person and share photos or what the app calls “moments.”

“I think Tinder is a joke year Joyce Huang said. “But if someone is both attractive and interesting then it probably makes things easy for them.”

Sophomore Alli O’Connor said she has had some “awkward” experiences with the app.

“I used to go on it a lot but I’ve had a few awkward inperson encounters so I decidO’Connor said.

But students like sophomore Owen Goetemann said

they have seen success with Tinder.

“I have plenty of friends who have used it and met up with people,” Goetemann said.

“It’s really all about just being upfront and honest.”

Tinder is set to release Tinder Plus in the U.S. in March, according to an article from techcrunch.com.

The updated version has several new features including an undo button for accidental swipes and a “passport” feature which allows users to search outside of their current location, according to the article.

“I kind of like the fact that tinder lets you meet people close to you,” sophomore Hannah Schaefer said.

PHOTO BY ANABEL SOSA

ARTS

Changes in the South End Mayor tackles South End artists’ concern around redevelopment

promote and improve economic development, qual-

will no longer be able to afford their studio spaces as a result of this redevelopment and a subsequent rise in rent.

According to the city’s most recent housing market analysis, “Burlington’s housing market is marked by…low rental vacancy rates and limited inventory of homes for sale – much lower than regional, national and ‘balanced’ levels.”

“One of the driving reasons that we chose to do this planBTV South End process was to get ahead of [real estate becoming too expensive] and to proactively at-

“

Artists, by nature of their way of existing in the world and seeing the world, they see opportunity where other people see neglect.

Matt Hastings

tect and preserve what we love about the South End today including the arts and the other creative economy uses that are currently a major part of the South End,” said Mayor Miro Weinberger.

“I’m feeling hopeful, but also realistic,” Hastings said of the planBTV South End process.

“Burlington is a town that really thinks about its growth. It’s time. People are moving here, rents are really high, and there’s a demand for living in the city of Burlington,” Hastings said.

“I would hate to see the City Council and the Mayor make decisions that would homogenize the socioeconomic diversity down here,” Hastings said.

“I think that’s the key to having any good city, any good environment, is people

vocations coming from different backgrounds bumping into each other, because that’s where life happens.

Weinberger has taken artist concerns into account, addressing them head-on by citing the $100,000 National Endowment for the Arts grant the city received for this project.

“The explicit purpose of [the grant] was to make sure that during this planning process we were taking into account the arts perspective and that we were involving artists in that planning,” Weinberger said.

Adam Brooks also raised concerns about the formbased code that has been prominent in the planBTV downtown and waterfront processes.

“

consensus vision of where we want to go,” Weinberger said.

The Mayor cited community conversation as the primary reason form-based code would not be used in the enterprise district.

“I think that’s kind of the Burlington way,” Weinberger said. “We get people together, we talk about what we’re worried about in the future, what we’d like to see

We go out, we work hard, and we make it happen. That’s the intent with this South End planning process.

“

With a local election next week, development in Burlington is a hot button issue that has created controversy among many artists, residents, and businesses.

South End artist Matt Hastings and South End Arts and Business Association executive director Adam Brooks both raised tion in the enterprise district due to the proposed planBTV South End project in recent interviews with The Vermont Cynic.

“I think the biggest threat to artists is the infrastructure,” Brooks said.

SEABA is best known for its Art Hop event, which brings about 30,000 people to the South End to view and purchase local art and attend comedy and musical performances every year, according to the SEABA website.

The planBTV South End process will “place an emphasis on a community

and workforce housing…as well as the quality and capacity of our public infrastructure,” according to the city of Burlington’s website.

“The change that happens when artists come into a place is pretty much a pattern,” South End artist Matt Hastings said.

“Artists, by nature of their way of existing in the world and seeing the world, they see opportunity where other people see neglect.”

Hastings rents a studio in the South End for his wood shop, Riven, where he makes wooden furniture and houseware and practices with his rock band, Vedora.

Hastings raises concerns that the South End artist community will be gentri-

“

Sarah Stickle

Mayor Miro Weinberger Since the interview with Brooks, Burlington’s City Council has voted not to use FBC in the planning process for the South End redevelopment.

“I think it was a mistake that part of the enterprise zone was initially put into that form-based code process. That was premature, because we haven’t done the planning yet in the South End to come up with that

happen, and then we go out, we work hard, and we make it happen. That’s the intent with this South End planning process.”

Weinberger added, “We’re going to create some kind of consensus about what we want to see happen in the South End, and then happen as a community.”

PHOTOS BY NATALIE WILLIAMS AND REBECCA ADAMS (Top) An astronaut mural on the exterior of the S.P.A.C.E. gallery is pictured. S.P.A.C.E. is both a workplace and a viewing gallery. (Top right) Designer and craftsman Matt Hastings of Grain Design Studio speaks in his workspace on Pine Street Feb. 18. (Bottom left) Mayor Miro Weinberger discusses how the arts community is

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25 , 2015

Tattoo shop draws in students Assistant Arts Editor There is no shortage of tattoo shops in Burlington, but only one has been consistently recognized as the best.

Local newspaper Seven Days has named Yankee Tattoo as the “best place to get body art” every year since 2003.

Yankee Tattoo is located at 198 Pearl St., and is owned by Bill Henshaw, or Bald Bill, as he’s known in the business.

The shop has been a part of Burlington for almost 20 years.

“Vermont legalized tattooing in 1996 and I opened up this shop [that same year],” Henshaw said.

Henshaw said he’s been tattooing professionally for 35 years.

He started when he was 14, he said.

“When I was younger I had a Henshaw said.

Henshaw said he attended Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and later had a job designing advertisements for Yellow Pages.

“I learned more at the phone company than I did at Massachusetts College of Art,” Henshaw said. “It’s the real world.”

“

There are whole groups of kids that I tattooed when they were 18 and now they’re 30 and they still come back.

“

Jim DuVal

MOLLY DUFF The Vermont Cynic

(Top) Tattoo artist Jim DuVal retouches his work on Tiffany Sarandis’ custom tattoo design in the shop. He has been tattooing for 35 years.

Henshaw said the pressure and precision required as a commercial artist prepared him for the same pressure and precision required in the tattooing business. artists including Henshaw and two piercers.

One artist, Jim DuVal, has been with Henshaw almost since the opening.

After attending Johnson State College, DuVal said he moved to Burlington and met Henshaw. “[Henshaw and I] got to be friends over time [and] I’d come in and watch him tattoo. I started working here and eventually started tattooing,” DuVal said.

DuVal said that tattoo artists experience a sort of “Peter Pan” surrounded by youth culture. In Burlington a lot of that comes from the students. “[I’ve tattooed] thousands [of UVM students] over the

Spin the night UVM better prepare itself for “Something Unexpected” happening on Saturday nights from 8 p.m.-10 p.m.

WRUV 90.1’s own Bjorn Werner spins the feed Saturday under the DJ name BHE. Werner’s set consists of two hours of live DJ mixing where he showcases the latest releases from the worlds of deep house, U.K. garage and bass with a heavy dose of the unexpected.

His set features live guest mixes and unreleased songs from local artists.

When Bjorn Werner isn’t enjoying Vermont’s outdoors on a mountain bike or pair of skis he’s spinning a pair of tables for WRUV.

Artist: Go Freek Album: Way You Dance Track: The Way You Dance

Artist: Dusky Album: Akebono Track: Yoohoo

years. I’ve got a group of UVM students that I work on consistently now,” he said.

DuVal said past UVM graduates that he tattooed still come back to Yankee Tattoo for touch-ups.

“There are whole groups of kids that I tattooed when they were 18 and now they’re 30 and they still come back,” he said.

“You get to watch these people evolve.”

Henshaw said the shop gains respect because of this.

“Our artists have been here for a long time,” he said. “You can get a tattoo and come back and get it touched up by the same artist.”

Yankee Tattoo regularly for ers. mistakes from other artists.

“We’ve got a great reputation [and] we take care of our clients very well,” Henshaw said.

“Policy”:

Solo album inspires criticism Tim Butler Arts Columnist Important music, the kind that inspires and excites listeners, isn’t easily achieved.

by Arcade Fire’s Will Butler, brother of frontman Win Butler, is trying very hard to be important music.

It’s an album that wants to be seen as a statement on the state of music – the album is described in its press release as “American music — in the tradition of The Violent Femmes, The Breeders, The Modern Lovers, Bob Dylan, Smokey Robinson, The Magnetic Fields [and] Ghostface Killah.”

It doesn’t succeed.

However, much like Arcade Fire’s music, there are enough interesting ideas here that it doesn’t really matter. with “Take My Side,” a rollicking good time of a track, which harkens back to the clumsy rage of “The Suburbs.”

It may be the best track on “Policy,” just because it takes itself the least seriously.

Lead single “Anna” is a groovy, lightweight synth jam that gets bogged down with big ideas.

Butler repeatedly sings “money money money money” over and over again for some reason.

“Finish What I Started” is a sweet, Neil Young-esque ballad that ends too soon. “Son of God” is another attempt at being a statement more than being a song.

When Butler awkwardly

shouts “Some of this shit’s getting pretty old,” and then follows with “still you don’t believe me,” you can’t help but lightly nod your head.

Songs like “Something’s Coming” and “What I Want” are just not good. “I will buy you a pony, we can cook it for supper, I know a great recipe for pony macaroni” is are real lyrics found on this album.

Then a song like “Sing to Me” comes along, a somber piano ballad that recalls “Neighborhood #4” in its simple sweetness, and you remember why you cared about this album Butler is capable of creating beautiful, awe-inspiring, important music.

While “Policy” isn’t that, it is comforting nonetheless to be shown that these people still love making music as much as we like listening to it.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF TONJE THILESEN

Clayton Knight (left) and Harrison Mills, members of the Seattle-based electronic duo Odesza, are pictured. They are playing two shows at Higher Ground March 5, one of which is sold out.

Duo drops double night of dance in Burly Two college friends have taken over the electronic music scene with slow, psychedelic beats and crowd-rocking sounds.

When BeachesBeaches and CatacombKid work together, they form the chill, trippy, but also hardcore, bass slamming, EDM creating machine known as Odesza.

The duo is coming to Higher Ground March 5 and will be playing two shows.

They will be an early show at 6 p.m. and a late show at 10 p.m.

Based out of Bellingham, Washington, Clayton Knight, performs as BeachesBeaches and Harrison Mills performs as CatacombKid. The two met through a mutual friend and it only took one jam session to realize their potential, they said.

They said they knew the risks of a musician’s lifestyle but showed no fear whatsoever.

Now they’re selling out shows wherever they go.

“I actually started playing played all the way through high school. I started practicing with bought the software and it took

None of this was an overnight success, the duo said.

ity.

I started practicing with electronic music when I first bought the software and it took off from there

omore Eleanor Besade said.

“Adding the additional show says a lot, too,” she said. “Higher Ground doesn’t usually do that.”

As soon as the tour is wrapped up Odesza said they plan to hit the festival grind.

They plan to make appearances all over the U.S. including festivals such as Bonnaroo, Fire-

Clayton Knight

The group will also begin

“

As the saying goes, practice makes perfect, and that is exactly what these two did.

Having already released two albums, “Summer’s Gone” and “In Return,” Odesza is showing no signs of slowing down in terms of creativity and original-

The group wasn’t even aware that their show at Higher

“

Raf Santos

Ground sold out two months in advance, which is a testament to their success, Knight said.

“It says a lot about how popular they’ve become since they can sell out a whole venue months before the show,” soph-

ing this spring.

Other future plans include working on a new album.

Tickets are still available for the early show for $14.

Musician creates a ‘American Sniper’ misses the mark solo sound for fans American Sniper:

Colin Kamphuis Arts Columnist

Sometimes a movie comes along that challenges the way we see the world, the way we understand war and the sacred hero’s journey.

This was not one of those movies.

“American Sniper” tells a simplistic and clichéd story that feels familiar because we’ve seen it countless times before.

After the U.S. embassy bombings in 1998, cowboy Texan Chris Kyle, played by Bradley Cooper, abandons his unfulriding bulls to defend his freedom and the country he loves.

Following Sept. 11 he is sent to Iraq as a Navy Seal sniper.

Over the course of two tedious hours Kyle’s story and his experience in the Iraq war unfolds. The most melodramatic scene involved him calling his wife in the middle of a gun battle during which he and his SEAL team are hopelessly outnumbered.

One would think that the history who deals with crippling guilt over failure to protect his

fellow soldiers would be more eager to defend his men from waves of attacks.

“American Sniper” had the opportunity to address the posttraumatic stress disorder that plagues many American troops after returning from war.

With high rates of suicide among veterans, one would think that mental illness is a subject worth covering.

ricane Katrina and beat up former WWE wrestler Jesse Ven-

This version of Kyle is certainly at odds with the humble hero seen in “American Sniper.”

mentions soldiers’ PTSD and devotes most screen time to a cliché game of cat and mouse between Kyle and an al-Qaida sniper mysteriously known as “Mustafa.”

While Mustafa was a real alQaida sniper, he and Kyle never crossed paths in reality, and he is barely mentioned in Kyle’s autobiography.

Most disappointing about

Most disappointing about the film, however, is the misguided support and criticism blindly attributed to it.

guided support and criticism blindly attributed to it.

Too many critics accuse Kyle of being a hateful Muslimkilling machine and too many supporters portray him as being a perfect example of American fortitude.

The fact is he was a gifted

Masterfully directed and with an Oscar-worthy performance from Cooper, “American Sniper” was engaging and entertaining.

However, a grossly simpli-

of Iraqi insurgents.

However, he was also known for exaggerating stories of his exploits. He claimed to have shot looters from the roof of the Superdome following Hur-

and minimal focus on soldiers’ PTSD leave viewers disappointed in the war movie masterpiece that could have been.

Alison Osorno

Some musicians can do it all, from cozy living room shows to big festival performances.

Chadwick Stokes, member of Dispatch and State Radio, is coming to Higher Ground Feb. 26 to debut his solo album, “The Horse Comanche.”

The idea for “The Horse Comanche” was formed during Stokes’ Living Room Tour, where he played a majority of his shows in the homes of his fans, he said.

Although he enjoyed the intimate environment of his last tour, Stokes said he looks forward to the change of scenery.

Stokes referred to his new album as “relationship-based, with a moral message to always climb back up.” He described the track, “Hazy Maze”, as a “psychedelic escape.” He ended the album on a lighter note with the track, “Walter,” which depicts a healthier love.

Many fans are excited for Stokes’ solo work.

“The combined group style is awesome but its cool when you can hear the pieces of that,” sophomore Katina Leier said.

“I love them as a band together so I haven’t listened to

Aside from his music, Stokes said he is involved with the Calling All Crows Foundation, which promotes social activism through the conjoined “Our mission ranges from standing on street corners with pro-gay marriage signs to refugee work,” Stokes said.

Recently, the foundation has been sending winterization packets to Syria.

The social activism conversation ignited a discussion about recent developments surrounding Ferguson and Eric Garner.

“It starts with the abuse of power and it continues without any indictments; I feel as though the justice system is in the wrong place,” Stokes said.

Stokes also touched upon today’s social climate.

“I think the biggest problem in todays world is greed; I wonder what it’s going to take to make the world realize things need to change,” he said.

Although Stokes is performing solo for his upcoming tour, Dispatch fans can expect a new record in 2016, Stokes said.

Stokes’ other band, State Radio, remains on break for another year.

“The Horse Comanche” is now out and on sale in stores across the country.

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015

Cats dominate the slopes PHOTOS BY DAYNA WYCKOFF AND JON POLSON The UVM alpine and Nordic ski teams won first place at the Middlebury College Winter Carnival Feb. 13-14. Scoring a total of 931 points, this victory marked the 20th consecutive win on the EISA Circuit for UVM.

d i st r act i o n s

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015

11

Scandalous Sodexo Stories

“

The Cynic spoke with several Sodexo employees to discuss their experiences while working at UVM. In order to protect their job security, the employees preferred to remain anonymous. (We think the answers they provided were great either way).

“I once worked with a guy in Simpson who had a bit of a drinking problem. Anyways, one morning he ended up falling face first into the steam kettle. It didn’t have anything in it at the time, but it was still pretty funny. Our manager came and got him and gave him a cup of coffee.”

“ “

One time I saw a kid run through Simpson completely naked. Ten minutes later the campus police came in, asking if anyone had seen him. Apparently it wasn’t the first time he’d been running around naked.

During one of the board meetings there was a topless protest that came through the Marketplace. That was pretty interesting.

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Illustration by Olivia Oldach

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I was once sitting in the fishbowl when someone dressed as Batman ran in chasing someone dressed as the Joker. They ran around for a minute or two and then just ran out.

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There was once someone playing the bagpipes during dinner.

Puzzle of the Week: Crossword Across

Down

1) Both a dorm name and an aca-

2) Home to the music department.

demic building.

3) The on-campus museum.

5) UVM library.

4) Where you can watch a beautiful

60 The middle of the “shoeboxes”.

sunset.

7) Recently in the news for construc-

9) Supposedly haunted by a ghost

tion due to asbestos.

named Henry.

8) The name of the research farm on

12) The V shaped dorm across from

Spear street.

the lofts.

10) The lecture hall to be torn down

14) Where the hockey team plays.

this summer.

15) Name of the baseball field.

11) The biggest dorm on Trinity.

16) UVM’s original building.

13) The Rubenstein building.

18) Where you can find President Sul-

15) Both an academic building and a

livan’s office.

dining hall.

21) Home to the engineers.

17) Home to the animal science department.

19) The middle of WDW. 20) The furthest of the back five.

22) The most common building for biology labs.

23) The building connected to 16 down.

24) The home of the business school.

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It’s not new, Vermont STAFF EDITORIAL The need for ethical political campaigns and government activity has always been on the minds of Americans.

With power comes the inof interest.

Many states have taken it upon themselves to enact their own independent ethics watchdog bodies.

Forty-two states currently have ethics committees with the power to enforce their policies — Vermont is not one of those states.

With lawmakers calling foul on some political activities in the city during the current elections, the need for robust and independent ethics standards is clear.

Lines between constitutional rights to engage in politics and the need to serve in nonpartisan roles must be stark.

Everyone has a constitutional right to participate in politics. However, what is legal and what is ethical are not always the same.

A national government accountability watchdog group, The Center for Public Integrity, gave Vermont a D+ for corruption risk, according to their website.

What’s more, Vermont was rated last along with two other states for laws surrounding have any of these laws.

Of the 10 states with the

Illustration by ALYSSA HANDLEMAN three had scores of zero. Idaho, Michigan and Vermont don’t re-

mont government, hired a lobbyist to press for better ethics.

The organization called on state lawmakers to adopt an indepen-

A national government accountability watchdog group, The Center for Public Integrity, gave Vermont a D+ for corruption risk, according to their website.

Last year, steps in the right direction were made. The Camorganization committed to enhancing transparency in Ver-

dent committee on political ethics for Vermont.

Critics of enacting stricter ethics standards in Vermont talk about the closeness of the state.

Indeed, many citizen legislators hold other jobs in their home communities.

These legislators are tied to their community, unlike career the system.

Vermont has taken steps, small steps, toward greater transparency.

Just this year there was the creation of an ethics commission in the legislature, made up of legislators.

The enforcement power of this body is limited, and they have yet to exercise it.

As involved, informed citizens, we should all take an interest in the power of elected

On Cynic ads and politics Dear Editor, I write in response to Mr. Joseph Brown’s editorial response to a letter of concern sent in by the student group Voices for Planned Parenthood that appeared in the Jan. 25, 2015 publication.

I am not a member of VOX and this letter does not represent the views of that group in

not understand the function of a newspaper” that he claims with an air of supreme authority that

I am disheartened that a member of the editorial board of a publication as well-regarded as the Cynic would present such a narrow view of ethics, journalism and politics.

I am disheartened that a member of the editorial board of a publication as well-regarded as the Cynic would present such a narrow view of ethics, journalism and politics.

I am not, however, surprised: it is by the same belief in a passive, apolitical journalhandedly dismissing the members of VOX as “people who do

the discussion ends at “Cynic

views.”

To borrow one of the many condescending phrases littering cause something that appears in a newspaper isn’t a signed piece in the Opinion section doesn’t mean it is not political.

With issues as contested as women’s reproductive health, everything becomes an object of political concern for the exercise and contest of power.

Although journalistic bodies and college campuses market themselves to us as a separate space, exempted from the messy negotiations of political winners and losers by their higher calling to truth-seeking, that imTo imply that the inclusion of advertisements in the pages of a newspaper is a passive act is to seriously shortchange the

Editor’s note: The photo credit for the photo that accompanied “Cats coach expects the best” in Issue 20 is incorrect. The photo was not taken by I.J. Idrizaj, but was a courtesy photo provided by UVM Athletics.

Journalists are not reeds to be helplessly pulled wherever the tides of funding may drag them. VOX’s letter, rather than dorsement, sought to remind to reject ad money from an organization that may be putting women’s health at risk.

Perhaps instead of dismissing the nuanced ethical question posed by VOX as beyond the realm of “real argument,” Mr. Brown and his colleagues might take this as an opporturole in the production and distribution of knowledge.

Sincerely, Jack N. Braunstein Class of 2016

2012 Online Pacemaker 2011 Newspaper Pacemaker

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 opinion@vtcynic.com.

We are also committed to accuracy in all of our work. If for some reason there is an error, please send all letters of correction to cynic@uvm.edu.

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015

opinion

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The problem of inequality Kevin Santamaria There is nothing in the free market system to prevent the further accumulation of wealth among the extremely wealthy and the social inequality it produces.

On the contrary, the democratic institutions of the United States have been corrupted to est members of society resulting in levels of wealth inequality not seen in nearly a century.

But it isn’t just wealth inequality that is the problem.

The greater issue at hand is when this inequality becomes structural and permanent.

Take as an example the inequality between the endowments of two universities: Harvard and UVM. University endowments are funds that earn interest.

In 2013, Harvard’s endowment was a staggering $32.7 billion.

In contrast, UVM’s endowment was a modest $410 million.

While both of these insti-

tutions are above the average university endowment of $355 million, they help illustrate the disparities of wealth and its implications.

Harvard spends over $130 million, or just over 0.4 percent, to manage its endowment, while UVM has allocated 0.5 percent to administer its endowment, or about $2 million.

Over 20 years, Harvard has averaged 12.9 percent return on its investment, while in the same period UVM averaged 8.1 percent.

Since Harvard has a larger endowment, they can attain higher returns because they can devote more resources to its supervision while simultaneously spending a smaller percentage.

A “freer” market would only increase social inequality, since it would facilitate Harvard’s ability to generate a greater return on its investment.

If only UVM could lift itself up by its ski-straps, then maybe, just maybe, we could increase the return on our endowment and one day aspire to be as hard working and prosperous as Harvard.

Yet, mathematically, UVM could never catch up to Harvard at this pace.

If inequality is this enduring between institutions with surplus capital to invest, how could we even compare inequal-

being defunded which further perpetuate wealth inequality.

families?

The greatest returns from wealth do not come from endowments, bonds or the stock market – they come from lobbying.

budget cuts while families with fewer means send their children to crowded classrooms.

Similarly, children of pros-

to send their children to private

to college while poorer students

Since Harvard has a larger endowment, they can attain higher returns because they can devote more resources to its supervision while simultaneously spending a smaller percentage.

Private fortunes are being process to receive tax breaks, income exemptions and industry subsidies.

Research has shown that for every dollar spent on lobbying a 22,000 percent return. a public costs: they come at the expense of primary, secondary and higher education.

The educational institutions that help equalize society are

are less likely to even step foot on a university campus.

It is not just about wealth inequality, but how this wealth is being used to obstruct social mobility.

The American principles of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness are being consumed by special interest.

It is a myth to believe that the structure of the free market will somehow erode inequality when it favors higher returns on larger fortunes.

More fundamentally, we have to ask: For whom, exactly, is the free-market?

The bottom 90 percent of America hasn’t seen the same as their incomes have stagnated, their jobs shipped overseas or their labor replaced by machinery.

The free market is blind to of inherited wealth and accessibility to resources.

Rather, it presupposes that everyone begins on the same it allows them to succeed.

Therefore, not only will the free market continue to increase social inequality, it will also empower rich individuals and selfish industries to command government for their needs.

In order to address inequality, we need more democracy, not markets.

Democracy requires equality of voices — but the “free market” gives Harvard more resources to speak than UVM.

Kevin Santamaria is a senior economics major. He has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2011.

On the ‘Fifty Shades’ movement Joseph Brown

This weekend, while tuned in to National Public Radio, I listened to a discussion regarding the immense cinematic success of “Fifty Shades of Grey”.

As of this writing, the movie has grossed around $400 million worldwide, according to USA Today.

The NPR discussion focused on what this means for American popular culture regarding its attitude toward obscure — but, one supposes, not so obscure anymore — sexual practices.

The segment featured a guest speaker, noted “sexologist” — a vocation which seems

to hold just as much empirical legitimacy among the sciences as “mixology” (tending bar) and scamming naive Californians) — “Dr.” Charley Ferrer, who was asked to render her opinion on “Fifty Shades” and the BDSM — which stands for bondage and discipline, dominance and sub-

tal Disorders — “movement,” as it were, in general.

Ms. Ferrer, in a statement infused with as much dopey optimism as historical illiteracy, compared the current BDSM movement to the gay rights movement decades ago.

This sentiment was repeated in a statement she made at the

Ms. Ferrer, in a statement infused with as much dopey optimism as historical illiteracy, compared the current BDSM movement to the gay rights movement decades ago.

to neither of these movements, to pronounce that they are absolutely nothing alike — but they are absolutely nothing alike. nor should there ever be, a civil rights movement for people engaged in — however consensual and voluntary — an act that devalues both human beings and the importance of sex, relegating them both to mere objects of sociopathic delight.

I’m not saying that we should legislate against BDSM, but we shouldn’t necessarily welcome it into the popular culture, either.

Moreover, practitioners of BDSM have never been victimized — outside of the bedroom,

adherents of the original civil rights movement and the gay rights movement, were never disenfranchised, except for having been rightly relegated to obscure, underground circles with a home in the dark bowels of the internet.

And they deserved that.

BDSM is so far antithetical to the brightest ideals of feminism that it should remain in the dark.

But for some reason, it has managed to jump from the scummiest of porn sites to the lar literature.

And if any movement is under assault, it’s that of Susan B. Anthony and Betty Friedan.

They certainly have never mission, and sadism and masochism, the latter two, I think, hold a place in the Diagnostical and Statistical Manual of Men-

BDSM Writers Confererence: “BDSM is currently where LGBT was 30 years ago.”

Far be it from me, pertaining

dogs.

Indeed, members of the BDSM movement, unlike the

Joseph Brown is a junior political science major. He has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2012.

Prime Minister Netanyahu oversteps Dear Editor, The anti-Semitic attacks in Copenhagen, like those in Paris earlier this year, left the world reeling – but not surprised. As unusual as this kind of violence is in Denmark, it is more common today than at any time in the last 60 years.

Can it be that Jewish life in Europe is at its end? Can it

be that Jewish life in Europe should be at its end, that Jews Israel or the United States?

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said as much, calling for a wave of mass aliyah (emigration to Israel) of European Jews. He said also that “Israel is the home of every Jew.” As a Jew and a scholar, this took me aback.

I have never been to Israel and do not speak modern Hebrew. I am not a citizen of Israel. I was born an American citizen and this is my home. I am a Jew and I am not Israeli; prime minister, with all due respect, do not presume to speak for me.

Nor should the prime minister aspire to speak in the name of no less than eight million other non-Israeli Jews worldwide.

The false equivalence between Jew and Israeli is both false and damning, and incites violence from the world at large.

Zionism has rightly asserted the right of every Jew to call Israel home if they so choose, but it is illogical and wrong to subvert the right of every Jew to live safely in the country of their birth or of their own choosing in the name of aliyah.

The prime minister’s words do just that, undermining the legitimacy of diaspora communities by associating them, possibly against their will, with the will and policies of the State of Israel. No, Bibi doesn’t speak for me.

Sincerely, Julia A. Walsh Class of 2016

Sports

Intramurals alleviate stress Erik Francken UVM Campus Recreation -

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LUCI LOBE The Vermont Cynic Students play soccer during an intramural game at the turf at the Gutterson Fieldhouse Feb. 19. Campus Recreation offers various intramural sports at many skill and experience levels to help students relieve stress and keep active.

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UVM takes third place at America East finals Somer Brown

place at the America East Cham-

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NATALIE WILLIAMS The Vermont Cynic Sophomore Kylie Butler dribbles the ball down the court during the rally against cancer game versus Maine Feb. 18.

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Teams put on the pink for cancer fundraiser

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Season ticket waitlist drops David Brandt -

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RENA MEISLER The Vermont Cynic Fans wait in line for tickets at Gutterson Feb. 21. The current wait for men’s hockey season tickets is one to three years.

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Hockey attracts fan loyalty Shane Town

The UVM men’s track

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Next great Catamount Alex Benoît

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I.J. IDRIZAJ The Vermont Cynic Boden Gamage talks about the Cats at the Gutterson Fieldhouse Feb. 7.

Hockey fans from across Vermont come to watch the Catamounts compete.

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015

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Working over break athletetweets Nate Frieberg

“Surround yourself with positive people”

“This is a point in the season

“Drake and Josh on deck #whatalineup”

ILLUSTRATION BY MARISSA LANOFF

“My mom sent me a cheesecake in the mail, turns out anything is possible if you just believe”

is that the America East tourna-

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