BURLINGTON, VT
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VOL. 133 ISSUE 11
Jeddy
Men’s Soccer
Student band grows base: monthlong residency at Nectar’s
Catamounts ride winning streak into playoffs
ARTS PG. 12
SPORTS PG. 14
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W E D N E S DAY, N O V E M B E R 9, 2 0 1 6
Health expert calls on students By kassondra little klittle2@uvm.edu
looking back at the legacy of a historic campaign season see pageS 8-9
ResLife promotes themed housing staff report Next academic year, 75 percent of first-year students will live in programmed housing. Students have no official input as of right now, said Joe Russell, associate director of residential education for ResLife. “There is a certain level of planning that has to happen at the administration level, and once that planning goes on, then invite student voice into this piece,” Russell said. First-year students will have the option to apply to themed housing, accept an invitation to a program hosted by an academic unit or programs in the Living/Learning Center for the 2017-2018 academic year, according to the ResLife website. ResLife wants to see 100 percent enrollment in these programs by 2018. “[Students who choose regular housing will be given] thoughtful, peer-led programming that is designed to give [students] a successful start at UVM,” according to the website. As part of the changes to housing, the new first-year residence hall will be part of the Wellness Environment program, according to WE’s website. Russell said he is not sure if the new first-year residence will
4 out of 7 residential learning communities implemented 2017-2018 be entirely part of WE, but there will be WE housing in the building. WE is a residential program designed to provide students with an environment where healthy choices are the norm, according to its website. “[It is] an incentive based program focused on health promotion, illness prevention and behavioral change,” the website states. There has been discussion with leading student organizations such as SGA about the newly constructed residential hall, with 695 beds consisting entirely of WE students, SGA Vice President Tyler Davis said. This year, approximately four percent of WE students were removed from the program for conduct violations, he said. “I think students who are signing up for [WE] will understand what they are getting into,” said Annie Stevens, vice
provost for student affairs. “Our hope is that as we continue to grow the program, students will want to grow with it.” She said the University has not yet finalized how they will deal with both the interest of incoming students in the WE program and the number of beds available. “We are going to figure that out when we get there,” Stevens said. She said she is confident in the new housing program. “Over a period of time, we are trying to transition students into broader themed housing,” Stevens said. By putting all first-years into themed housing, those students will have better access to faculty and resources and will be able to expand their education outside of the classroom, Stevens said. “I think it can only have positive outcomes,” Stevens said. Stevens reached out to SGA
and several students to get input on what students thought about the program, she said. “When I mentioned it to SGA, they said many students didn’t even know what programmed housing was,” Stevens said. Director of WE James Hudziak came to an SGA meeting last Tuesday to discuss the place of the WE in the new housing system. WE students must sign a contract which states, among other things, that if students are caught drinking or using drugs in the WE-designated residence hall, they will be removed from the program and the hall. This year, out of approximately 120 students in WE, five have been kicked out of the program for violating the conduct policy, Davis said.
RESLIFE CONTINUED ON PG. 3
Clamor arose as hundreds filled the Ira Allen Chapel, squeezing into the pews. Then, the crowd erupted into applause as Paul Farmer, the 2016 George D. Aiken Lecture Keynote, took the stage the evening of Nov. 3. “Could we do that again?” he asked, smiling at the crowd. They chuckled and began a second round of applause. But this lighthearted mood did not last more than 10 minutes. The hall fell silent as images of annihilated infrastructure and displaced Haitians appeared on large screens. In 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake rocked Haiti, destroying multiple hospitals and leaving countless Haitians displaced and severely injured, Farmer said. His first visit to Haiti was between his undergraduate and medical studies, he said. While in Haiti, he saw many people die due to the lack of access to health resources; his experience inspired the co-founding of Partners in Health, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing healthcare to the sickest and poorest people worldwide, Farmer said. Ian McHale, a senior public health student, said Farmer’s visit allows UVM to have a conversation about the work the University is doing to address issues of poverty and disease. Students can be a huge part of the global health movement, Farmer said; it was students who piloted PIH. “Students bring in a lot of new ideas,” he said to the crowd. Farmer is the advocate and change agent for health care justice, Bill Falls, dean of College of Arts and Sciences, said. His visit is a testament to the work being done by UVM faculty in the area of global health and social justice. “His presence calls attention to their work and stimulates students to think deeply about studying and working in these areas,” he said. Farmer emphasized global health innovation, framing it as the primary ground for how people care for each other. “Failure of imagination is the chief obstacle before us,” he said.