Issue 29, Vol. 138 by Vermont Cynic

THEVERMONTCYNIC ISSUE 29 - VOLUME 138 | MAY 3, 2022 | VTCYNIC.COM

NEW DEMANDS FOR ADMINISTRATION FOLLOW NATIONWIDE WALKOUT MARY MCLELLAN/The Vermont Cynic Junior speaker Reid Corliss stands next to junior Syd Partin and sophomore Emily Carr on the Waterman building steps during the Explain the Asterisk walkout April 27. Halsey McLaen News Editor

Hundreds gathered outside the Waterman building April 27 to participate in a nationwide walkout against campus sexual violence organized by Explain the Asterisk, an activism group originally founded at UVM. The protest resulted from continued frustration with UVM’s efforts to address its mishandling of campus sexual violence, said sophomore Sabine Love, survivor and lead coordinator of the protest. Following the protest, organizers sent a list of 20 demands to the administration centered around this issue. The organizers emailed their demands to UVM President Suresh Garimella; Patty Prelock, vice provost and senior vice president; Erica Caloiero, vice provost for student affairs; Gary Derr, vice president for operations and public safety; and the Title IX Ofﬁce directly after the protest, Love said. Organizers included Love, juniors Syd Partin, Reid Corliss, Abigale Szlajen and sophomores Kat Wellborn, Brooke Borstel, Kaia Ellis and Emily Carr, Love said. “We’re angry at the UVM administration for not listening to us,” Love said. “They’re not hearing us when we’re telling them very, very, very loudly and clear that we don’t feel safe.” Approximately 350

protesters were present at the event, said UVM Police Chief Tim Bilodeau. All the organizers gave speeches sharing their stories of sexual assault and expressing disappointment in UVM’s efforts addressing the issue. Thirteen percent of college students experience rape while in college, according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website. For UVM’s undergraduate population of 10,554 students as of spring 2022, 13% constitutes 1,372 students. “Sexual assault should not be a part of the UVM experience,” Wellborn said. “It is not the job of survivors to protect other survivors. This is an administration problem and it is the administration’s jobs [to] do better, so do fucking better.” Periodically throughout the event, speakers led the crowd in chants decrying the administration. This protest comes nearly a year after a crowd of approximately 2,000 people staged a walkout May 3, 2021, ﬂooding the steps of Waterman to stand against UVM’s handling of sexual violence and to advocate for improved prevention and support strategies, according to a May 4, 2021 Cynic article. The UVM Title IX Advisory Committee sent a list of 17 demands to UVM

administrators April 30, 2021, who agreed to them May 3, 2021, according to the Cynic article. Since that time, UVM has implemented 14 of the list’s demands and is in the process of implementing the ﬁnal three, according to the University’s We Hear You website. Despite the University’s actions, organizers and protesters alike do not feel UVM’s efforts to meet these initial demands are enough, Love said. “The word ‘disappointing’ comes to mind in terms of University response,” said senior Steph Ryder, a protester and survivor. “But I think it’s encouraging to see how many students care about it and hopefully will continue to take action with these things.” In 2018, then-sophomore Syd Ovitt ‘21 founded Explain the Asterisk following the revelation that many colleges only signify sexual violence misconduct with an unspeciﬁed asterisk on the assaulter’s transcript, according to a Sept. 17, 2018 Cynic article. Explain the Asterisk’s name comes from the fact this asterisk could refer to a wide range of circumstances, ranging from poor grades to sexual assault, the Explain the Asterisk website stated. Ovitt reached out to Love to coordinate the April 27 protest at UVM to serve as the leading

example for other universities across the nation, Love said. Ovitt knows Love personally and reached out to Love because they are an active member of UVM’s activism community. Fourteen other universities participated in the event nationwide, according to Explain the Asterisk’s Instagram. The protest also coincided with Denim Day, a worldwide campaign sparked after an abuser’s rape conviction was overturned on the basis of the survivor wearing jeans when she was assaulted, according to the Denim Day website. Denim Day has since become a survivor solidarity education campaign, according to the website. The new set of demands are unrelated to last year’s demands and are based on changes the organizers of the recent walkout personally want to see, as well as input received from talking to students while tabling in the Davis Center, Love said. “The University has acknowledged receipt of the document and is in the process of reviewing it,” stated UVM Spokesperson Enrique Correderra in an April 29 email. The protest was also intended to be a safe space where survivors could understand their own power, Love said. “I think a lot of people felt that this was a very powerful

space that was held,” Love said. “I felt that this did some good for the people who came here today. [...] I think that the people who did attend found power in it.” Organizers will continue to protest for this cause at UVM in future semesters, Love said. “We want to have those conversations with UVM administration about the list of demands,” they said. “This is not the end, and it’s going to take more planning, but we’re nowhere near ﬁnished.” The UVM Women & Gender Equity Center offers support services for anyone who needs a safe space to talk to advocates through HOPE Works at their ofﬁce located at 34 South Williams Street and at the Living/Learning Annex Room 215, according to their website. HOPE Works is a hotline providing counseling and advocacy for people whose lives have been impacted by sexual violence, according to their website. Their partnership with UVM came about as a result of the University’s response to the April 30, 2021 demands from the UVM Title IX Advisory Committee, according to the We Hear You website. Any survivors in need of support can access 24/7 hotline services through HOPE Works advocates at (802) 863-1236.

Read the full list of demands at vtcynic.com.

NEWS

SGA swears in new speaker and treasurer Isabelle Tanner Cynic News Reporter

SGA swore in Treasurer Sam Wigon, a junior, and Speaker of the Senate Carter Purple, a first-year, for the 2022-23 academic year at their April 26 senate meeting. Purple hopes to achieve personal goals such as reinstating minutes into SGA meetings as well as remain unbiased in meetings, he said. Wigon hopes to reorganize SGA’s Finance Committee to streamline club funding, he said.

SPEAKER CARTER PURPLE The speaker’s role is to lead and moderate SGA meetings with objectivity, according to the 2020 SGA Constitution. “[We have] a lot to look forward to this year,” Purple said. “First of all, we have a really strong Senate and a good mix of old and new senators who I can tell are really passionate about everything. So my primary goal is just to help facilitate that.” The speaker is a very important leadership position within SGA, Purple said. They make sure all SGA business within and outside of meetings runs smoothly. Purple hopes to reinstate the taking of minutes during SGA meetings, a practice that went on hold following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, he

ERIC SCHARF/The Vermont Cynic Senior Cyrus Oswald, speaker of the senate, swears in Senator Sam Wigon, a junior, as Treasurer for the 2022-23 academic year as incoming Vice President Sarah Wood watches April 26. said. He wants to improve accessibility to the outdoors for all students since not everyone at UVM is able to receive the benefits that come from living in a state like Vermont, he said. Purple hopes to bring the outdoors to a more diverse group of students. Purple is meeting with Lina Balcom, interim director of student life, in the next few weeks to begin discussions on ways to meet those goals, he said. In the meantime, Purple plans to meet before the end of

the semester with outgoing SGA Speaker Cyrus Oswald, a senior, to discuss Oswald’s experience as speaker, Purple said. Purple also wants to make it easier to schedule an appearance at public forum and reach out to clubs to encourage participation, he said. Public forum is a section of SGA meetings where the public is able to address the Senate, in order for students to advocate for the changes they hope to see at the University, he said. “We want you to come tell us your issues,” Purple said. “Tell us what’s pressing, tell us

what you want us to do. That’s something we can do.”

TREASURER SAM WIGON The treasurer’s role is to supervise SGA’s financial affairs, such as its structure, planning and operations, according to the 2020 SGA Constitution. Wigon has plans to reorganize the way UVM clubs and the Senate’s finance committee communicate, he said. He hopes to streamline the process through various

trainings on finance and communication for ClubSigners and better communication. “With COVID and a lack of staff, everything fell through and the situation of spending for some clubs was closed just because they didn’t do the trainings and then were falling behind,” Wigon said. “I’m hoping to avoid that.” The finance department has since hired new staff and has committees searching for a new club sports director to facilitate the clearest approach to spending for clubs possible, Wigon said. Wigon looks forward to working in the SGA Galaxy Space and being available for ClubSigners, he said. He encourages anyone with finance questions to stop by the office and speak to him. “It should be easy for me to be in there for the 20 to 30 hours [per week] they need me,” Wigon said. “I’m going to be available by email for people to schedule time with me. I’m hoping to set up scheduled office hours somehow.” Wigon wants to maintain consistency in his role and with clubs in regards to supplemental funding, which will now be run through him and the finance committee instead of the chair of the Finance Committee, he said.

Office of Sustainability to draft sustainability plan Skyeler Devlin Cynic News Reporter

The UVM Sustainability Plan working group is developing the Comprehensive Sustainability Plan, slated for release in August, said Elizabeth Palchak, director of the Office of Sustainability. Palchak formed the working group in December 2021. The group released a Sustainability Plan Timeline outlining their goals to complete the plan, Palchak said. As of now, they’ve developed four focus areas and are gathering community input. They will draft the plan over the summer. Their current four focus areas are decarbonization, operations, research and learning, and governance and people, Palchak said. They will create specific goals for these themes in May. UVM announced the Comprehensive Sustainability Plan Oct. 18, 2021, after the University failed to meet its Climate Action Plan by 2020, according to an Oct. 27, 2021 Cynic article. The University committed to carbon neutrality in electricity production by 2015, in thermal energy production by 2020

and in commuting, business and air travel by 2025, but only reduced their use of thermal energy emissions by 12.74% by 2015, according to an April 19, 2021 Cynic article. SGA passed a resolution March 23, 2021, calling for the University to release a new climate plan with updated goals and deadlines, the April 19 article stated. The Sustainability Plan working group has 15 members including Palchak, according to their website. The members are faculty representatives Lesley-Ann Dupigny-Giroux, Gillian Galford, Marilyn Lucas and Asim Zia, administrative representative Tricia Coté and support staff Clare Nelson, Casey Smith and Claire Forbes, Palchak said. It also includes sophomore Abigail Berkowitz, SGA senator on the Committee on the Environment, senior Ben Ogden and graduate students Sarra Talib and Naomi Parekh. “I’m psyched to get asked about this because we’re doing a lot of work, we’re right on track and I’m really excited about it,” Palchak said. “I think the folx on the workgroup are too.” The working group hopes to revisit and potentially revise the

focus areas of the plan every three to five years, Palchak said. T h e decarbonization subcommittee is developing goals that will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions at UVM, she said. The operations subcommittee is setting goals that will help reduce UVM’s food waste, bring in more local food and improve UVM’s recycling capabilities, Palchak said. TYLER NACHILLY/The Vermont Cynic The research The Office of Sustainability in Marsh Hall April 28. The Office is working on a and learning Comprehensive Sustainability Plan for the University and intends to release subcommittee is the plan in the fall. developing better “Working with this group ways to engage the UVM she said. “Our goal is to community in sustainability connect all of these efforts and has definitely made me realize practices as well as supporting get us all moving in the same that all of these people in this any sustainability research that direction and essentially create working group are just like us,” they said. “They want to see a roadmap for sustainability.” is being done, Palchak said. Abigail Berkowitz is happy to things change just as much as The governance and people subcommittee is developing see people holding themselves we do as students.” The working group released a workforce that has the accountable for the promises a survey April 19 in an email necessary training and support that they’ve made, they said. Berkowitz appreciates the to students, Palchak said. As needed to make a clean energy transition through education, experience of being a part of the the working group continues working group and developing a to develop the plan, they hope Palchak said. “UVM has a great history of better relationship with people students will provide feedback through the survey. being a sustainability leader,” in the OoS, they said.

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THE V

OPINION

8 3 | IS S U E

EXECUTIVE Editor-in-Chief Ella Ruehsen editorinchief@vtcynic.com Managing Editor Eric Scharf newsroom@vtcynic.com

OPERATIONS Operations Manager Emma Chute operations@vtcynic.com

EDITORS Copy Chief Catie Segaloff copychiefcynic@gmail.com Culture Paige Fisher cynicculture@gmail.com Features Liz Roote cynicfeatures@gmail.com Illustrations Izzy Pipa cynicillustrations@gmail.com Layout Ellie Scott layout.cynic@gmail.com News Halsey McLaen news@vtcynic.com Opinion Grace Visco opinion@vtcynic.com Photo Sophia Balunek photo@vtcynic.com

The Cynic: now and in the future Staff Editorial

ear reader,

It is a bittersweet reality that Issue 29 is the last print issue we will produce this academic year. In reflecting back on all 29 issues we’ve produced, we are proud to say this past year has brought about many welcomed changes at the Vermont Cynic. Our editors worked hard to bring back print issues this spring and we remain committed to providing this medium for many years to come. While some say print is a thing of the past, we feel that filled newsstands symbolize our presence on campus in a way nothing else can. The disruption to the longstanding tradition of printing resulted from the impacts of the early stages of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We are immensely proud as a collective staff to have effectively brought print back to campus. For those of you reading this in our physical paper, we hope you value how special it is to be able to hold Cynic content in your hands just as much as we do. At UVM, a predominantly white institution, it is also crucial that our organization addresses the fact that these demographic imbalances are currently reflected within our own staff and leadership.

Mary Kueser Opinion Columnist

Sports Matthew Rosenberg cynicalsportseditor@gmail.com

Pages Designers Nicole Bidol, Abby Carroll, Sabrina Orazietti, Maddy Thorner Copy Editors Lauren Bentley, Zoe Bertsch, Dalton Doyle

ADVISING Andy Elrick cynic@uvm.edu

This year, the Cynic worked to increase transparency about the demographic composition of our own staff through the collection and publication of a staff-wide demographic survey. We commit to publishing accessible, up-to-date demographic surveys once each semester of this upcoming academic year in an effort to improve transparency and earn the trust of UVM community members. We need to be aware of the power we hold as storytellers. We also need to be honest with our readers about who is writing these stories. The Cynic welcomes all constructive feedback from any member of the community. We are here because we care. We are here to serve the public.

Any UVM community member interested in getting in touch with us about how we can continue to improve in our efforts to serve the UVM community may reach out to our Editor-in-Chief at cynicaleditorinchief@gmail.com. Any UVM afﬁliate interested in becoming part of our team may join through the application form linked on our website. Although we’ve printed our last issue of the academic year, we will have a small team of summer staffers working hard to continue to provide you with news and UVM-related content. “The news never sleeps” is a common saying in the world of journalism. At the Cynic, it doesn’t take summer vacations,

either. We hope to have you on our website so you can stay up-todate this summer and we look forward to seeing you in print again this fall. Sincerely, Ella Ruehsen Editor-in-Chief

Staff editorials ofﬁcially reﬂect the views of the editorial board, which includes the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor and Opinion Editor. 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. The Cynic reserves the right to edit letters for length and grammar. Please send letters to opinion@ vtcynic.com.

Apply for positions you’re unqualified for

Podcasts Nicole Hardy vtcynicpodcasts@gmail.com

Assistant Editors Ella Farrell (Layout), Tanner Loy (Photo)

IZZY PIPA

have always had big dreams about what I want to do with my career, dreams that have only increased since starting college. However, big dreams often require us to take risks to make them come true. With summer jobs and internships right around the corner, everyone should apply for positions they may be under- or unqualified for. Especially as a woman, I feel it’s important to encourage myself to take these risks. Women are less aggressive than men when applying for jobs, according to a March 2019 ABC News article. The article cites Hewlett Packard’s 2014 study, concluding that women employees only apply for promotions when they meet 100% of the requirements while men apply for these promotions meeting only 60% of the qualifications, according to the article. Data from LinkedIn supports this, finding that women apply for 20% fewer jobs than

men, according to the article. My biggest dream is to be a writer for National Geographic. Coming into college, I had no journalism experience and no clue how to start. When I began looking for internships and jobs before the fall semester, I found a position as a multimedia communications intern with the Gund Institute for Environment, a UVM organization that works to create real-world environmental change, according to its website. I knew nothing about multimedia and very little about communications, but I knew this internship was at the intersection of environment and media: the exact place I wanted to be. So I applied, interviewed, waited and got the position. During my interview, my employers told me they were impressed with my willingness to learn. While I doubt I was the most qualiﬁed candidate, my eagerness in my interview caught their attention enough to land me the internship. I am so glad I jumped at the opportunity to apply for this position as it taught me many skills that will help me in all of my future media endeavors.

I had a similar experience last summer, thinking I would never be chosen for a job working at Glacier National Park. I applied and waited, not expecting to hear anything back. I was a college student with no knowledge of natural science who couldn’t even point to Montana on a map. However, within a few weeks I was called for an interview and received a job offer on the spot. Had I not taken this leap, I would never have gotten to spend a summer in a gorgeous national park, meeting new people and having unforgettable experiences. At no point in time did I feel conﬁdent or qualiﬁed enough for either of these positions, but I took the leap and applied anyway, a choice that changed my life both times. Even if I hadn’t gotten the interviews or offers, I would have at least gotten more experience applying to jobs and

VICTORIA BELL

building skills such as organizing my resume and searching for relevant positions. This summer, everyone with a dream internship or job should apply for it, even if they don’t think they’re qualiﬁed. Anything can happen, and the only way to ﬁnd out is to try. Mary Kueser is a sophomore public communications major. She has been writing for the Cynic since spring 2021.

CULTURE

Student promotes wellness on Instagram Avery DeLisle Culture Staff Writer

Sophomore Ally Wheeler promotes nutrition and wellness through social media by sharing her own health journey on her Instagram page, @radiantplates. Wheeler started @radiantplates January 2021 as a platform dedicated to food and wellness, she said. Since she created the account, Wheeler has amassed over 5,100 followers. Despite this feat, the size of the audience Wheeler gains has never been as important as being authentic, she said. One way she stays authentic is by taking herself back to why she started the account and what her goals are. “Why did I start this, what makes it fun for me?” Wheeler said. “I think just kind of having fun with my content, but also taking breaks when I need to, to make sure it’s genuine and authentic to me.” On her platform, Wheeler preaches self care and listening to what her body needs to find balance, she said. Practicing intuitive eating is one way she does this. Intutive eating is about trusting your body’s wisdom to make choices about food, according to the National Eating Disorders Association. “It’s neutralizing all foods,” she said. “There’s no healthy food vs. not-healthy food. It’s just all food and it doesn’t have a moral value.” Intuitive eating isn’t a diet, nutrition professor Lizzy Pope said. Implementing intuitive eating can help people reject diet culture. Diet culture is a collective set of societal expectations telling us there’s one way to be and one way to look, according to a Jan. 4, 2022 NPR article. Intuitive eating has ten principles, which include respecting your body, honoring your hunger and feeling your fullness, Pope said. “It’s about listening to your internal cues around food and movement, but also really re-

ELAINA SEPEDE/The Vermont Cynic Sophomore Ally Wheeler captures content for her nutritional Instagram page @radiantplates on Redstone campus April 29. jecting that [diet culture] and building up respect for your body.” she said. Outside of the dining hall, Wheeler said she keeps fun foods in her dorm, such as oat bowls and salads, and regularly eats out at restaurants downtown. Her favorite places to eat in Burlington are Kru Coffee, August First, Folino’s Pizza, Burlington Bagel and Tomgirl Kitchen, she said. Taking the time to eat and practice wellness throughout the day is important to prioritize, even if it means dedicating only a short amount of time to pack a snack for later or going for a walk, Wheeler said. “There’s a lot of pressure on us to do more and to keep going and pushing all in an effort to be productive, but I think that’s counterproductive because

ELAINA SEPEDE/The Vermont Cynic Wheeler with a salad, a book and her journal April 29.

eventually you’ll burn out,” Wheeler said. When Wheeler began the Instagram account, she wanted to share her food and wellness journey and create a page that was inclusive and focused on lifestyle and wellness, she said. In the time since Wheeler launched the account, @radiantplates has expanded to focus on many facets of wellness including mental health, workouts and podcast recommendations, Wheeler said. Moving into an apartment next year, Wheeler is excited to make content about moving in, her daily life and recipes made in a kitchen, she said. A lot of work goes into creating content, said sophomore Natalie Petit, Wheeler’s roommate. “She’ll adjust things and make things a few different

times before she posts to make sure it’s a postable recipe,” Petit said. “It’s just little things like [...] lighting and the time she takes to do things.” Petit appreciates @radiantplates even more because she sees the hard work Wheeler puts into the page, she said. Wheeler also makes Instagram Reels and TikToks, she said. Wheeler tries to set aside time every day to find a balance between academics and being a content creator, she said. She journals almost every day and uses past entries to reflect and to create content from them. “Sometimes I’ll have a day where I’m just like, ‘Oh my gosh, I have so much to share,’” Wheeler said. “I also just have days where everything is too overwhelming, and that’s when it’s a sign from the universe to

take a step back.” Taking breaks from content creation is also important to prevent getting overwhelmed, especially during finals season, Wheeler said. “I feel like it’s not a genuine sense of community if everyone’s putting pressure on it, and thinking about, ‘Oh, I have to post this,’” Wheeler said. “It’s important to be vulnerable and be honest.” This vulnerability is something people can connect with and relate to because it’s important to talk about the struggles of balancing responsibilities and avoiding burnout, Wheeler said. @Radiantplates and the community Wheeler built around her Instagram page open up a space for her to promote dialogue about that balance, she said.

ELAINA SEPEDE/The Vermont Cynic

Sophomore Ally Wheeler journals as part of her wellness routine April 29.

CULTURE

Culture Staff Recommend

What to do while procrastinating studying for your finals Illustrations by IZZY PIPA

Watch “Russian Doll” Anna Berg Culture Staff Writer

“Russian Doll” is a mind-bending show that goes far beyond your typical time travel story, and Netflix released a second season April 20. The series stars Natasha Lyonne,

whose character Nadia enters a deadly time loop on the night of her 36th birthday. In season two, Nadia finds herself wrapped up in more time-traveling troubles, and she seizes the opportunity to steal back family heirlooms from a Nazi-occupied Europe.

I was worried season two of “Russian Doll” wouldn’t compare to the brilliance of the first, but the witty heist movie archetypes and vivid scenes of psychedelia left me very excited to see where the story goes next. The soundtrack also adds to the surrealness of “Russian Doll,” with an eerie opener from Harry Nilsson and titles from Pink Floyd, Brian Eno and The Velvet Underground.

Listen to The Strokes’ “The New Abnormal” Miranda Degreenia Culture Staff Writer

In 2021, I spent over 3,800 minutes listening to The Strokes. After hearing the first few seconds of their album “The New Abnormal,” I was immediately obsessed. Since then, this album has been my daily go-to and allows me to recenter myself when I’m feeling stressed or anxious. Delivering timeless indie rock vibes

and nostalgic melodies, “The New Abnormal” has tracks to help you navigate a wide array of emotions while studying for finals. The depth of the lyrics and powerful vocals accompany the instrumentation in a way that encompasses the beauty of human emotions. If you need a break from studying and want to let out some extra energy, the vitality of “The Adults Are Talking” may bring on the urge to throw a dance

Play Pokémon Go Avery DeLisle Culture Staff Writer

When all of my friends got into playing Pokémon Go this semester, I was hesitant to download it. I never played the game when it first came out in 2016 and felt I wouldn’t be able to get into it now because

party in your room or to run a mile. If you’re feeling defeated, the melancholic nature of my personal favorite, “Ode To The Mets,” will allow you to reflect on prolonged frustration and disappointment stemming from a failed accomplishment you had set your heart on. “The New Abnormal” has been with me through thick and thin and I hope it can support you in a similar way if you give it a listen.

I hadn’t when it was really popular. It was a hit upon its release, evoking feelings of childhood nostalgia as it married new technology with the classic Pokémon card game. As my friends continued playing together, though, I decided to download it and I have been truly obsessed since. Whenever I have free time, I find myself spinning PokéStops and trying to catch every Pokémon near me, especially the

cute ones. As finals draw near, Pokémon Go has become one of my favorite pastimes; a way to both procrastinate and release some of the tension and stress that builds up. When I’m playing with my friends, completing quests and walking around campus to find Pokémon, I’m not thinking of the impending final assignments. I’m sucked into a world where school doesn’t exist and I’m just adventuring.

Listen to STRFKR’s “Khahil Gibran” Max Gerlach Culture Staff Writer

If there’s one song that gets me ready for summer, it’s STRFKR’s “Khahil Gibran.” Ethereal, atmospheric guitars are like the sun drying off skin after a swim

in the lake. The silky vocal harmonies are like drinking freshly squeezed orange juice in the morning. The thumping kick drum is like the pedal pushing your bike to the beach. This song is the perfect summer 2022 anthem, so you may as well get excited a few weeks early. In the same

way that August eventually rolls around, the song’s looping hook fades away into a beautiful softness. The listeners are left with stacked vocal harmonies crooning a chorus that will leave you feeling lustful for those bleary June mornings before they’ve come. This is a perfect done-with-finals tune to start your summer off right. clude applying a face mask, using colorful pens to jot thoughts down and cozying up in comfy clothes. A night filled with warm tea and other simple pleasures makes procrastination a shameless task with self-care as a focus. In a time of uncertainty, I’m grateful I can nurture my mental health while also creating an exemplary study ambiance with tea.

Make a cup of Bigelow vanilla chai tea Keely Ehnstrom Culture Staff Writer

A kettle filled with tap water creates the perfect foundation for soothing tea. A sense of accomplishment emerges after effortlessly pressing the lever

Watch “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Bridget Mackie Culture Staff Writer

“RuPaul’s Drag Race” is my comfort show. If I’m ever feeling stressed or overwhelmed I press play and I’m instantly transported to my greatest drag fantasy. “RuPaul’s Drag Race” is a competition reality show classic. The show revolves around a group of 13 drag queens who compete in various challenges involving dance, makeup, fashion and modeling.

These include creating looks for themed dances, acting in soapy TV dramas and the iconic Snatch Game in which the queens impersonate famous individuals such as film actress Mae West or TV personality Judge Judy. This show is perfect for fans of shows like “America’s Next Top Model” or “Project Runway” because it combines drama with skilled competitors, such as recent contestants Willow Pill or Angeria Paris VanMicheals. Season 14 finished airing April

down to begin the boiling process. While no school work is done yet, productive procrastination has commenced, during which I settle into pre-study self-care. Bigelow vanilla chai is an essential aspect of my elaborate study preparation method. Other steps in my routine in-

22, giving viewers the perfect excuse to binge-watch all of the newest episodes. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with going back and rewatching any of the previous 13 seasons or indulging in some of the various spin-off series, such as “Drag Race UK” or “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars,” season 7 of which premieres May 20. During finals week, it is especially important to take care of yourself. There’s no better way to do so than to start your engines and watch the best drag queen win.

FEATURES

UVM alum advocates for Alzheimer’s services

MAC MANSFIELD-PARISI/The Vermont Cynic The Vermont State House March 16, 2021. Smith works with the Vermont legislature to advocate for support for people with Alzhiemer’s.

Vermont resident Pamela Smith completed her master’s in social work at UVM in 1997 and was a mental health and human services professional in the state for decades, she said. In 2019, she received her Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Smith has early-onset Alzheimer’s, a type of Alzheimer’s occurring in individuals younger than age 65, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. It represents a small subset of people with Alzheimer’s, although the exact prevalence is unknown. Alzheimer’s is a kind of dementia that impacts memory, thinking and behavior, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Symptoms progress to eventually interfere with daily tasks. For Smith, the diagnosis meant leaving a field of very meaningful work and losing a sense of competency and purpose, she said. While she grappled with these drastic changes in her working memory, it felt like the people she reached out to for help weren’t listening to her. “My whole career, the professionals listened to me like I was a professional, talked to me like a professional and they listened to what I said as a professional,” Smith said. “Then when I went to the same people and I was the patient, it was like nothing I said had any value.” Smith also noticed that her doctors seemed to take her more seriously when her daughter, Eryn McElhaney Smith, attended appointments with her, she said.

Because early-onset Alzheimer’s is rare, younger people with the condition sometimes struggle to get adequate care, from diagnosis to accommodation services, said Howard Goodrow, executive director of the Vermont chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. “People with early-onset Alzheimer’s have a hard time getting people to understand what they’re g o i n g through, m o s t l y with family members and then even doctors,” Goodrow said. Smith started noticing symptoms when she was 50, and it took two and a half years of seeking help from medical professionals for her to receive a diagnosis, she said. “I kept getting passed from one specialist to the next because nobody wanted to believe it,” Smith said. “It’s just something nobody wants to believe can happen, so everybody’s got rationales to make it okay and not so bad.” Smith’s frustration led her to compile a list of services and protections related to Alzheimer’s care that she wanted to see her local legislators address, she said. This outreach to Addison district legislators marked the beginning of her involvement in advocating for Alzheimer’s support in the local

legislature. This advocacy gave Smith’s life a sense of direction again, she said. “You just constantly feel like you’re drowning in one loss after another, and then I use the advocacy to pull me out of that,” Smith said. “I say, ‘Well, what else can I do?’” Through advocacy in the legislature, Smith connected

ple with Alzheimer’s access to case managers, she said. Case Management invlolves assessment, planning, facilitation, care coordination, evaluation and advocacy for services to help meet the needs of patients and families whilst prioritizing safety, quality of care and cost effective outcomes, according to the Case Management Society of America. If Smith were to obtain a case manager, she would have to recruit them through a private company and pay for it outof-pocket because her insurance doesn’t cover it, she said. “ M y daughter and I kind of work together to be my own case manager and make private calls on our own to try to get me some in-home help,” she said. “But there’s no system of care.” This gap between diagnosis and access to day-to-day accommodations reflects a lack of personnel and monetary resources both in Vermont and nationwide, Goodrow said. “[Memory care unit] waiting lists are very long,” Goodrow said. “So we’ve got a lot of primary care physicians who are hesitant to make any diagnoses because there’s nowhere for them to go.” The only care Smith has been able to secure is help pre-

“There’s just an expectation in the

state that you have family who don’t have to work, that can come and take care of you. And of course, that disproportionately is going to fall on women.

“

Liz Roote Features Editor

JOSH HARWOOD/The Vermont Cynic UVM alum Pamela Smith, who was diagnosed with early-onset Alzhiemer’s, outside the Waterman building April 29. Smith has a Master’s Degree in social work from UVM.

– Pamela Smith MSW ‘97 with Addison District Senator Ruth Hardy and began working on S.206, a bill designed to put into place a more robust tracking system related to Alzheimer’s diagnoses, treatments and supportive services, Smith said. Right now, there is no national system through to keep track of early-onset Alzheimer’s cases, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Without that data, the population can’t be adequately served. The bill passed in the House April 22 and awaits a Senate vote, according to the Vermont Legislature website. One issue Smith is most passionate about is getting peo-

paring meals for a few hours per week, which she has to pay for independently since her insurance doesn’t cover it, Smith said. There are 13,000 Vermonters with Alzheimer’s, Goodrow said. There are over 26,000 family members and friends providing unpaid care for people with Alzheimer’s in Vermont, Goodrow said. This adds up to 37 million hours of unpaid care and $758 million worth of unpaid care given per year by families of people with the condition. “There’s just an expectation in the state that you have family who don’t have to work, that can come and take care of you,” Smith said. “And of course, that disproportionately is going to fall on women.” The expectation this puts on families is enormous, Smith said. If professional case managers aren’t available for people with Alzheimer’s, there should be a system of monetary compensation for families that do this work for free. Since her diagnosis, Smith has been able to connect with Vermont general assembly legislators as well as U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy to testify in support of increased supportive services for people with Alzheimer’s, she said. “I have thrown myself into doing everything I can,” Smith said. “I found my purpose again and that really has turned everything around.” Anyone in need of Alzheimer’s-related resources can call the Alzheimer’s Association’s 24/7 helpline at (800) 2723900.

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