2017 vol 133 issue 23

BURLINGTON, VT

VTCYNIC.COM

VOL. 133

ISSUE 23

MARCH 22, 2017

March Madness

B-SIDE PGS. 8-9: local band uses intimate setting to its advantage

UVM led the nation with a 21-game winning streak

Anthony Lamb scored 20 points against Purdue in the first round of the NCAA tournament

UVM forced 9 turnovers against Purdue

Trae Bell-Haynes scored 15 points against Purdue

Read more about March Madness on pages 14-15

Activists arrested by immigration agency Erika B. Lewy Assistant News Editor Senior Jake Danford became close friends with a couple while interning at a Vermont advocacy group, Migrant Justice. Now, his friends may face deportation.

The couple, Enrique Balcazar and Zully Palacios, were arrested by immigration enforcement March 17, he said. Danford hopes everyone remembers his two dear friends are human, he said.

“It’s heartbreaking,” Danford said. “I can’t stop thinking that they should be out in Burlington, going to their favorite restaurants, walking around the city, playing in the snow.”

Since the two were arrested, hundreds of Vermonters, including UVM students who knew them, came forward to demand the couple’s release.

For Danford, being strong is hard right now, he said.

“I already miss being able to text them and say ‘Hey, how’s life?” Danford said. “I miss my friends.”

Brendan O’Neill, spokesperson for Migrant Justice, said Enrique Balcazar and Zully Palacios were arrested because of their stance against federal immigration policy and political work.

“When one of Enrique’s friends was detained in the fall by ICE, officers revealed to this worker that they had some

facebook.com/ thevermontcynic

Uptick in UVM global diversity Lucy Bisselle Staff Writer

sort of plan to be cracking down on migrant justice leaders,” O’Neill said. “And they did; we take it as a deliberate crackdown.”

The arrests of Balcazar and Palacios occurred two days after Alex Carrillo was detained

by ICE officials March 15 on his way to the Burlington Courthouse for a misdemeanor DUI charge, according to Migrant Justice.

For O’Neill, there is no doubt that the arrests were politically motivated, he said.

Balcazar and Palacios were targeted because of their role in organizing dairy farmworkers and other migrant workers, he said.

Balcazar also works on Vermont Attorney General J.T.

@vermontcynic

Photos courtesy of Jake Danford Top: Members of Migrant Justice pictured.

Bottom: Zully Palacios (left) and Enrique Balcazar (right) are pictured. They, along with Alex Corillo-Sanchez, were arrested by ICE last week.

Donovan’s task force on immigration, which advises state

instagram.com/ vermontcynic

Migrants Continues on pg. 3 youtube.com/ cynicvideo

For the past five years, UVM has expanded its international student population, welcoming students from around the world.

With over 800 students, UVM’s international student population represents more than 60 countries. Five percent of those students are from China.

One of the reasons is that the University started to deliberately seek international students in 2010, said Emma Swift, assistant director of International Student Services.

The U.S. Sino Pathway Program was created in 2010 to diversify the University and provide a success-oriented pathway for Chinese students pursuing their undergraduate degree in the U.S., according to the UVM website.

Since the implementation of USPP, UVM has built up its international student population with over 75 USPP students studying at UVM this semester, according to UVM’s website.

The percentage of international students at UVM is on the lower end when compared

International Continues on pg. 4 vtcynic.com

NEWS

2

Trumpdates

What’s been happening on Capitol Hill?

America First: Proposed changes to U.S. budget

Environmental Protection Agency: $8.2 billion in 2017 $5.7 billion in 2018 31 percent decrease

State Department: $38 billion in 2017 $27.1 billion in 2018 29 percent decrease

Department of Agriculture: $22.6 billion in 2017 $17.9 billion in 2018 21 percent decrease

Department of Veterans Affairs: $74.5 billion in 2017 $78.9 billion in 2018 6 percent increase

Department of Homeland Security: $41.3 billion in 2017 $44.1 billion in 2018 7 percent increase

Department of Defense:

$521.7 billion in 2017 $574 billion in 2018 10 percent increase

Senate Confirmation Hearings of Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch • The Senate Judiciary Committee began confirmation hearings for Neil Gorsuch, a federal judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit and President Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court.

• Judge Merrick B. Garland, a nominee from the Obama administration who was never granted a hearing, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-KY. were not present. Both Garland and McConnell were mentioned most frequently at the hearing, according to the New York Times.

• Gorsuch was given the opportunity to speak on March 21, after the Vermont Cynic went to print. The hearing will continue on March 22, when outside witnesses will have a chance to speak on Gorsuch’s record.

• “If we were to dogmatically adhere to originalist interpretations, then we would still have segregated schools, and bans on interracial marriage.

Women wouldn’t be entitled to equal protection under the law, and government discrimination against LGBT Americans would be permitted.” - Dianne Feinstein,

D-Calif.

• “There is no appointment that is more pivotal to the court than this one. This has a real world impact on all of us. Who sits on the Supreme Court should not simply evaluate legalistic theories and latin phrases in isolation, they must understand the court’s decision have real world consequences for men women and children across our nation.” - Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.

• “The American Bar Association’s unanimous well-qualified rating for Judge Gorsuch confirms that he has the highest level of professional qualifications, including integrity, competence and temperament.” -Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah • “If you believe this has been a great plan to get a Trump nominee on the court, then you had to believe Trump was going to win to begin with.” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. • “I do not know of any other Supreme Court nominee who was selected by interest groups rather than by a president in consultation with the Senate as required by the Constitution.” - Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.

“Now [Senate Republicans] are arguing that the Senate should rubber-stamp a nominee selected by extreme interest groups and nominated by a president who lost the popular vote by nearly three million votes. That president has demonstrated hostility to our constitutional rights and values. He has leveled personal attacks against federal judges and career prosecutors who dare to see his promised Muslim ban for what it is: unconstitutional. He called our constitutionally protected free press “the enemy of the American people.”

When the president’s chief of staff says the nominee before us has the vision of Donald Trump, well that raises questions for people who have actually read the constitution, or cares about the rights it protects.”

- Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt. at Neil Gorsuch’s Senate confirmation hearing March 20.

Trump’s Relationship with Russia • F.B.I. director James B. Comey, announced to the House Intelligence Committee March 20 that the agency has begun investigating whether or not members of President Trump’s campaign were working with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election.

• The White House has stood by the claims that there is nothing left to investigate in regards to the president and Russia, insisting that Congress look into Trump’s claims that he the one wiretapped by the Obama administration before the 2016 presidential election.

KEYNOTE TE KICKOFF

Thursday, March 30, 2017 4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

University of Vermont, Dudley H. Davis Center, Grand Maple Ballroom

Book Signing & Reception 5:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.  Sam Louie is a psychotherapist specializing in addictions and multicultural issues. He currently writes a blog for Psychology Today, “Minority Report: Candid Conversations about Race, Culture, and Psychology,” and has authored several books geared towards helping others understand Asian-American experiences.

For more information, visit: www.uvm.edu/hrdma/blackboardjungle Organized by the Office of the Vice President for Human Resources, Diversity and Multicultural Affairs.

To request a disability-related accommodation, contact University Event Services at 802-656-5665.

NEWS

3

Grade labels are changed Craig Pelsor Staff Writer

PHIL CARRUTHERS/The Vemront Cynic Gov. Phil Scott speaks at the French Canadian International Conference March 20 in the Livak Ballroom. The conference focused on Vermont and Quebec relations, immigration, and trade.

UVM hosts diplomatic conference Brandon Arcari Staff Writer

UVM hosted a conference on the connections between Vermont and its neighbor to the north.

The March 20 French-Canadian connections conference, focused on the relations between Vermont and Quebec.

It featured speakers including UVM President Tom Sullivan, Gov. Phil Scott and Rita de Santis, the Quebec minister responsible for access to information and reform of democratic institutions.

As Vermont is Quebec’s most significant trading partner in New England and Quebec is the most important export market for Vermont, speakers emphasized the importance of the connection between Que-

bec and Vermont, according to the conference’s program.

In a speech comparing President Trump’s recent travel ban to Vermont’s historic response to French Canadian immigrants, Vermont Attorney General TJ Donovan called for Vermont to take a strong pro-immigration stance.

“Yes, we will open our doors for those who seek a better life,” he said, “as it was true for the French-Canadians, it is true for the refugees” The conference was designed to highlight the historical, cultural and economic contributions of French Canadians to Vermont and New England.

It focused on past history, present connects and the future French-Canadian immigration trends, according to the

program.

“This [conference] is an opportunity to look back on our history and look forward to the dialogue and accomplishments that we can achieve with our colleagues from Quebec,” Sullivan said.

The story of the immigrants that have influenced the connection between both areas was also a main focus.

“It is that quality of any person who has the courage to come to the U.S. for a better life — that remarkable combination of hope, confidence and imagination — that is needed more than ever today.” Donovan said.

“It’s very encouraging to see leaders in the state and University to be so welcoming to other cultures,” sophomore Louis

Augeri said.

Robert Bartlett, professor of political science, said the conference “appeals to people who are interested in more than just the language and culture.”

In closing, Gov. Scott said he is confident Vermont can continue its tradition of looking at what people have in common instead of pointing out their differences.

“Diversity makes us stronger; it makes us more understanding,” Scott said, “and it helps all of us grow.”

De Santis agreed, concluding her remarks with a translated proverb and a statement: “Alone we can run much more quickly, but together we go further.” She said “Let us make sure there are no walls between Quebec and Vermont.”

Migrants Continued from pg. 1

HENRY ROOD/The Vermont Cynic UVM Juntos coordinator Kelsey Aaron discusses the arrest March 20.

government on immigration policy, according to a Seven Days article.

Gov. Phil Scott stated earlier this year he would not cooperate with federal orders calling for state and local officials to crack down on immigration and border security measures.

Sen. Patrick Leahy released a joint statement with Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Peter Welch against ICE’s arrests March 20.

“We have expressed our serious concerns to ICE about these arrests of several farmworkers and farmworker advocates,” the release stated.

The Trump administration is targeting the people who keep Vermont’s dairy farms and rural economy afloat instead of removing people who pose a threat to public safety, the release stated.

Neither Balcazar nor Palacios have criminal records,

The Faculty Senate has changed the labels of grades submitted late by professors to eliminate consequences felt by students.

“Administrative failing,” “administrative unsatisfactory progress” and “administrative no pass” will replace “failing,” “unsatisfactory progress” and “no pass” for grades that are not submitted on time in order to distinguish them from failing grades.

In the past, a grade that was submitted late would appear as an F, but it would be difficult to tell whether it was an F for performance or an F for an administrative reason, said Brian Reed, associate provost for curricular affairs.

One thousand students received administrative Fs at the end of the fall 2016 semester because professors did not submit grades before the deadline.

This was a significant increase from about 700 last year, Reed said.

These failing grades carry the same consequences as a traditional F, such as ineligibility for financial aid and trial status, as well as still affecting a GPA until a grade is submitted by a professor.

“The students are being unjustly penalized and this, understandably, is a source of great stress to them,” a release from the provost’s office stated.

The grades, however, seem to do nothing to increase professor accountability.

“What we’ve been trying to do is raise awareness through the Faculty Senate,” Reed said.

“It seems that many faculty not aware of the extent of this problem or its ramifications.”

O’Neill said.

Sophomore Kelsey Aaron, coordinator of UVM Juntos, a University organization advocating for farmworkers’ rights, has worked with the couple on migrant justice issues on campus and in Burlington.

“Losing the couple to deportation would be a great loss to Vermont and American society as a whole,” Aaron said.

While she disagrees with federal immigration enforcement, the arrests and deportations, it’s important to consider the complexity of dairy farms and migrant labor in Vermont, Aaron said.

“There’s tension because white dairy farmers in Vermont — poor, rural farmers — are also being oppressed,” she said. “They’re losing their livelihoods; they’re suffering, too.”

While that doesn’t excuse xenophobia and anti-immigration discrimination, it does provide context for the situation, Aaron said.

NEWS

4

UVM Health Network to use electronic records Kassondra Little Senior Staff Writer UVM Health Network has been working to improve patient care for years and finally, they have reached an advancement in electronic health records.

According to a Jan. 3 press release, UVM began implementing an electronic health records system in 2008, called Epic. The transition to the Epic system ended in 2010.

This year, UVM requested a grant for a $112.4 million from the Green Mountain Care Board.

The Green Mountain Care Board is a Vermont government organization. There are five appointed individuals collectively involved in decisions regarding health care in the state, like the allocation of health funds, according to their website.

Dr. John Brumsted, president and CEO of the UVM Health Network, said it will unite clinical, registration, billing, scheduling and insurance information into one system, which will enhance the overall patient experience.

The single platform will allow for quicker access to more reliable patient information, Brumsted said.

Two of the systems currently in place at the UVM Medical Center need to be replaced, as they are over 20 years old, he said.

Senior Ian McHale said he

International Continued from pg. 1 with other public universities, Swift said.

For the 2016 academic year, the number of international students in the U.S. increased by 7.1 percent to 1,043,839 students, according to the Institute of International Education.

UVM had a total of 820 international students, or about 1.8 percent of the University’s population, according to UVM’s Multicultural and International Student Enrollment Fall 2016 spreadsheet.

“Before 2014 there weren’t as many Chinese students here,” junior Zheng Pan said.

“The Office of International Education professors think it is good that there are more Chinese students, but I’m not so sure.”

Pan said she doesn’t speak English when she is at home with her friends, which causes a communication barrier at school.

“In class you can hear a lot of Chinese students speaking Chinese,” she said.

It is more difficult to speak English in class discussions and social settings because she needs time to translate, she said.

“A really great way to connect with students is when you feel comfortable talking to them, and a lot of our students speak English that they’ve learned in the classroom,” Swift said, “but having conver-

UVM requested $112.4 million from the Green Moutnain Care Board thinks the new system will improve patient experience because it will be easy for professionals in all fields to pull information.

This switch will have three main effects: consistently updated and accurate information, the ability to schedule and pay online and the ability view health and insurance information in an online patient portal, MyHealth Online, Brumsted said.

Patients can see testing results and communicate with their providers in this portal, too Brumstead said.

The biggest effect is that the unified electronic health record system will enhance communication and collaboration between UVM Health Network providers, as well as and those not employed by one of our hospitals, Brumsted said.

It will also increase the security of patients’ information, he said.

Transitioning to the universal Epic platform will take 40 months after the Green Mountain Care Board approves it, the UVM Health Network press release stated. sations with American peers that are college students isn’t always the same thing you learn in the classroom.”

There are many programs, including Global Gateways and buddy programs, that are meant to break communication barriers and help connect international and domestic students, said Gayle Nunley, director for Global Educational Initiatives.

“As UVM students who have studied abroad often confirm, making friends in a new country can be challenging at first,” Nunley said.

“Having the opportunity to meet American students in informal situations, such as in the dorm or by joining campus clubs or organizations, can be a great help in making these connections.”

UVM’s Global Gateways program is open to international students from any country and is designed to provide support to students in their transition to UVM, she said.

In addition to Global Gateways, OIE runs programs specifically designed to help students to feel a part of the UVM and Vermont community, Nunley said.

Professor emeritus Juefei Wang said international students feel very supported by the staff and faculty at UVM. As the number of international students increases, there has been a greater demand for support by staff for these students, Wang said.

OPINION

5

Don’t let rhetoric divide us further EXECUTIVE Editor-in-Chief Kelsey Neubauer editorinchief@vtcynic.com Managing Editor Bryan O’Keefe newsroom@vtcynic.com Assistant Managing Editor Mariel Wamsley newsroomassistant@ vtcynic.com OPERATIONS Operations Manager Ryan Thornton operations@vtcynic.com Advertising Manager Cole Wangsness ads@vtcynic.com EDITORIAL Arts Benjamin Elfland arts@vtcynic.com B-Side Margaret Richardson bside@vtcynic.com

Staff Editorial

T

his week, Vermont and the UVM community saw the first community-altering event of Trump’s federal immigration policy.

Friends and community members stand in jail cells, while their friends, some of whom are UVM students, worry about them. They have committed no violent crimes and they work hard.

Vermont may lose three people because of bigotry.

In his first campaign speech, President Donald Trump generalized immigrants as criminals, and made it his platform to keep them out of our country — a country of immigrants.

The generalizations and “alternative facts” brought forth in this administration no longer poses.

Meanwhile, in Washington, budget cuts may impact

programs at our University, as reported in a Feb. 1 Cynic article.

Now, this rhetoric is tearing apart our community. It has gone beyond oppression and racism; it has begun to dismantle the foundation of our culture and of our community.

To understand the American identity, look at American literature. In every genre across centuries, the diversity of experience set together by common humanity has been what links us. Difference is what makes us united.

These three people embodied the American spirit: hard-work and activism.

Let this be a reminder to stay vigilant. At this time, we must all be activists. We must all be American. We must raise our voices and speak the truth.

The truth is that our diversity make us American. This is a fact.

LILY KEATS Staff editorials officially reflect the views of the Vermont Cynic. 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.

Copy Chief Lindsay Freed copy@vtcynic.com Layout Kira Bellis layout@vtcynic.com Life Greta Bjornson life@vtcynic.com Multimedia William Dean Wertz media@vtcynic.com News Olivia Bowman news@vtcynic.com Opinion Sydney Liss-Abraham opinion@vtcynic.com Photo Phillip Carruthers photo@vtcynic.com Social Media Liv Jensen socialmedia@vtcynic.com Sports Eribert Volaj sports@vtcynic.com Video Molly O’Shea video@vtcynic.com Web Connor Allan web@vtcynic.com Assistant Editors Ariana Arden (Opinion), Bridget Higdon (Arts), Locria Courtright (Sports), Erika B. Lewy (News), Lily Keats (Layout), Karolyn Moore (Copy), Izzy Siedman (Life) Page Designers Tiana Crispino, Ed Taylor Copy Editors Brandon Arcari, Hunter Colvin, Michelle Derse Lowry, Rae Gould, Adrianna Grinder, Linnea Johnson, Kira Nemeth, George Seibold, Meline Thebarge ADVISING Faculty Adviser Chris Evans crevans@uvm.edu

ELISE MITCHELL

First sleep out to end youth homelessness Letter to the Editor

O

n Saturday, March 25th, Volunteers In Action is helping to bring the Sleep Out movement to the UVM campus for the first time.

Throughout the world, Sleep Out events are building awareness and support for local community organizations working to end homelessness.

On the evening of a Sleep Out, participants sleep outside in solidarity with community members facing homelessness.

Those who take on the challenge for the first time typically describe the experience as eye opening, unforgettable and transformative.

As an event organizer, I’m gratified to see enthusiasm and support for bringing Sleep Out to campus.

Students signing up are fired up about social justice, eager to bring a new tradition of service to campus, and excited to share the challenge of the Sleep Out with their friends, teammates or fellow student club members.

According to the State of Vermont’s Ending Family Homelessness by 2020 campaign, on any given night, over 1,100 Vermonters find themselves without housing and nearly one in four of them is a child or youth.

Bethany Pombar of Vermont Coalition of Homeless and Runaway Youth Programs points out that the challenges that affect many Vermonters, such as a high cost of living, lack of jobs and livable wages, and rising levels of substance abuse – can take an even greater toll on young people

who lack the safety nets of family, education or employment.

The UVM Sleep Out will support Spectrum, the VCRHYP member agency of Chittenden County, which provides support services and temporary housing for youth experiencing homelessness or at-risk of losing their home.

Fundraising is not a requirement for Student Sleep Outs, but most students do participate, deepening the meaning and impact of their experience.

While this is the first time UVM has participated, the local Sleep Out movement and Student Sleep Out teams have been steadily growing for years, raising thousands to end youth homelessness in Vermont.

Local non-profits like

Spectrum are increasingly reliant on community based fundraising efforts like the Sleep Out, as the complexity of the challenges faced by young people increases and federal and state resources continue to decline.

Note: There is no registration deadline for UVM Sleeps Out, but pre-registration is required. After registering, students are provided with the campus location and other event details. Contact tatum. omalley@uvm.edu or visit fb.me/uvmsleepsout for registration instructions.

Tatum O’Malley is an event coordinator for the first UVM Sleep Out. She is a UVM Graduate, a first year MSW student and intern at Spectrum’s JOBS program in Burlington.

OPINION

6

Trump’s claims frame refugees as terrorists

T

GENEVIEVE WINN

Lily Spechler

his a nation-wide soul search,” my father’s friend Dmitri said regarding the Syrian refugee crisis.

Dmitri is the son of Greek refugees, political asylum seekers, who fled Greece in hopes of a better life in America.

The question is, are we still a nation that opens our arms to refugees, or not.

However, aside from choosing between morality and economics, the larger issue at play is the spreading of misinformation.

President Donald Trump’s administration has been rightfully accused of playing off people’s fears and spreading misinformation about refugees, and citizens are forming opinions based on these lies.

Trump is using propaganda tactics to frame the refugees as terrorists, when this is simply not the case.

The Syrian refugee crisis was born out of a democratic uprising that began in 2012 to oppose the totalitarian Assad regime.

The Syrian regime responded with chemical weapons against its own people.

According to Mercy Corps, a U.S. global humanitarian aid agency, more than 11 million people have been killed or forced to flee their homes since the start of the uprisings.

Although the crisis is far more complex than that, it is unfair and unjust to paint the refugees as terrorists when in

reality they are mostly civilians fleeing the hell that they are trapped inside of.

Of the 784,000 refugees resettled in the U.S since 9/11, a total of three have been charged with plotting terrorist acts, according to political news blog thinkprogress.org.

Trump falsely claimed that a group of Syrians were busted for trying to sneak through the border.

The exact tweet reads, “Eight Syrians were just caught on the southern border trying to get into the U.S. ISIS maybe? I told you so. WE NEED A BIG & BEAUTIFUL WALL.” This is simply untrue.

“Two asylum-seeking families, including four children, ‘presented themselves’ at the border and were detained… government officials confirmed there was no evidence of any connection to terrorism,” according to the Huffington Post.

Trump is making it seem as if we have no control over our borders, and the situation is entirely unmanageable.

At an inauguration speech in June, Trump stated: “We have to stop the tremendous flow of Syrian refugees into the United States — we don’t know who they are, they have no documentation, and we don’t know what they’re planning.”

This is false. Of all the ways to enter the U.S., the vetting process for Syrian refugees is probably the lengthiest and most time consuming.

The process typically takes up to 18-24 months, and

involves multiple federal intelligence and security agencies, and refugees also don’t have a choice as to which country they are resettled in. To say that they have no documentation is just wrong.

Trump’s administration also attempted to heighten the country’s fear levels by releasing a list of 78 terror-related attacks, and accusing the media of underreporting these attacks.

However, “Many of the attacks cited, such as the attack of the Orlando night club shooting last June and 2015 attacks in San Bernardino, Calif. and Paris, were extensively covered by the media around the clock,” according to a Feb. 6 NPR article.

As a Jewish girl, I have learned all too well what propaganda was capable of doing in Germany.

I am in America because my immigrant ancestors sought a better life.

Although I am not positing that there is a one shot simple solution to our stance on the refugee crisis, I do think that it is a humanitarian travesty to turn a blind eye to blatant propaganda in the United States of America.

We are living in the Age of Information trapped inside a nation of misinformation, and it’s time to break the cycle.

Lily Spechler is a senior natural resources major. She has been writing for the Cynic since 2016.

Campus should allow for Second Amendment rights James Simpson

W

e have seen in our nation’s past the deadly failures of gun-free policies.

Sandy Hook Elementary School, the Aurora movie theater, Pulse nightclub, and Virginia Tech were all areas in which the carrying of firearms was prohibited, and mass carnage ensued.

Since those intent on inflicting mass casualties are not deterred by a gun-free zone sign posted on a front door, it is time that policies restricting the possession of firearms on college campuses be rescinded in the name of public safety.

Here at UVM, the possession of any weapons other than pepper spray or knives under three inches is prohibited by University policy, unless one obtains the permission of the chief of police.

I fail to see how a public university such as UVM has the authority to place restrictions on the possession of firearms. The state of Vermont allows the carrying of firearms in public, and that policy should apply to all public lands, including UVM. Public universities should not get special exemptions from the law.

The University cannot censor this newspaper or my

words due to First Amendment protections.

It cannot prohibit me from peaceably assembling or from practicing my religion on campus. Why is it able to single out the Second Amendment as the one constitutional right it gets to disregard?

One might respond with concerns about public safety.

Opponents of campus carry bring up concerns of students engaging in violent acts and of accidental discharges.

These are valid concerns that must be taken into account.

Claims regarding licensed students intentionally shooting each other are unfounded in states that allow campus carry.

Of the states mandating that public universities allow concealed carry, there have been no firearm-related acts of violence carried out by licensed concealed carriers on college campuses.

However, there have been five reported accidental discharges at universities by either students or staff that occurred shortly after the enactment of campus carry, none of which resulted in life-threatening injury.

Accidental discharges are serious, and appropriate action should be taken on an individual basis. An entire group of people should not

SYDNEY LISS-ABRAHAM

be stripped of the right to self defense due to the negligence of a few.

When examining public policies such as campus carry, it is essential to disregard emotions and rely solely on empirical evidence.

Based on the facts, it is evident that gun-free zone policies are utter failures nationwide, these policies have cost many lives, and that concealed carriers are not a danger to public safety.

Many of you will disagree with me when I argue that guns should be allowed on campus. However, I want you to weigh the following options

you have if you ever are faced with an act of violence.

You can hide and pray the police get there in time, you can try to pepper spray an attacker or use a knife under three inches for protection, or a law abiding concealed carrier sitting in class with you can help neutralize a threat.

God forbid the unthinkable were to ever happen here, I presume you will be wishing you had more effective means of defending yourself.

I acknowledge that a violent tragedy at UVM is unlikely to happen. However, I still wear my seatbelt despite the small chance I get

into a serious accident. I still have insurance on my house despite the small chance that it gets destroyed.

I don’t expect to be faced with an act of violence, but in the event that I am, I don’t want to be disarmed by misguided policies and suffer the consequences as a result.

As the saying goes, if you ever need a parachute and don’t have one, let’s just say you’ll probably never need one again.

James Simpson is a sophomore political science major.

He has been writing for the Cynic since 2017.

7

LIFE

Students choose service trips across nation Katue Brobst Cyninc Correspondent Greta Bjornson Life Editor For spring break this year, some students at UVM chose to take a less traditional path than their peers.

These students participated in Alternative Spring Break, a program that sends students across the U.S. on service trips for the week of spring break.

These trips are substance-free and focus on social justice, addressing social issues like education, homelessness and environmental preservation, ASB staff adviser Laura Megivern said.

Junior Leslie Drew went to New York City to volunteer with God’s Love We Deliver, an organization that prepares and delivers meals to people with terminal illnesses, Drew said.

While in New York City, her group helped prepare, package and deliver the food by van and on foot, Drew said. “[I enjoy ASB] because you’re with a whole new group of people and you only have ASB to worry about,” she said.

“We all had homework, but that wasn’t the focus of the trip. It was a good change; it wasn’t stressful, but it wasn’t like we were sitting around doing nothing.”

While helping the organization, Drew was surprised by the variety of people who volunteered, she said.

“It was really cool to see the different people who do service, and not always the

type of people you’d expect at a place called God’s Love We Deliver,” Drew said. “I was expecting a lot of stereotypically religious people, but that wasn’t who was there.”

Another ASB group went on a trip to Lakewood Colo. to volunteer at Long View, an alternative high school.

“I feel like we all were able to establish a close connection with the teachers and students at Long View and also grow as a group,” said sophomore Flannery Mehigan, who participated in the trip.

Mehigan recommends ASB as a way to make new friends, but also as an exposure to public service for college students, she said.

“Witnessing the Long View students’ energy and passion about education was amazing because their voices are discounted and ignored by those outside of their school,” first-year Michael Chan said.

Chan called graduates of the school during the trip for information about their postgrad lives after attending Long View.

“Hearing graduates say that they would either be a ‘dropout’ or ‘lost without Long View’ made my time there even more meaningful,” he explained.

The trips are organized by student directors and supervised by student site leaders who coordinate and supervise their trips, student director Alicia Gusan said.

Junior Caitlin Beaudet, stu-

Photo courtesy of Meghan Letizia Michael Chan (left) and Flannery Mehigan (second from left) are pictured at Red Rocks Park in Colorado. Chan and Mehigan participated in the Colorado ASB trip to volunteer at Long View, an alternative high school. dent director and site leader, went to Charleston, S.C. to work with Habitat for Humanity for the week.

Beaudet’s team worked on revitalizing Habitat for Humanity’s office space since the organization was between house projects.

“Habitat just changed their color scheme, so they had all this artwork that was in the wrong color,” Beudet said.

The group painted every-

CASTING

CALL! A

thing white and repainted the originally green and blue shades with new tones, she said, which they would not have been able to do without volunteers.

“All week long we get photos about everything that’s happening. The wide variety of things people were doing all week, it’s really nice to be like, ‘yeah, we were just painting,’ but look at what all the things that all the students are doing

together, collectively,” she said.

Senior Kyle Kellett, student director and site leader was also on this trip.

“It’s really cool as directors to see the program come to life, see it take off,” Kellett said, “And to see all the pictures of people enjoying themselves and having a good time doing awesome work … you’re just like yeah, this was cool, this was worth it.”

Pregnancy...

re you concerned about skyrocketing tuition, heavy student debt, and the market takeover of university education? It’s time to get dramatic!

Join United Academics faculty and concerned students to prepare for a staged reading of the short one-act play “Monte Verde U 2045,” a dystopian drama about the grim future for higher ed if the corporatizers have their way.

No experience necessary and no lines to memorize!

Rehearsal Reading Wednesday, April 5 6–7:30 pm Old Mill 225

Pizza served!

To RSVP, email Professor Sarah Carleton at sarah.carleton@uvm.edu.

irthright 24/7 Helpline 800-550-4900 birthright.org/burlingtonvt 289 College Street, Burlington 802-865-0056

B-S

8

Local band uses intim setting to its advant I

Max McCurdy

n this wide and perilous all-too-big world, Del Water Gap would like to thank you for being close.”

This touching message from the New York City-based indie group adorns the top of their Bandcamp page, viscerally illustrating the band’s uniquely personable demeanor.

These themes of closeness and personability were ever-present at the band’s recent gig at Handsome House, an Old North End apartment-turned-concert-venue that embodies intimacy.

Upon entering Handsome House — almost doubting that I was in the right place — I found myself standing in someone’s kitchen, being offered a beer by a stranger while greeting Holden Jaffe, the lead singer of Del Water Gap. The adjacent room was filled with people and musicians alike passing time between

bands by playing pool, and friendly conversation about who was playing next filled the airwaves.

After two amazing opening bands, Del Water Gap came on and started setting on the “stage” that could not have been larger than 10 feet by 10 feet.

Without introducing themselves, they jumped right into “Vanessa,” a high-energy single off of their new EP. The crowd was palpably into it, swaying side to side in unison while screaming the lyrics. At one point, my friend whom I dragged to the show said, “you didn’t tell me Del Water Gap was the best band ever.”

After the first song, Jaffe took a moment to introduce himself and the band, and found the audience cheering in response before he had even finished his last word.

The rest of their set consisted of tracks from their new EP — including “Deidre Pt. I” and “High Tops” — and the older fan favorites like “No Fear, Dragon Here.”

One memorable moment came during a passionate rendition of “Lamplight,” a cult-classic single off the group’s first record, “Del Water Gap EP.” The chorus features a multi-voice harmony, and although there were multiple microphones set up, the lead guitarist Chris Conway decided to cozy up next to Jaffe and sing a duet on one microphone.

As if the scene wasn’t adorable enough already, at one point Conway snuck in a cheeky kiss on Jaffe’s forehead, confirming all suspicions that they probably get along pretty well.

The entire show oozed intimate infor-

mality, perfectly illustrated when — during a break between songs — bassist Ollie Bomann asked a photographer in the front row to take pictures of him, “so my mom knows I’m in Vermont.”

The show reached an energetic peak toward the end of the last song when — as the drummer smashed cymbals and everyone slammed the last chord — Jaffe jumped up on top of the bass drum, jamming while ignoring how close he was coming to falling off.

As soon as the band started packing up, an encore chant broke out.

Jaffe had a short conversation with the band, then came to the mic and said, “We don’t have any more songs, so we’re gonna play the first song again.”

The audience showed there was no love lost for “Vanessa” by going absolutely crazy again.

The band sensed the energy as Jaffe again ended the song by slamming the final chord while standing on the bass drum.

As if the crowd’s overwhelming support for Del Water Gap wasn’t clear enough, they began a chant of “Del, Water, Gap” as the band packed up.

The Handsome House show was a part of a tour on which the band is promoting their new EP, “1-(646)-943-2672.”

Jaffe said the album’s name is an actual number, not just an artistic frill.

“I bought one of those cheap, crappy cell phones so people can call me,” he said.

That just further illustrates what Del Water Gap is all about: friendship, community and human connection.

However, the EP is so much more than just a clever title.

As Jaffe himself described it on Facebook, “this collection of songs was woven with some real *stuff of life* by the many guys and gals who contributed along the way, and we would all be honored if you’d lend it your ears.”

That statement is far from hyperbolic.

Every track tells its own vividly rich story accompanied by vibrant, engaging melodies.

SIDE

9

mate tage In anticipation of the EP’s release, Del Water Gap put out two singles, the first being the aforementioned crowd-pleaser, “Vanessa.” The song narrates a melancholy exploration into the woman’s personality and her relationship with Jaffe.

While the instrumentals are those of a fun, upbeat rock ballad, the lyrics are juxtaposed with the rhythm as they recount Jaffe’s struggle trying to help a troubled woman.

They also give us a peek into what kind of person Vanessa might be: “She says it’s so cheap to think the afterlife is given.”

The second track, “Let’s Pretend,” recounts myriad anecdotes of Jaffe and an unnamed woman, and dares the listener to try to understand the nature of their relationship.

These emotionally-heavy lyrics are accompanied by upbeat guitar chords that carry the rhythm while a second guitar plucks away at perfectly complementary notes.

The third track, “Deidre Pt. 1,” details another one of Jaffe’s romantic relationships, littered with deceit, heartbreak and self-doubt.

A notably powerful set of lyrics comes toward the end of the song, when Jaffe recounts that he drove all the way from New York to Austin, Texas “to find my love had up and gone, to find my love with another one, or is it only that I’m dreaming?”

Throughout the track, rhythmically crisp piano chords provide the foundation for the catchy, pop-ish guitar parts. The song also features a similar juxtaposition of happy, vibrant melodies that coexist with mournful, nostalgic lyrics.

The fourth track, “High Tops,” was released as a single prior to the EP’s release, yet still manages to fit seamlessly into the album. Coming off the quicker, upbeat track “Deidre Pt. 1, High Tops” slows things down, forcing the listener to focus on the beautifully minimalistic guitar part and palpably-emotive lyrics. Moments like “you’re the only one who meant a thing to me, you’re

still sticking around,” manage to tell whole stories in seconds. This song swells to a climax beautifully, eventually reaching a lovely, guitar-heavy chorus where Jaffe confesses, “Hey Celine, I open up my heart, it’s all for you, you can take or leave me anyway you choose.”

The fifth track, “Don’t Read the Mirror,” picks up the pace from the slightly-slower previous track, and kicks off energetically with a set of heavy, catchy guitar chords. The instruments soon seamlessly combine when a cheerful, walking bass line comes in with a rhythmically unorthodox drum pattern. The chorus further explores themes of self-doubt and emotional isolation: “Baby thinks I need someone, do I need someone?”

The sixth and final track (Jaffe’s self-proclaimed favorite song from the EP), “Love Song for Lady Earth,” beautifully concludes the album by providing a slightly slower but still catchy instrumental base for Jaffe’s vivid storytelling lyricism and melodic, beautiful singing. The lyrics take on a retrospective, autobiographical feel, annunciated by lines like, “life’s not simple here anymore,” and “more than any time before, I think I finally

figured out being happy with yourself and with your life.” Truly an emotionally beautiful end to an emotionally beautiful album.

“1-(646)-943-2672” is surely Del Water Gap’s most explorative, enthralling and complete work yet, providing the listener with catchy melodies that will surely get stuck in their head, and impactful, memorable lyrics that will prove hard to forget. My only possible complaint about this album is that ideally, it should be about five times longer, as its non-stop quality leaves me craving more Del Water Gap. You can check out this masterpiece of an album for free on Soundcloud at https:// soundcloud.com/delwatergap. However, I’d strongly recommend buying it on iTunes or on Bandcamp at https://delwatergap. bandcamp.com/ to support a truly talented up-and-coming artist! Also check out their website (http://www.dwatergap.com/) to see their tour schedule, and see if they’re coming to a city near you!

MAX MCCURDY/ The Vermont Cynic Del Water Gap performs together on March 4.

10

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LIFE

11

Students work at the Marche

Katie Brobst Staff Writer

As students rush to get food in between their classes, they may not register their peer behind the counter as more than a blurred figure in green swiping their CatCard.

Working in a dining hall isn’t glamorous, senior Sara Ahlers, a Marche employee, said, but many students seek employment with UVM Dining for the on-campus convenience.

While the job comes with many perks, including a free meal and decent pay, Ahlers feels that once she shifts roles from student to staff, she becomes invisible.

There are several advantages to working at the University Marche, one UVM Dining option, said junior Sydney Langdeau, a former Marche employee.

Its location on Athletic campus makes it an easy commute from the residential halls, shifts include a free meal and managers are understanding when it comes to a student’s schedule, Langdeau said. “[UVM Dining] gets that you’re a student, which is why I prefer working with them than finding something downtown,” Ahlers said. “They’re willing to work with students’ hours.”

The student employees at the Marche had positive things to say about working there.

“Everyone there was really nice, which made it a nice place to work,” Langdeau said.

MIKE TRIPP UVM Dining prides itself on putting hospitality and customer service first, said Lisa Brown, the Marche’s manager. “[When hiring students] I look for those who have lots of interest in customer service and are looking to make people happy, because that’s what we do here,” Brown said.

While the employees of UVM Dining prioritize customer service, this is not always met with equal enthusiasm or respect.

Peers don’t acknowledge “other” peers’ presence when they wear the bright green shirt, Ahlers said.

“When you’re wearing that uniform, everyone expects you to blend in, be invisible and work around them,” she said.

Langdeau agreed.

“It was a little awkward seeing my classmates in a service perspective,” she said.

“But I just tried to do my job as best I could.”

Ahlers discovered the stigma that sometimes accompanies service work when

she started working for UVM Dining, she said.

“I remember I would always put one of my books in my work apron so that people would know I’m a student and this isn’t what I’m doing with my life,” Ahlers said. “It’s something I’m trying to get over because while I’m not going to be there the rest of my life, we need blue collar workers and we need to respect them.”

“The service industry falls under a category of jobs many would find undesirable,” Professor Blake Ashforth said.

People tend to see a social, physical or moral “taint” in this undervalued work, and remain psychologically distant even when someone views a “dirty job” as necessary or noble, Ashforth said.

This stigma is present on campus, Ahlers said.

“I’ve told my friends to apply there, and they’ll say that they don’t want to be seen working there, and I’m like, thanks a lot,” she said.

KIRA NEMETH

New club promotes a vegan lifestyle Michaela Paul Senior Staff Writer A new club on campus welcomes vegetarians, vegans, individuals who wish to help the environment.

First-year Alex Bonfiglio, the club’s president, founded Green Mountain Veggies since there was no vegan, vegetarian or animal rights club at UVM, she said.

The members ultimately chose “Veggies” instead of “Vegans” to foster an inclusive community, since students do not need to be vegan or vegetarian to join the club, Bonfiglio said.

The club’s goal is to help increase the prevalence and awareness of vegetarian and vegan lifestyles and diets to help promote proper treatment of animals and the environment, she said.

The club currently has over 30 members but is not yet SGA funded. Bonfiglio and other members are working to collaborate and gain official recognition by SGA, she said.

The club works “to raise awareness of the injustices that occur against innocent animals and the environment when an individual decides to eat meat,” club member and junior Marguerite Horton said.

Bonfiglio hopes to hold movie screenings to spread awareness of the meat, egg and dairy industries, she said.

The club aims to destigmatize the term “vegan,” which is often associated with negativity, anger and partaking in a fad, Bonfiglio said.

Rather, it is a diet and lifestyle to promote positive change for animals and the environment, she said.

Bonfiglio personally chose to commit to the vegan diet and lifestyle after performing some research on the environment, she said.

Initially, she was going to become vegetarian for the environment, but after researching the dairy and egg industry, she was prompted to become vegan, Bonfiglio said.

Horton joined the group “to advocate for healthy,

compassionate, holistic and environmentally sustainable and conscious lifestyles,” she said.

Horton wished to participate in an organization supporting animal rights after discovering of the effects of factory farming on the environment and the lives of animals, she said.

This prompted Horton to create an Instagram account with her sister to share their experience as vegans, she said.

Horton wanted a way to inform others and help provide tips to live a vegan lifestyle in a healthy and manageable way, she said.

Over time, it becomes relatively easier to adapt to a vegan lifestyle, although it can be difficult to start, especially in the UVM dining halls, Bonfiglio said.

Resources like Green Mountain Veggies help individuals and students gain new ideas for meals and routines that promote a healthy environment and body, she said.

Individuals must also pay attention to nutrition in order to maintain a healthy and balanced vegan lifestyle in college, Horton said.

Horton and her sister’s mantra, which is promoted on Foodnotfuckboys, their Instagram account, is “that the key to a successful life is more important than just healthy eating and looking good,” she said.

“For us, it’s about feeling the best we can,” Horton said. “It’s about having strong relationships with the people surrounding us and the worlds both inside and around us. It means treating animals, Mother Nature and our bodies with the respect they deserve.”

This club promotes this ideology, and wishes to create an open and expressive environment to support each other, the environment and animals, Bonfiglio said.

Green Mountain Veggies weekly meetings are 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays in the Living/ Learning Center.

12

ARTS

UVM students create art collective Isabella Alessandrini Staff Writer A group of UVM students have created their own unofficial art club out of necessity.

When first-year Jess Molinaro, a studio art major, came to UVM last fall, she was disappointed she couldn’t find an art club at the activities fair, Molinaro said.

Art is an important part of Molinaro’s life that she “uses for therapy more than anything else just to relax and get out of [her] head,” she said.

Molinaro was motivated to create her own art club to fill the void until she saw the daunting list of steps required to officiate a club, she said.

After a few weeks of doing art on her own, Molinaro finally found an opportunity to make art with others. “I was so happy to discover people sitting outside all working on art together and playing music one day,” Molinaro said.

This was one of the many informal “art jams” hosted by the Art Jam Collaborative, a public group on Facebook that coordinates sessions for students to make art together.

The collaborative was started in fall 2015 by sophomore Vanessa Palermo and a few of her friends, she said. “[It was] a way to meet new people, get outside and connect with our creative side, as well as inspire and draw inspiration from collaboration,”

Addie Beach Staff Writer

ISABELLA ALESSANDRINI

Palermo said.

The collaborative has flourished into a community of over 350 people, according to the Art Jam Collaborative at UVM’s Facebook page.

With all the interest one might think it could easily become an official club very quickly, but that is not on the club’s agenda, Palermo said.

“Making it a club has the potential to give the appearance of exclusivity,” Palermo said. “We wanted it to be

casual and completely student-run.”

Since the collaborative is so self-sufficient, Palermo said art jams are only held in the fall and spring, given that there is no indoor space reserved to hold them.

Additionally, without any funding from the school, supplies are either purchased

by Palermo or brought by members.

“It difficult sometimes for me financially, but it is a

sacrifice I am willing to make,” she said.

As the weather warms, art jams will most likely be held at least once every two weeks outside of the music building in between the Redstone and Athletic campuses, according to Palermo.

To all prospective members, Palermo said, “Join us in making this world a more beautiful and collaborative place.”

Rock and roll legend is remembered at 90 From the Arts Editor Ben Elfland

F

ew artists possess the vision and skills required to alter the history of music and the world at large.

Chuck Berry, pioneer of American rock music, died of natural causes in his home March 18 at the age of 90.

Berry was born in 1926 and raised by a middle-class family in the then-deeply segregated city of St. Louis, Mo. He grew up in a self-contained neighborhood known as the Ville, a bastion for black institutions, black businesses and, perhaps most importantly, black music, according to Biography.com.

It was here Berry first showed interest in music and picked up a guitar, but his commitment quickly faded as a young man.

Berry was sent to reform school following a series of robberies that occurred after he dropped out of high school.

Eventually, he earned a degree in cosmetology, working for a short time as a beautician. In 1948 he married Themetta Suggs and started a family, according to a New York Times article published on March 18.

Shortly afterward, Berry was prompted by an old friend to pick the guitar back up and join his band, the Sir John’s Trio, and helped the group gain some notoriety.

It was during this period

Trash becomes fashion

that he developed and refined the style that would eventually reshape modern music.

Berry combined the riffbased music of early electric guitarists, his raw vocals and the electrifying rhythm of boogie-woogie music to create a sound all his own. Never before had the public heard a guitar used in such a way.

To compliment his uninhibited, youthful sound, he sang about taboo subjects such as young love and crime.

In the years before Berry’s rise, white record executives had become aware of the exciting rhythm and blues inspired music being created by black artists.

Many had tried to take advantage of the growing trend, but were unable to capture the valuable white audience in the deeply divided U.S. of the time.

With his first record, “Maybellene,” Berry had changed the future landscape of music.

Upon hearing his music, young Americans of all races were hooked on the new sound.

With a then unconventional role as both composer and performer, Berry was able to make music uncompromising and honest enough to connect to white America in a time when such things were considered impossible.

To limit Berry’s influence to his revolutionary playing ability, creative songwriting or social impact individually would

GENEVIEVE WINN

not do his legacy justice.

Chuck Berry’s contributions to rock’n’roll have inspired not just musicians, but generations of thinkers around the world.

Ben Elfland is a sophomore public communication major.

He has been writing for the Cynic since spring 2016.

Fashion can change how we view something entirely… including trash.

The outdoor gear designer, Patagonia is working alongside the Outing Club to sponsor a “Trashion Show” on March 23, as part of the Worn Wear tour, an event sponsored

by Patagonia focused on promoting sustainability.

It will feature student-made outfits damaged Patagonia clothing, the majority created for a class projects in “Perspectives on Making.”

The program is aimed at recycling garments that are beyond repair, according to Patagaonia’s website.

The show is the perfect chance to explore the course’s goal of investigating the interface between ideas and materials, said Cameron Davis, senior lecturer in the art history department.

The theme of political ecology, acknowledges the field of ecology’s intersection with social, environmental and economic justice, Davis said.

The topic allowed students creative freedom, he said.

“I was hoping the students would have a wide range of possible ideas to engage with,” Davis said, noting that they explored topics such as racism, climate change and gender.

Sophomore Summer Klotzbach repurposed a ripped black jacket for the show.

The first step was to repair the jacket, she said, then created a pattern based on the suburb from the show “Weeds.”

“I like the idea of having a ubiquitous neighborhood to represent overpopulation,” Klotzbach said.

She was inspired by her work with living systems as a geology major, Klotzbach said, her background is part of the diversity of the show that she thinks makes it worthwhile, she said.

“There are so many different topics,” she said. “There’s one for everyone.”

Senior Camila Auvray’s project is another example of this variety.

Auvray’s cheeseburger-based pattern reflects consumption, featuring a children’s jacket.

“The next generations are the ones that will suffer from our choices,” she said.

Auvary said art like this is important to UVM, and that she wants to see more outlets for it in the future.

“It not only helps express what we feel,” she said. “It helps us understand our world and enables us to critique ourselves.”

The show will be held from 1–2 p.m. March 23 in the Davis Center Atrium.

ARTS

13

Poets celebrate International Women’s Day Bridget Higdon Assistant Arts Editor Wearing a simple black turtleneck and red lipstick, slam poet Olivia Gatwood started her show on March 8 with candid statement: “I started my period today.”

She performed on International Women’s Day in the Davis Center’s Silver Maple Ballroom.

“I think fem-rage is what’s going to change the world,” Gatwood said.

UVM kicked off Women’s History Month by hosting three female poets over the course of two days.

Gatwood visited as part of her “Speak Like a Girl” tour.

Angel Nafis and Shira Erlichman, on their “Odes for You” tour, performed March 9.

Gatwood read poems from her chapbook, a small booklet titled “New American Best Friend.” The book, published March 21, reflects on her experience as a woman, from adolescence to adulthood.

“Everyone’s experience with womanhood is vast and different,” she said.

First-year Kristen Brown said she thoroughly enjoyed the show.

“Olivia spoke to pressing issues that women face,” Brown said.

Gatwood started writing poetry when she was 16 years old, she said.

“I was an angsty teenager, and poetry was how I knew how to connect with the world,” she said.

Gatwood went on to become a finalist at Brave New Voices, Women of the World and the National Poetry Slam, according to her website.

Since then, she has been visiting colleges around the U.S., performing slam poetry and educating students on Title IX compliance, a law that protects against gender discrimination in education, Gatwood said.

Women do the most unpaid and unrecognized labor in the country, Gatwood said.

Her poem “At the Owl” is a tribute to working women.

Gatwood also read numerous odes that honor the unsung aspects of the female experience.

“I personally counteract shame by writing odes to things I am supposed to be ashamed of,” she said.

Gatwood revered things such as period underwear, her bitch face and the word “pussy.”

She said it can be difficult to stand up and perform poetry in front of others; Gatwood’s best advice for writers is to “slow down and lift up your head,” she said.

Nafis and Erlichman performed the next day in the Silver Maple Ballroom.

Together, they have spent the last two months sharing

their poetry and music with this “tremendously great, yet questionable nation,” Nafis said.

Erlichman, her hair thrown up in a messy top-knot, sang and played the guitar. She recently released an album titled “Subtle Creature.”

Nafis read poetry, including her poem “Be Blk!” which speaks to the black experience.

Nafis is currently working on her second book. Her first one, “BlackGirl Mansion,” was published in 2012.

Erlichman is currently working on a project to de-stigmatize mental illness by writing 730 odes to Lithium, her bipolar medication, she said.

Nafis also began writing at a young age while growing up in Ann Arbor, Mich. Her first poem, “The Wind,” won Nafis first place in her second grade writing contest.

AUTUMN LEE/The Vermont Cynic Slam poets Olivia Gatwood (top) and Angel Nafis (bottom) perform in the Grand Maple Ballroom as a part of UVM’s Women’s History Month celebration.

Through their words and performances, Gatwood, Nafis and Erlichman reminded

Vermont students of the power and importance of the female voice.

Springtime Carnivore brings color to Flynn Review Anna Gibson

A

ALYSSA HANDELMAN

ll bands have to start somewhere, and touring with a wellknown group can often mark a turning point in a musician’s career.

This may very well be the case for singer-songwriter Greta Morgan, aka Springtime Carnivore, who opened with her band for The Head and the Heart March 5 on the Flynn MainStage.

Morgan, front and center on guitar, was accompanied by three other musicians onstage: a drummer, bass guitarist and keyboard player/backup vocalist.

The group’s name on the Flynn tickets was misprinted as “Springtime Carnival,” to which Morgan responded: “This is understandable, of course, because not many people know about us … yet.”

The group played songs

from both of Morgan’s albums, “Springtime Carnivore”and “Mightnight Room.”

Lyrics from both albums speak to themes of love, longing and dreams. They are often fragmentary, creating a mood rather than conveying a message.

Morgan explains the questions explored in “Mightnight Room” on the group’s official website.

“How do you lovingly change a relationship? How do you say good-bye to someone in a certain way and still keep him or her in your life?” she said.

The spotlight framed Morgan, wearing red lipstick, a short yellow top, flared jeans and her long hair in a free fall — she was a painting of springtime itself.

Her presence onstage was effortless and enchanting.

The group created a dreamlike sound with floating melodies and creative rhyth-

mic twists, held together by Morgan’s gentle, clear voice.

In addition to her vocals, the synthesizer sounds contribute to what is developing into the group’s musical signature, especially in the songs from “Mightnight Room.”

A Los Angeles native, Morgan’s between-song banter naturally addressed Vermont winters and was generally quite charming.

At one point, she told a short story about a mysterious backstage flute player at a previous performance in Burlington, concluding by asking in a very matter-of-fact tone.

“So do you guys have like a town flute player? A town flutist?” Morgan said. The audience broke out in laughter.

Anna Gibson is a sophomore English major. She has been writing for the Cynic since spring 2017.

SPORTS

14

March Madness Catamount Distinctions

America East Awards

Anthony Lamb Rookie of the Year

Trae Bell-Haynes Player of the Year

Darren Payen Sixth Man of the Year

Dre Wills Defensive Player of the Year

SABRINA HOOD/The Vermont Cynic Senior guard Kurt Steidl cuts down a piece of the net after UVM beat Albany March 11.

Senior Kurt Steidl became the frist ever Vermont player to reach 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, and 200 three-pointers.

Half of UVM’s losses came against teams in the Sweet Sixteen: Butler, South Carolina and Purdue.

Trae BellHaynes and Antohony Lamb started eery game this season; Kurt Steidl, Dre Wills and Cam Ward and featured in every game.

UVM is the only team in the history of America East to go 16-0 in the regular season.

UVM clinched 29 victories this season, setting a new program record for the school.

Ernie Duncan led UVM with 75 3-pointers and a free throw percentage of .829.

Trae BellHaynes lead the team with 136 assists, an average of 3.9 per game, and 38 steals.

Antohny Lamb led the team in total points, rebounds and blocks with 447, 192 and 43 respectively.

John Becker Coach of the Year SABRINA HOOD AND OLIVER POMAZI/The Vermont Cynic

Proud performance not enough for UVM Locria Courtright Assistant Sports Editor The Big Dance only lasted one night for UVM, as the No. 13 Catamounts fell to No. 4 Purdue University 80-70 in the first round of the NCAA tournament in Milwaukee, Wis. Purdue jumped out to an early 7-2 lead. The Catamounts, led by a pair of three-pointers by junior forward Payton Henson, roared back on a 13-0 run to take a 15-7 lead.

The Boilermakers chipped away at this lead over the next 10 minutes, eventually regaining the lead by a score of 28-25 on a three-pointer by guard P.J. Thompson.

Vermont and Purdue would trade baskets and leads over the remainder of the half,

but it would be Purdue who went into the locker rooms with a lead, 37-36.

The end of the half didn’t come nicely for one Catamount.

In an attempt to contest a shot, senior captain Kurt Steidl landed awkwardly and headed to the locker rooms with what appeared to be a knee injury.

Steidl did not return.

First-year forward Anthony Lamb posted 14 points in the first half, while Henson scored 11. Junior guard Trae BellHaynes had five assists and five rebounds in the first half.

Purdue never trailed in the second half, led by 16 second-half points by forward Vincent Edwards. Their lead stretched to 12 points.

The Catamounts were able to cut the lead to seven late

in the game, but the Boilermakers were able to hang on, thanks in part to a pair of blocks by their star, 6-feet-9inch Caleb Swanigan.

Lamb led Vermont with 20 points, as well as nine rebounds. Bell-Haynes posted 15 points to go with six rebounds and six assists.

For Purdue, Swanigan posted a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds, while Edwards posted 21 points on the night.

The Catamounts finish the season with a record of 29-7.

“Thank you everyone for the support this season,” Lamb stated on Twitter. “Sorry we couldn’t get the job done tonight. But now it’s time to grind”.

MIKE TRIPP

SPORTS

15

NCAA March Madness Sweet Sixteen 8

Wisconsin

Kansas

1 2

4

Florida

3

Baylor

7

S. Carolina

1

Gonzaga

4

W. Virginia

11

Xavier

2

Arizona

Wisconsin

The University of Wisconsin was able to hand last year’s champions an early round exit by holding Villanova University to 41.2 percent shooting from the field. The Badgers made big shots down the stretch, and grabbed four more rebounds than the Wildcats.

Oregon

The University of Oregon’s sophomore guard Tyler Dorsey has scored more than 20 points in his last nine games. He put 27 past Rhode Island in the second round, including the winning three-pointer.

EAST

WEST

Xavier

Xavier University the lowest seed remaining. Junior guard Trevon Bluiett scored 29 points to lead them to a blowout 91-66 win over No. 3 Florida State University.

South Carolina

The University of South Carolina’s second half performances have been off the charts: they outscored Marquette University 54-33 in the first round before upsetting Duke University by outscoring them 65-51 in the second half of their second round matchup.

MIDWEST

SOUTH

UCLA

The University of California Los Angeles’s first-year guard Lonzo Ball leads Division I in assists with 7.6 per game. He registered nine against Cincinnati and added 18 points in the 79-67 win.

Michigan

The University of Michigan Wolverines defeated the No. 2 University of Louisville Cardinals in a 73-69 contest. Michigan was able to find success by shooting higher percentages from the field and the three point line, and limiting their turnovers to six.

Purdue

4

Oregon

3

Michigan

7

UNC

1

Butler

4

UCLA

3

Kentucky

2

Fast Facts

It will now be 26 years since a No. 6-seeded team made the Final Four. None of the No. 6 seeds made the Sweet 16 this year.

The South Regional teams have 24 national championships among them: the University of California Los Angeles has 11, the University of Kentucky has eight, and the University of North Carolina has five.

UVM

Basketball and hockey are out, but the UVM track and field team’s season starts March 25 when they face the UMass Lowell.

SPORTS

16

Hockey season ends in defeat Locria Courtright Assistant Sports Editor The men’s hockey season has come to a close following a heartbreaking 7-4 quarterfinal loss to Boston College.

The team finished with a record of 20-13-5. Their 10-8-4 record in Hockey East play put them at No. 6 in the conference, their highest finish since the team finished at No. 3 in 2009.

The Catamounts outperformed preseason expectations, as the Hockey East preseason poll had UVM tabbed for No. 8 place.

The season was the Cats’ fourth season in a row with at least 15 wins, and their third season in that time where they finished with at least 20 wins.

However, this was not enough to make their seventh appearance in the NCAA tournament.

Arguably the biggest highlight of the season came in the form of a tournament victory.

In late November, the Catamounts traveled to Belfast, Northern Ireland to participate in the Friendship Four tournament.

They defeated the University of Massachusetts Amherst 4-2 in the semifinal, booking their place in the final against Quinnipiac University, who were ranked No. 3 in the nation in the USCHO.com poll.

The Catamounts would prevail 5-1 to take home the tournament title.

The Catamounts saw a

UVM Scoreboard

Visit vtcynic.com for more coverage and uvmathletics.com for schedules, tickets, score updates and additional information

LAST WEEK

W

56-53

Men’s basketball vs Albany Home March 11 PHIL CARRUTHERS/The Vermont Cynic First-year forward Matt Alvaro takes a shot on goal against the University of Maine March 3. The Catamounts finished their season 20-13-5. huge contribution from their newcomers this season, which shows that despite a solid senior class graduating, the future is in good hands.

First-year forward Ross Colton tied for the team lead in goals with 12, and finished second in total points with 27.

For this, he earned a spot on the Hockey East All-Rookie Team.

Fellow first-year forwards Derek Lodermeier, Matt Alvaro and defenseman Matt O’Donnell all posted more than 10 points in their first season as well.

Behind them, first-year goaltender Stefanos Lekkas took home several Hockey East awards. Lekkas was named Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week four times, Rookie of the Week once and Goaltender of the Month

twice.

The team also saw bigger impacts from their returning players.

Sophomore forward Brian Bowen finished the season with 27 points, up from seven his first season, while sophomore forward Craig Puffer more than doubled his output from 2015-16, jumping from nine points to 19 this season.

Since the end of Vermont’s season, a number of seniors have tried their luck turning professional.

Puskarich and senior defender Rob Hamilton signed with the ECHL’s Manchester Monarchs following the season, while senior forward Brady Shaw joined the American Hockey League’s San Antonio Rampage on an amateur tryout contract.

L

70-80

Men’s basketball vs Purdue Milwaukee, Missouri March 16

L

4-7

Men’s ice hockey at Boston College Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts March 11

L

6-17

Men’s lacrosse vs Albany Home March 18

THIS WEEK

• Women’s lacrosse vs St. Bonaventure Home March 23 at 2p.m.

• Men’s lacrosse at Binghamton Vestal, New York March 25 at 12p.m.

• Track and Field at UMass Lowell

Lowell, Massachusetts March 25 at 11a.m.

• Women’s lacrosse at Binghamton Vestal, New York March 25 at 3p.m.

RECORDS

Men’s Basketball 29-6 Men’s Hockey 20-13-5 Men’s Lacrosse 4-4

Women’s Basketball 9-20 Women’s Hockey 15-14-9 Women’s Lacrosse 0-9

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