VETERANS DAY CEREMONY
Moment of silence honors service people
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Naked Bike Ride jeopardized
Administration cancels funding, cites safety concerns By Becky Hayes Assistant News Editor Administrators are keeping this year’s Naked Bike Ride at an arm’s legnth. The annual Naked Bike Ride, while not officially cancelled, is not likely to receive any University support this year, said Tom Gustafson, vice president of student and campus life. “We are sort of at our wits’ end,” Gustafson said. “It’s not about nakedness or bike rides. It’s about sexual assault, serious injury and detox.” Another problem that raises concern is that people not associated with the University come to watch the event, he said. “If you go ‘Wow, can we put University funding into this?’” he said. “The answer is pretty obvious.” Interim President John Bramley will send out an email addressing the questions concerning the Naked Bike Ride within the next couple of days, Gustafson said. The problems with the Naked Bike Ride include strangers in the residence halls, unwanted touching, sexual and other assaults, physical injuries and alcohol-related incapacitation, according to a draft of the email.
The increase of sexual assaults that occurred last semester brought attention to the administration, Student Government Association President Julian Golfarini said. “When a senior administrator gets two police reports on his desk about an event he already isn’t thrilled about — that’s a game changer,” Golfarini said. He said that he is concerned the event has lost its funding from administration. “Acts of a few are jeopardizing the fun of many,” Golfarini said. “But, I cannot endorse an event that promotes rape culture.” In response, student are creating their own outlets for naked rides. One such event includes an impromptu Naked Bike Ride, scheduled for Nov. 17 at 10 p.m., according to its Facebook page. The creator, junior Mike White, said that by not supporting the Naked Bike Ride, the administration is making a “big mistake” and putting students at a greater risk. “You can take away the funding, take away the T-shirts, but people are still going to have the event,” White said. In 2008, SGA was told by the administration that if the event
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Students brave the cold outside Harris/Millis to watch naked bikers and runners in January 2009. This year funding for security, lights and gates will likely not be supplied by the ration. was not made safer, it would be shut down, a 2008 Cynic article stated. The Naked Bike Ride Task Force (NBRTF) was created to establish safety measures such as floodlights at a tentative cost of
$14,800, the article stated. Now, the University said that they have worked conscientiously with student leadership in an attempt to create a safe environment at the Naked Bike Ride, but nothing seemed to work very ef-
Laptop thefts on the rise By Morgan MacLeod Cynic Correspondent The UVM campus has experienced a wave of laptop and computer thefts. Two iMac computers were stolen from the Student Government Association’s offices on Nov. 13, SGA Vice President Will Vitagliano said. The theft happened at some point between 3 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Nov. 11, Vitagliano said. The SGA has the serial numbers of the computers and are in communication with the police, he said. “It’s really unfortunate that people are stealing laptops and computers,” Vitagliano said. About half a dozen laptops have been stolen from the library and more have been taken from other buildings including the Davis center, said Angus Robertson, access services supervisor at the
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Bailey/Howe Library. “We do believe that all of these laptops have been targeted by the same person or a group of persons,” Robertson said. According to the UVM crime alert, the police are looking for a white male who was seen leaving the library wearing a black “hoodie” jacket shortly after the thefts. The thefts have followed the same pattern, occurring mostly on the weekends, using similar methods in the same parts of the library, Robertson said. In particular, in the back of upper floors of the library are targeted. People who are leaving their stuff completely unattended are being victimized, he said. To combat thefts the library is providing extra sweeps, passing out pamphlets and leaving signs on unattended backpacks and laptops, Robertson said. “We are working very closely
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“We do believe that all of these laptops have been targeted by the same person or a group of persons.” Angus Robertson Access services supervisor at the Bailey/Howe Library with the police,” he said. Students should use common sense and not leave their laptops unconcealed while in the library, Robertson said. “Certainly talk to the front desk if [you] have any questions concerning security and safety,” he said. Students should trust their See THEFT on page 3
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DISTRACTIONS 11 Camp Morning Wood
fectively, the draft email stated. The draft states that planning is underway for an alternative event to take place on the night of the last day of classes that may include a charitable aspect to benefit the Vermont community.
‘Long road’ nears end
United Academics to vote Dec. 5 By Becky Hayes Assistant News Editor A collective bargaining agreement between the administration and the faculty union, United Academics (UA), has been reached subject to ratification by UA, according to a press release. The faculty will vote for ratification on Dec. 5 after informational meetings and further discussion, UA President David Shiman said. “This has been a long road, and in the end we reached a constructive and workable outcome,” Shiman said. “We treated each other with respect and sought to be responsive to the other party’s concerns.” Shiman said that he expects the faculty to pass this three-year agreement. “With this type of agreement you get some of what you want
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OPINION 12-13 Show Greeks some respect
and you don’t get some of what you want,” he said. “We achieved most of our goals.” Interim President John Bramley congratulated all involved at the bargaining table for their efforts and said he was pleased to be able to get this done, the press release stated.
“We achieved most of our goals.” David Shiman UA President “These are challenging times, to be sure, and I think that everybody recognized that in finding reasonable approaches to resolve differences,” he said.
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