VOL. 134 ISSUE 16
The Vermont Cynic
Hate speech
Vermont court throws out ‘racist threats’ case against former UVM student Wesley Richter on page 3
JANUARY 17, 2018
a w o H y k c i st e t o n s i n e p
d e s i ra s n o i t s e u q : t u o ab • • • •
free speech student rights discipline life in the wellness environment
Blue Penis Gate sheds light on WE Cynic Staff Report A blue sticky note penis has left eight first-years fearing they will lose their housing in the Wellness Environment. It was mid-September. The students sat in their new dorm watching a ribbon-cutting ceremony in the courtyard below. They were messing around with sticky notes on the window and put them into the shape of a penis. As quickly as they’d put it up, they took it down. But they weren’t fast enough. A resident adviser came upstairs and told the students to disband. One of the students in the room reported the names of the other students to Wellness Environment staff. The next morning, the students all got an email from WE directors summoning them to talk about what they would later call “Blue Penis Gate.” The email, from Dr. Jeff Rettew, associate director of the Wellness Environment, called the students to a WE Moment, a time for WE officials to address misconduct in the dorm. Weisskopf’s punishment was to attend ten WE-sponsored events. She was told if she missed an event
she would be kicked out of her buildWE has brought UVM national ing. attention. It’s been covered by the The Wellness Environment AP, CBS, NBC and the Boston Globe. WE is the brainchild of Dr. Jim Sophomore WE resident Jackie Hudziak, founder and director. He Kho said many students joined WE envisioned a living space free of for new, nicer dorms and access to drugs and alcoamenities. hol – one where We i s s k o p f student lives said she joined were focused because she around nutriwanted to live tion, mindfulsomewhere with ness, fitness and less of a party mentorship. scene than other The program dorms. has grown since All they had to it began in 2015 do to get access from 100 to 1,100 to new dorms students, said and wellness Annie Stevens, amenities? Sign vice provost for off on a special student affairs. housing contract WE students called the WE have free access code. to a gym; they WE Code get violin lesResidents MAX MCCURDY/The Vermont Cynic of WE sons, cooking dorms demos and yoga sign a code that WE founder Dr. Jim Hudziak sits classes that the in his office Oct. 4. He runs a states that they will rest of the student unique disciplinary system in WE. follow WE rules in body doesn’t have exchange for living access to. The there. In the code, newest dorm on campus, Central students agree not bring drugs or alCampus Residence Hall - the site of cohol into the dorm, to attend a class Blue Penis Gate - is all WE housing. taught by Hudziak and participate in
Jim Hudziak d WE Creator an ief Ch d an or ct ire D ry at hi of Child Psyc of ge lle at UVM Co edical Medicine and M Center
Information from Wellness Environment website
WE Code A contract between WE students and WE staff to keep the environment suited for building healthy brains so that healthy bodies can follow
nt
the WE-defined pillars of wellness. Unlike in other dorms, WE students aren’t allowed to have shot glasses in their rooms because they’re considered neural triggers. Hudziak said that the presence of a shot glass could be a neural trigger, a stimulus that could prompt others to want to take part in activities involving drugs and alcohol. Students are asked to use their judgement in terms of what items they think could be a trigger, Hudziak said. Some students are unclear on what is considered a neural trigger. Weisskopf said her resident adviser told her not to wear a Snoop Dogg t-shirt that said “gin and juice” on it in the dorm. Weisskopf has a pair of socks with cannabis leaves on them, but doesn’t wear them outside of her Wellness Cont. on page 2
Blue Penis Gate The Wellness App The Cost of WE
Jan. 17 Feb. 6 Feb. 20
WE Relate Eve
Paraphernalia
ted to An event devo thy al he ng developi a in ps hi ns relatio entpositive, judgm t en free environm lfse and improved d an awareness confidence
Things associated with drugs or alcohol- “e.g. bongs, pipes, grinders, shot glasses, alcohol containers, bottle openers, pint glasses, etc.”