Vermont Cynic Fall 2012 Issue 13

A POINT ABOUT POINTS

C YNIC

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ORCHESIS FALL SHOWCASE TREATING THOSE WHO CHEAT

THE VERMONT

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The University of Vermont’s independent voice since 1883

Orchesis performs

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T h u r s d a y , D e c e m b e r 6 , 2 0 1 2 – Vo l u m e 1 2 9 I s s u e 1 3 | B u r l i n g t o n , Ve r m o n t

Students stabbed, no CatAlert Katy Cardin Assistant News Editor The numbers are in.

People involved: Four. Hits of acid: 280. CatAlerts sent out: Zero.

Two students were stabbed after a robbery involving more than $2,000 worth of acid took place in the Wing parking lot Dec. 3.

Aside from the violence of the incident, several students said they were concerned no CatAlert notification was sent out to inform the UVM community, though administrators said the situation did not warrant it.

Since UVM has the ability to contact everyone through CatAlert, sophomore Joel Kasnetz said he thought the University should take advantage of this system when it can.

“I understand there are plenty of reasons why the administration wouldn’t want to release information before the dust has settled, but UVM has a responsibility to tell its community what’s happening or at least reassure us that the situation is under control,” Kasnetz said.

Students were not officially informed of the incident until about 12:30 p.m. Dec. 4 when

Annie Stevens, associate vice president for student and campus life, sent out a Universitywide campus advisory email.

Citing a “technological failure,” Stevens stated the Emergency Operations Team had only learned the morning of Dec. 4 that the advisory sent the night before had only reached faculty and staff.

Police Chief Lianne Tuomey sent the email shortly after 10:30 p.m. the night of the incident, stating that an aggravated assault had taken place at around 6:15 p.m. and that there was no continued danger to the community.

Responding to criticism that students had not been informed about the incident until nearly 14 hours later, Stevens stated in the campus email that the administration took full responsibility for the communication breakdown and was working to correct the problem.

But for some students, this assurance was not enough.

“I’m beyond livid that there is a complete disregard for student safety,” said sophomore Meredith Knolls.

Vice President for student and campus life Tom Gustafson said he and Richard Cate, vice president for finance and ad-

Keegan Fairfield Senior Staff Writer

See story on 4 —

LIFE 4 — Film exposes U.N. controversies

ARTS

5-6

Camp Morning Wood

See ROBBERY on page 2

City Council: no more than four

Glass blowing for amateurs

NEWS 1-3 UVM to hold first ever case competiion

ministration, would be meeting with the emergency response team this coming week to discuss the issue.

“This is definitely an issue we’re going to talk about going forward,” Gustafson said.

“My personal thoughts are we should be using the CatAlert system just to lower anxieties.”

First-year Jarrett Clark intended to sell three sheets, about 280 hits, of acid for $2,100 to first-year Eli Baron and Baron’s friend, 18 year-old Michael Benedict, when they

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DISTRACTIONS Cynical Listener reviews “Witches”

The city council took action to curb the spread of “student slums” downtown at its meeting Nov. 26.

The council voted 11-2 to extend the citywide zoning limit of four unrelated residents per housing unit to Burlington’s high-density residential zone, home to many upperclassmen.

Many of the neighborhoods affected by the zoning change, including Bradley and Buell streets and Hungerford Terrace, have been inundated with students living in rental properties, council president Joan Shannon said.

Supporters of the measure, including Bradley Street resident Emily Lee, said minimizing the economic incentive for developers to turn single-family homes into student housing would be positive for the community.

“The four unrelated rule will cap the potential revenue from a single family at four bedrooms, and will make it more affordable for families to live in our neighborhood,” Lee said at the meeting.

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OPINION 8-9 Where’s the line when it comes to censorship?

The councilors who voted against the measure, including Paul Descelles, said they would not support it because of a provision that exempts properties currently being rented.

Under the new zoning rule, a property that has more than four bedrooms will be allowed to continue housing more than four unrelated residents, and will only be subject to the new occupancy limit if its current use is discontinued for a full year.

That means that if Neil Gardner can’t find tenants to rent his eight-bedroom house on Buell Street for a full year, he will have to divide the home into separate units—a change he said the property isn’t set up for.

“I would love to have three three-bedroom units there,” he said. “But the building simply isn’t set up for that.”

Other councilors, including Shannon, voted in favor of the measure even after agreeing that it is unlikely to have much of an impact.

“It’s not going to be a sea change adopting this ordinance, See ZONING on page 2

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SPORTS 10-12 Women’s basketball holds TDBank classic

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NEWS

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6 , 2012

Shumlin lays out plan Lauren Giery Staff Writer In an effort to strengthen the relationship between UVM and the state of Vermont, Governor Peter Shumlin gathered an advisory group June 22 to develop a plan of action.

The group’s 11 initiatives included increasing the number of private trustees on the board, providing more affordable tuition to in-state students, doubling the size of UVM’s engineering programs, and enhancing health education and outreach in Vermont, according to the executive summary report.

“Our challenge is that Vermont prospers and thrives if UVM prospers and thrives, and Vermont withers on the vine if UVM withers on the vine,” Shumlin said.

Shumlin said he believes his plan serves as the framework to figure out where UVM, in partner with the state, should expend resources; especially in areas that include engineering, math and technology training that would prepare Vermonters for future jobs.

But some members of the faculty said they were concerned about the recommendations outlined in the plan.

Philip Baruth, English professor and State Senator for Chittenden County, said he disagreed with the governor’s plans to further privatize the board of trustees and to reinvest funds primarily in science, technology, engineering and mathematics departments.

“That’s a horrible road to go down—letting Montpelier dictate what gets taught at UVM, or the state colleges,” he said.

English professor Nancy Welch said she also has doubts about Shumlin’s ideas for the University’s future.

“I feel that the report and

ROBBERY

Two students stabbed

...continued from page 1 proceeded to rob and assault him, a supplemental police affidavit stated.

Baron’s other friend and non-student, 19 year-old Joshua Mossburg, drove Baron and Benedict to the Wing parking lot to rob Clark.

Clark said Benedict hit him in the head with what looked like a rock and punched him in the face several times, demanding that he give him the drugs, according to the report.

Clark then admitted to stabbing Benedict and Baron. Baron

went to the car and got a knife, which he gave to Benedict who threatened to slit Clark’s throat if he did not give him the drugs and drop the knife, the supplemental affidavit stated.

Benedict and Baron got back in the car with Mossburg who made a 911 call to report the injuries at around 6:15 p.m.

At around this time, Clark’s roommate, sophomore Riley Brown, also called police to report that Clark had been “mugged” and needed assistance, the report stated.

Story retraction Katy Cardin Assistant News Editor

ERIKA COLBERTALDO The Vermont Cynic

Governor Peter Shumlin speaks at Ira Allen Chapel Oct. 5.

Governor Shumlin’s championing of it is deeply cynical and opportunistic,” Welch said. “It’s like saying UVM is open for business, starting with seats on the board.”

Shumlin said his plan to privatize the board, which would call for trustees not affiliated with the state government, would minimize a possible conflict of interest.

“I think the issue would be better served by having trustees that don’t have that conflict when they come into a

meeting,” Shumlin said. “And frankly, I think we have to do more fundraising and legislators are not helpful there.”

Because of new leadership at UVM and the recent gubernatorial election, the implementation of this plan has moved slower than he had hoped, Shumlin said.

“With that behind us, we’re going to work very closely with the president to take the step we need to take to get this report carried out,” he said.

In last week’s article “Sullivan gets selective,” there was a reporting error made.

The statements about the possibility of decreased financial aid in the future as a result of President Tom Sullivan’s plan were misinterpreted.

According to Richard Cate, vice president for finance and administration, Sullivan said he plans to increase financial aid to make UVM more selective. “[He wants] to increase financial aid in order to attract more high achieving students

ZONING

at UVM,” Cate said. “We have to offer more financial aid; we want to be accessible.”

Sullivan also wants to keep the tuition increase below three percent, Cate said.

“We’re hoping to strategically align the money,” he said.

“When we do that we have to reallocate it from other areas.

Spend less on administration and more on students.”

Sullivan also plans to work with UVM Foundations, the association that solicits donations from alumni, in order to gather more funds for student scholarships, Cate said.

Council extends limit

...continued from page 1

Electricity use steady Ben Plotzker Staff Writer While undergraduate enrollment has been on the rise, so has the need for electricity use.

Yet despite increased electricity demand, the Office of Sustainability said data has shown it has been able to flat line energy use over the past few years.

“This is a major step for the University,” said Gioia Thompson, director of the Office of Sustainability. “We have been building newer, bigger buildings that require a large amount of electricity to run the equipment.”

The high cost of constructing new facilities has played a big role in creating new projects to reduce energy consumption, she said.

Electrical costs in 2012 were over $8.7 million, according to a report compiled by UVM utility management.

“How can you increase the campus footprint by almost 40 percent, increase enrollment by almost 40 percent, increase faculty and staff 14 percent, have many, many more conferences and events and not increase the electrical demand, reduce the steam demand and use hundreds of thousand gallons less water?” Physical Plant Director Sal Chiarelli stated in a memo to his

employees. “All this while absorbing continued budget cuts in our operations and maintenance.”

UVM started managing its energy usage in 1990 by trying to maintain the 13-14 kilowatt hours (kWh) per square foot of building space, a unit of energy equal to about 1,000 watt hours.

In 2005, the University was

“This is a major step for the University.”

Gioia Thompson

Director, Office of Sustainability

using 14 kWh per square foot, and by 2010 was using 12 kWh per square foot.

To help manage energy usage, UVM sought help from an external source.

Working with Sightlines, a company that provides solutions for facilities financing, the external review showed that UVM has many historical buildings that require upgrades to save in energy use.

There are 10 buildings on campus that represent 49 percent of energy-related consumption, the Sightlines report stated.

These buildings include Cook Physical Sciences, Given B-E, Rowell, Gutterson Field House, Marsh Life Sciences, Votey, Bailey/Howe Library, and the Patrick Gym. The report recommended that investing in upgrades in these buildings alone would result in a substantial decrease in energy consumption and cost.

In response, the University set up a major initiative to keep energy use low.

The board of trustees approved a $13 million energy fund to be utilized for energy upgrades last February. The fund is intended to support energy efficiency projects across campus and will go into effect next semester.

The fund, which will be part of the Sustainable Endowment Institute’s Billion Dollar Green Challenge, means that the University will have contributed the most amount of money to date since the Challenge was launched across dozens of colleges in 2011.

ALEX GOLDENBERG The Vermont Cynic

Senior Ethan McCoski walks near Hungerford Terrace Dec. 3.

New Zoning ordinances will affect these streets next year. but I do think that this ordinance makes sense,” she said.

“I think you deserve a reprieve from what you’ve been living with.”

Shannon said the measure would prevent what she sees as further deterioration of the neighborhoods, as well as provide equal treatment across the city since the rule already applies to other parts of Burlington.

For most councilors as well as members of the public, the extension of the occupancy limit to the district was a display of good faith that will be followed by more effective solutions.

“This is not a silver bullet,” Councilor Bram Kranichfeld said. “But it is a small step to get us in the right direction.

“And hopefully, over time, we can improve the quality of life in those neighborhoods, we can attract young families and ultimately we can do a better job of protecting our community and our neighborhoods.”

Gardner said that the city should try other, more effective initiatives if they’re serious about changing the dynamic of student-rich neighborhoods.

But the zoning change, he said, won’t affect his main goal: to house as many tenants as his properties are designed to accommodate.

“They can do what they want,” Gardner said of the council. “But I’ll survive. I’ll do what I have to do.”

N EWS

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2012

Crime log Lauren Drasler Staff Writer

Nov. 25 1:31 p.m.

A student reported that their bike had been stolen from the bike rack outside of McCann Hall. The cable lock used to secure the bike had been cut and left behind at the bike rack.

7:37 p.m.

A student reported his laptop missing from McAuley Hall. The student said he had the laptop in a bag as he was packing up his car for Thanksgiving break. When the student arrived home, he reported that the laptop was no longer in the bag. When the report was filed, the student’s laptop still had not been located.

Nov. 26 10:24 a.m.

A custodian reported finding urine in a dryer in the Marsh Austin Tupper complex. The dryer still functions

and no one has yet been identified as the culprit.

4:12 p.m.

Two roommates living in the Redstone Apartments called Police Services because of a dispute they were having. One person accused the other of going into his/ her room and taking something. This matter is still under investigation.

9:01 p.m

Police Services were called in due to an argument between two people. The woman, who is a student, called Police Services stating that her boyfriend, who is not a student, had property of hers that he would not return.

However, she contacted Police Services later stating that the issue had been resolved.

Nov. 27 12:14 a.m.

The fire alarm went off in Wing Hall after a carbon monoxide detector sounded.

The fire department that responded to the incident went through the building and no issue was found. It is thought that the detector was faulty.

8:08 p.m.

A fire alarm went off in the Trinity Cottages. The fire department was called and it was determined that the alarm was set off because of cooking smoke. The dirtiness of the oven is thought to have been partially responsible for the smoke.

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A (global) family affair Katy Cardin Assistant News Editor Devin Karambelas Assistant News Editor Family businesses create between 70 percent and 90 percent of the global economy, according to the Family Firm Institute. Professor Pramodita Sharma said it was this fact that convinced her to take action.

And yet, not a single college case competition — events where business school students compete against each other by finding solutions to case studies— was focused on issues related to family enterprises.

As a result, the School of Business Administration will hold the world’s first ever Global Family Enterprise Case Competition that will match up students from 16 different business schools Jan. 9-13.

Sharma said she initially presented the idea for this kind of case competition in October 2011.

Past research indicated that the majority of business school students come from family business backgrounds, she said.

“I said we have to do something that puts us on the map somehow,” she said. “UVM is not known for family business education, but this is the first time anyone’s doing something like this.”

Four undergraduate or graduate students make up each of the 16 teams that involve schools across the nation and even countries that include Argentina, Spain and Sweden.

The winning team will win a

cash prize of $2,500, while each winner of the case writing portion of the competition will receive $2,000, according to the event’s website.

The registration cost for each team is $1,000, the website stated. In most cases, the competing college or university would pay the fee, Sharma said.

Senior Tom Bazzano said his family business background prompted him to participate in the competition and he thinks the registration fee is well worth the money.

“Family businesses don’t have to be small or local. Regardless of size, they are socially and community oriented. Sometimes this is local, but the fact is, they can be large corporations.

Wal-Mart, HewlettPackard these are all family-run.”

Pramodita Sharma UVM Professor

“You get to meet a lot of likeminded people from around the world,” Bazzano said. “It is a great way to get the school’s name out there in the case competition world.”

Bazzano and his teammates— senior Kyle DeVivo, senior Elizabeth Bernier and sophomore Jake Webber— said they have been preparing all semester.

One of the biggest challenges of the case competition is the time constraint, Webber said.

“For the case competition, you’re given about three hours to prepare and only two minutes to present,” he said.

The idea of family enterprise tends to be misunderstood, Sharma stood.

“Family businesses don’t have to be small or local,” she said. “Regardless of size, they are socially and community oriented.

Sometimes this is local, but the fact is they can be large corporations. Wal-Mart, Hewlett-Packard— these are all family-run.”

Because the number of schools interested in participating in the competition doubled from eight to 16, the business school plans to increase the number of spots to 25 in 2014, Sharma said.

“This opens nine new spots for 2014, two of which are already taken by Babson College and Bocconi University, Italy,” she said. “It would not surprise me at all if our 2014 competition was fully booked by the time we open the 2013 FECC on Jan. 9.”

Overall, Sharma said she believes it is important for UVM to become involved with family business and that the case competition is a good way to begin.

“Experiential learning is so important,” she said. “We need our students to be able to compete with other programs.”

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Life

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2012

Blowing at Bern: earning a degree in glass Erin Focone Staff Writer At Tito Gross’ glassblowing school at the Bern Gallery, anyone can learn the art of glass blowing.

The Bern Gallery, located at 135 Main St., has offered glass blowing lessons since 2001, but it was approved by the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation to allow qualified Vermonters to apply for grants that would pay the cost of lessons four years ago.

This grant is offered to Vermont residents that are not a full-time student of a degreegranting university, according to the Bern Gallery’s website.

While the grant excludes full-time UVM students, those interested in the fundamentals of glass blowing said they still view glass blowing lessons as a worthwhile investment.

“It was really interesting learning how to work with such a beautiful medium and rewarding to finish with a functional product” said sophomore Peter Elgert. “The Bern Gallery is one of my favorite places.”

The shop has 30 minute classes in which students can learn how to make a pipe or pendant from between $60 to $100 per lesson, the website states.

There are also beginner classes for $60 apiece and intermediate classes at $100 apiece, both of which introduce the basic methods of glass blowing, the website states.

“We start from scratch using a hollow for and we use basic pipe theory; what makes a pipe good and bad,” said Tito Gross, the co-owner of the Bern Galley who goes by Tito professionally.

“The intermediate classes will go on to more difficult things

“The Bern Gallery is one of my favorite places.”

Pete Elgert UVM sophomore like pattern work.”

Tito said the school educates about 20 students a year, with the majority opting for onetime classes. While the Bern Gallery artists are content with the school’s progress so far, he said he hoped to expand it and feature the work of certified students in the store.

“We have plans to feature well-known artists from around the country,” Tito said. “We

also hope to get more students involved with the store after they finish our classes.”

He said there is not just one demographic of students interested. The shop has educated everyone from college students to people over 80 years old.

In an August 2008 Seven Days magazine article, Tito said Burlington was fast becoming a hub for budding glass blowers, and that many who trained at the Bern Gallery had gone on to work for the company.

And even for those who don’t aspire to become professional glass blowers, glass blowing still remains a spectacle.

The Bern Gallery sponsors a “Pipe Classic,” the only glass-pipe-making contest in the nation, the third week of September every year, where the first-place winner receives the Delta Mag, a $4,500 glass torch sponsored by Glass Torch Technologies.

“My favorite piece I’ve made was a Star Wars-themed double bubbler that reacts to your touch,” Tito said. “It was a collaboration piece that we did in the store and it took us 250 hours to make.”

For more information, visit http://135main.wix.com.

JONATHAN POLSON The Vermont Cynic

Resident Kodi Madrona blows glass at The Bern Gallery Dec. 3.

Life is Good

JOHNNY SUDEKUM

The points problem and some savoury solutions Let’s be honest, at this point in the semester we could all use a couple dozen more points. Upon swiping our cards we do everything in our power to avoid making eye contact with the green numbers appearing on the screen, accompanied by that fateful word: low.

It’s unfortunate, but are we to blame? The occasional smoothie from the Marche shouldn’t be a sin, yet it is when we consider the dent it puts on our point count.

While I’m neither an English major nor a math wiz, the maximum meal plan for those who choose points remains at 1,366 with 25 blocks. With almost four months in the fall semester, it seems only natural that a student runs out before the deadline.

With the heat of finals coming up, the timing of point shortages couldn’t be more

brutal. If we are to avoid a week-long diet of Brennan’s popcorn and the occasional bite-size candy bar from a club table outside the Davis center, the answer is to seek outside sources.

To avoid having to spend our own money at on-campus dining, it’s a good idea to consult the barrage of deals in the coupon books handed out earlier in the semester.

While options from this book may consist of chicken wings and Leonardo’s Pizza, it’s a solid option. Might be a good idea to invest in toilet paper, too.

For the student who wants to put all those years watching Martha Stewart to the test, City Market offers a great source of food that is both local and fresh. While this isn’t the cheapest option, it offers food that you can eat and prepare on your own time.

The final option that I only just recently discovered is the hidden gem that is “Al’s French Fries.”

Going to Al’s is like taking a step into the ‘50s. This place conveys the nostalgia of an old-time diner, offering a classic burger and fries.

Satisfying your bank account, the ‘50s is also reflected in their price level. At Al’s you can get a burger and fries for about $4. Yay. Hang in there everybody.

The end of the semester is almost here, meaning finals will be over, and, more importantly, we’ll all have fresh stacks of points on our Catcards.

Life is good.

JONATHAN POLSON The Vermont Cynic

Resident Kodi Madrona blows glass at The Bern Gallery Dec. 3. The Bern Gallery is located in downtown Burlington and offers classes in glass blowing where students can make pipes or pendents.

“U.N. Me” spotlights flaws Jenn Brandt Staff Writer Ami Horowitz began his career as an investment banker, but his first love was politics.

Keeping an eye on international relations, specifically those within the United Nations, Horowitz decided to bring his stance to the public eye, resulting in his film “U.N. Me.” The film, which wrapped up production in 2009, highlights several controversies the U.N. has been involved in for the last few decades. Horowitz screened this film for students at the North Lounge of the Billings Library November 28.

Inspired by documentary filmmaker Michael Moore’s “Bowling for Columbine,” Horowitz said he wanted to make his own documentary that was not only factual, but also interpretable for a wide-ranging audience.

He and his team banned the term documentary, instead coining the term “docutainment,” according to an interview conducted by C-Span.

Horowitz described the filmmaking process as intense and overwhelming, using his film to depict the U.N. as flawed with accusations of sexual scandal, bribe taking and questionable international relationships.

Despite the labor and difficulty of investigating these issues, he added that he had the best documentary team he could have asked for.

The team collectively earned three academy awards before beginning the production of “U.N. Me,” ranging from writers who worked on “The Daily Show,” to the editor of the Metallica documentary “Some Kind of Monster.”

In his post-screening discussion, Horowitz described many encounters throughout

the production of the film as he navigated human rights issues.

He interviewed ambassadors from countries accused of human rights atrocities, including genocide, widespread gang rapes and the execution of accused homosexuals.

He said he managed a fist bump from the Sudanese ambassador and a hug from the ambassador of Iran after questioning both men about their countries’ alleged human rights abuses.

They responded with either justification or outright denial.

Even with a difficult subject, Horowitz said the film was written with a diverse audience in mind, weaving some comic relief into otherwise disturbing information.

For more information on “U.N. Me” and Ami Horowitz, visit the film’s website at http:// unmemovie.com.

ARTS

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2012

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Musician Spotlight: Eric George Annemarie Chen Cynic Correspondent

PHOTO COURTESY OF ERIC GEORGE

Alumni Eric George plays his guitar on Church Street. He recently graduated and now performs at venues in the Burlington area.

Recent UVM graduate Eric George, class of 2012, describes himself as being in a marriage between love and music.

“I used to go by a different name before college,” he said. “But now, entertaining is fundamentally and quintessentially my life.”

For George, entertaining and playing music, especially folk music, is synonymous.

“There is no reason to have any other name, such as a stage name,” he said. “I play for a living.”

Having learned how to play the guitar when he was 11-years-old, George said that he has never gone a day without playing or listening to music.

Throughout his four years at UVM, George has been involved in entertainment at many events.

These events include University-sponsored farmer’s markets, campuswide protests and the Battle of the Bands. George and his band The Fancy Drifters won the competition in 2010 and had the opportunity to be the opening act at SpringFest that same year.

He said that while he would never say no to a gig, he could not envision himself playing at a majority of campus events.

Winter Arts Calendar Friday December 7 First Friday Art Walk

Downtown Burlington, 5 – 8 p.m., FREE

MSR Presents: Naia Kete with Sera Cahoone and Chris Pureka BCA Center, 7:30 p.m., $10

Tuesday December 18

Sun/Mon Dec. 30/31

Rubblebucket New Year’s Eve Celebration Higher Ground Ballroom, 8 p.m., $25 or $35 for a two-day pass

Saturday January 12 Infected Mushroom

Higher Ground Ballroom, 8 p.m., $25

Killswitch Engage

Higher Ground Ballroom, 7 p.m., $20

Tuesday January 15 All Time Low

Higher Ground Ballroom, 7 p.m., $20

“It seems like UVM is a different world,” he said.

“The Davis Center is not an environment that is conducive to folk music. It makes me feel like I’m in a spaceship.”

After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in anthropology and religion, George said that he never had an interest in studying music and theory.

“I like how he is a Church Street character. He is very unique.”

Emmy Ford UVM alumn Quoting from the book “How to Play the Five String Banjo” by Pete Seeger, when asked if he could read music, his response was, “not enough to hurt my playing.”

After receiving his degree, George said he chose to stay in Vermont because of the beauty the state offers, the ability to stay close to his friends and family and to foster his musical development.

“My friends are here, Slade [Hall] is my family and Burlington is the right

climate for my music to keep growing in,” he said.

George said that he has recently been playing music at nursing and retirement homes around the Burlington area.

“It always seemed like a good thing to do,” he said.

“I really like when a song does something for a person, when old folks hear me play and I’m able to send them back to another time.”

Folk music has the ability to transcend age, class and gender, according to George.

“Eric is very present in the community,” said senior Addie Herbert. “There is so much more to say about him but nothing that is quantifiable.”

Besides playing for the elderly, George said that he has also been “busking,” the practice of street entertainment for money, on Church Street.

“I like how he is a Church Street character,” said alumn Emmy Ford, class of 2012.

“He adds his own touch to the covers he does. He is very unique.”

When asked to define the relationship between love and music, George was hesitant.

“Love is the source of music, of creativity,” he said.

“Sometimes it’s easy to tap into that, but mostly it takes endless practice.”

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ARTS

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6 , 2012

Student dance talent showcased Aidan Dolbashian Staff Writer As the lights dimmed in the Patrick Gym Dance Studio last Saturday, Dec. 1, the crowd grew silent. All eyes intently watched the floor, eager for the Orchesis Dance Company’s Fall Showcase to begin.

Orchesis, from the Greek word meaning “to dance,” is one of UVM’s premier student-run dance clubs.

At the end of every semester, Orchesis organizes a showcase of the diversity and talent of UVM ‘s student dancers.

Primarily featuring performances by Orchesis itself, this semester’s showcase also featured several other guest groups including Hoop Troop, Bollywood Dance Club, Salsa and Swing Society, the Celtic Cats and the Catamount Dance Crew.

Orchesis opened the show with a dance choreographed to Kanye West’s “Lost in the World.”

While deep blue lighting illuminated the floor, the dancers’ movements coincided with the structure of the song, starting off slow and fluid-like, then building with intensity as the music reached its peak.

The first guest performance of the evening was the Hoop Troop. Dancing to a remix of “The Circle of Life” from the Lion King

ALICIA ACCETTA The Vermont Cynic

Sophmore Andrea Friedman (center) dances for the Orchesis Dance Company’s Fall Showcase in the Patrick Gym Dance Studio Dec. 1. soundtrack, black lights transformed their hoops into vibrantly glowing rings that were used to create patterns of light and motion.

Bollywood Club also made an appearance, adorned in colorful and flowing outfits as they moved across the dance floor.

In between group performances, junior Sonia Santvoord performed a solo dance choreographed to “The Great Gig in the Sky” by Pink Floyd.

The Celtic Cats, dressed in black and gold, took turns step-dancing in rhythm with the music, moving in and out of various formations in a display of intricate footwork.

The Catamount Dance Crew followed and commanded the audience’s attention with their hip-hop style dance and their wardrobe of baggy clothing.

“It was an interesting showcase of the diversity and talents of UVM’s dance

groups,” first-year Joe Nowlan said of the performance.

The final performance of the night incorporated the extensive range of dancing ability from the members of every group featured in the show.

The different teams of dancers traded the floor space while Macklemore’s “Thrift Shop” played through the studio speakers.

As the song progressed to its finale, the groups joined in

unison to end the program with an all-inclusive dancing showcase of the hard work and dedication that made the performance possible.

“There was a lot of work put into it, but it was definitely worth it in the end,” Tori Cross said, a first-year member of the Orchesis Dance Company. “It was also a lot of fun getting to meet the other dance clubs and doing the collaboration with them.”

The Cynical Reader When she opens a long-lost manuscript and magical creatures suddenly appear in her life, Diana finds herself wrapped up in a fantastical world of magic and mystery.

ALEXA REILLY

“Witches” a refreshing fantasy novel While the fantasy world is still rocking from the Twilight phenomenon, one author is attempting to bring adult contemporary fantasy novels back.

Deborah Harkness, with her debut novel and New York Times bestseller “A Discovery of Witches,” is poised to return fantasy to an adult audience.

Set in modern day Europe and America, the novel is told through the eyes of outstanding academic scholar and in-denial witch, Diana Bishop.

Diana’s travels to continue her studies in the history of alchemy quickly become far more dangerous.

“Discovery” does not focus on angst and romantic foreplay but sticks to a relatively realistic plot and cast of characters.

Begrudgingly teaming up with a vampire scientist, Diana must learn the story behind this mysterious manuscript and find out what it means to be magical in the modern day world.

What sets this book apart in today’s market is that while covering the fantasy basics of magical development and an unlikely love story, “Discovery” does not focus on angst and romantic foreplay but sticks to a relatively realistic plot and cast of characters.

While Matthew Clair-

mont, the vampire love interest, is stereotypically brooding and obsessed with morality, the relationship between Diana and Clairmont is quite the opposite.

Harkness does not gloss over any issues that a witch and vampire might have with being together.

She doesn’t smooth over personalities to make them fit and there is no clichéd love-at-first-sight.

Harkness also stirs troubling philosophical insights into this first installment of her All Souls trilogy.

Diana spends her life distancing herself from magic, staying away from other covens, and dedicating her life to the history of magic’s opposite: science.

Of all the details this book has to offer, I find the give and take of Diana’s struggle with the morality of magic most intriguing.

No fantasy novel that I have read has tackled this subject so astutely.

The second book in the Deborah Harkness’ All Souls trilogy, “Shadow of Night,” is in stores now.

D I S T RAC T I O N S

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2012

This week in

7

Winter Ages Distractions: Middle Wonderland 1066 to 1485 Let It Snow

Across

1. His heart is three sizes too small 7. “You’ll shoot your eye out, kid” 8. Roast these on an open fire 9. A dreaded dessert 11. Milk, eggs and sugar create this holiday drink 12. More than just a snowstorm 13. Made of big snowballs 14. Used by those unable to ski or snowboard 15. Warm winter drink 16. A _________ in a pear tree 19. A frozen house 20. Sung during the holidays to spread holiday cheer 21. A bright tree decoration that also stays up in dorm rooms all year long 22. Bears do this 23. A sweet tasting house

Camp Morning Wood by Scott Womer

Down

2. A winter activity upon a frozen lake 3. Don’t forget to meet under this with a loved one 4. A popular winter activity among the UVM community 5. Exchanged during the holidays then unwrapped

6. Not quite gloves 8. Four were given to Glen Coco 10. No two are the same 16. Popular flower of the holidays 17. Fancy word for 14 across 18. Spike of frozen water

Frosty Facts On Dec. 4, 1913 Georgetown, Colorado received 63 inches of snow, the largest recorded snowfall in a single day.

Chionophobia is the fear of snow.

The largest snow sculpture was created in China and stood at 115 feet fall, 656 feet long.

Wim Hof of the Netherlands holds the Guinness World Record for the longest time spent in full body contact with ice at one hour, 52 minutes and 42 seconds on Nov. 17, 2011.

Sources: aaaheatingac.com, guinnessworldrecords.com, dailymail.co.uk

8

Opinion

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2012

7:00 PM

STAFF EDITORIAL

THE VERMONT

C YNIC

EDITORIAL BOARD Editor-in-Chief Brent Summers cynic@uvm.edu

802-656-0337

Managing Editor Corrie Roe

cynicnewsroom@gmail.com

News

Becky Hayes

cynicnews@gmail.com

Opinion

Peyton Rosenthal

cynicopinion@gmail.com

Sports

Mike Eaton

cynicsportseditor@gmail.com

Life/Feature Hannah Ullman

cyniclifeeditor@gmail.com

Arts

Natalie Slack

cynicartseditor@gmail.com

Web

Kathleen Murray

vermontcynicweb@gmail.com

Photography Natalie Williams

cynicphoto@gmail.com

Copy Chief

Jasmine Hughes

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Illustration

Jenna Bushor

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STAFF Assistant Editors

Devin Karambelas (News), Katy Cardin (News), Kelsey Callahan (Photo), Walker Sutlzbach (Photo), Julia Dwyer (Sports), Erin Folcone (Life), Dillon Baker (Arts) and Jacob Lumbra (Opinion)

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OPERATIONS

No new messages: CatAlert drops ball At least we know we’re safe from toy guns and bears that might not actually be bears.

So the University dropped the ball twice in one night — no CatAlert and an apparent technical difficulty that prevented the students from knowing of their safety until after noon the next morning.

In an attempt to clean up the mess, the administration sent several emails to students promising improved communication. But this should never have been an issue.

When it comes to relatively harmless events, a CatAlert is sent out immediately, blowing up the phones and emails of students and faculty and assuring the students that they are safe.

Apparently a stabbing on campus is not something students should be informed of. And even though police believed they had accounted for all parties involved, students were left to find out details through their Facebook feeds and the rumor mill.

The problem with this is not that students couldn’t believe police had things under control, but that students were meant to assume so.

Now technical difficulties do happen sometimes, that’s understandable. But even so, the email to faculty and staff was sent out five hours after the stabbing happened.

Furthermore, the University should be more mindful of students and their feelings. While administrators and police may have known there was no danger, students were left to guess that.

There seems to be no cut-off for how mundane an event can be to warrant a CatAlert, so it doesn’t seem reasonable that this was left out.

Even if all it said was “Stabbing on Redstone. There is no threat to the community” just like the toy gun alert, at least students would be reassured.

Instead, news sources were the ones to distribute the faculty email to the community.

While we would’ve done it anyway, the University should do its own job, in a timely fashion, for the sake of its students and those that are concerned for the campus in which they live.

Operations Manager Victor Hartmann

cynicoperations@gmail.com

Distribution Manager Kyle DeVivo kdevivo@uvm.edu

Advertising Manager Liza Battaglia cynicalads@gmail.com

ADVISER Faculty Adviser Chris Evans

crevans@uvm.eduv

Sport’s Editor’s Note: In last week’s issue, the author of “The Weekly Update” was marked wrong.

The actual writer was Josh Aronson.

We apologize for the mix-up.

CONTROVERSIAL QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Hide

From: UVM CatAlert To: Students@uvm.edu CATAlert - Stabbing on Redstone Campus.

December 3, 2012, 7:00 PM

2 Stabbed in Wing Lot- No continued danger to UVM Community.

COLUMNIST

Challenging industry ideals

CAROLINE DECUNZO

Since the development of so-called “beauty enhancing” products in Ancient Egypt, human kind has had the ability to change people’s faces.

Standards of beauty exist in some form everywhere and are important to many people.

There comes a point, however, when society has to set limits for these ideals and think rationally about their consequences.

An art form that has its origin in bee’s wax and castor oil is now a multi-billion dollar industry ranging from hair and makeup, to fashion and weight loss programs.

This monopolized conception of beauty comes with a slew of social pressures that dictate status, success, capability and desirability over American women.

A typical critique of the beauty industry is that men

control it. Whether or not this is true does not matter.

A website, titled “The AntiFeminist,” posted an account of a Pick Up Artist’s travels to England. It discussed how the women there were not appealing to him due to their haggard faces, saying, “you know they’re not that old, but they just look old, like they’ve been working in a factory or coal mine their entire lives.”

He then urged other artists not to waste their time in England, for there were far more satisfying women in other parts of Europe.

A typical critique of the beauty industry is that men contol it.

These kinds of messages suggest that regardless of whether an aspect of beauty is praised or jeered, the physical attributes of women in the media are far more important than their actual capabilities.

With so many divergent opinions on what beauty is, what point is there in aspiring to any standard other than the naturalness of the individual?

This seems like such an

overly simplified point. Yet it affects both men and women.

An industry that heavily controls the images of women also makes the assumption that all men are attracted to one, unattainable image of bodily perfection. It’s a lose-lose situation.

This falsified image of a ready and fertile woman — assuming reproductive capability is still a driving force in beauty — is detrimental to the female population. It is degrading to their intellectual, physical, and emotional existence.

The only viable response to such an overbearing force of control in our society is to use consumer power to determine what products are produced and sold and at what quantity.

Stacy Malkan says, “Women absolutely have the power to control the nature of every consumer product on the market.” This is achieved simply through choosing what to buy, if anything, and from where.

These simple decisions can make an astronomical impact, save money, and have a positive influence on generations to come.

Caroline Decunzo is a first-year student and has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2012.

“DO THEY HAVE ANY UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IT’S LIKE FOR SOMEONE TO READ THAT THEY SHOULD BE ‘PUT IN THE FIELDS TO PICK SOME COTTON TO GET YOUR LARD-ASS INTO SHAPE’?”

Ruby Turok-Squire, an Oberlin student, confronts the rampant bullying and hate speech on their college forum, “Obietalk.”

Unsigned editorials officially reflect the views of The Cynic and its staff. All 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. Send letters to cynicopinion@gmail.com

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OPINION

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2012

9

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

COLUMNISTS

Internet censorship poses real threat to accessibility

BIANCA MOHN

Kids in the United Kingdom better watch out – increased Internet censorship is headed their way.

To stop minors from viewing adult material on the Internet, the UK is considering enacting default censorship on Web pages deemed inappropriate for minors.

According to the U.K. news source Daily Mail, research suggests that four out of five teens age 14 to 16 regularly access explicit photographs on their computers or phones, while about one-third of children under 10 have seen pornography on the Internet.

Prime minister David Cameron has led the charge in making the Internet a safer place for minors, calling for Internet service providers (ISPs) to automatically censor material, unless customers over 18 opt out of the filter system.

The intentions are good, but to filter content on the Internet, ISPs have to scan pages and create software that

determine whether or not a Web page is appropriate for minors. How can a computergenerated system decide what material interests 10 year-olds versus 17 year-olds?

Adult content implies sexual content. But not all websites that mention sex are inappropriate for minors.

Sexual health and sexual education sites, LGBTQA sites, news reports and others are at

Clearly these issues are too nuanced for filters to make accurate decisions on website content. risk of being filtered with the proposed system.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation, which is dedicated to protecting rights in the digital world, tested censorware used by U.S. schools to see whether the intended websites were, in fact, being blocked.

They found that about 75 percent to 85 percent of the websites were incorrectly classified, and that other important content was censored.

Many Web pages that dealt with reproductive health, breast cancer and sexuality were not accessible.

Clearly these issues are too nuanced for filters to make accurate decisions on Web content. In fact, given the alternative of having blocked Web pages or unrestricted browsing, I would choose the latter.

The nature of the Internet is that if you want to find something, you usually can.

Setting filters and censoring material will not prevent minors from viewing explicit images if they want to see them.

With all of the nude photo scandals that appear on the Web due to a lack of proper education, it is obvious that kids are not gaining the Internet intelligence needed to safely navigate sites.

Internet censorship is serious, but the U.K.’s proposal is misguided. Instead of an attempt to ban material from minors, the government should first seek to increase the awareness of Internet risks and consequences.

We need to keep governments in check when it comes to censorship on the Internet. Ultimately it is up to us to decide our informational needs on the Internet, not only what the government deems appropriate.

Bianca Mohn is a sophomore business administration major. She has been writing for The Cynic since fall 2011.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

University fails to notify, student upset

Dear Editor, I would like to take this moment to express my severe disappointment in the actions taken by the University of Vermont with regards to its students’ safety in light of the recent assault on campus.

While I would like to report that the University acted quickly to announce the severity of a possible threat to student safety, I am unfortunately unable to do so. As an individual who was walking within a hundred yards of the crime scene on his way back

from dinner, I find it deeply concerning that no form of information was given to anybody with regards to a knife wielding assailant possibly on the loose.

While we were all informed almost instantly of a woman brandishing a plastic pistol in a lecture hall, UVM waited hours before informing students on this incident.

It is not only disappointing that UVM chose to keep students in the dark during what for some was an extremely stressful, uncertain and scary time. But it’s also the fact that

they allowed student safety and campus security to slip during this time.

It is with deep regret I write this, but feel it is important the University understand that by failing to utilize an extremely efficient and easyto-use system that they have implemented for scenarios EXACTLY like this one, they have lost a great deal of trust from not only myself, but a large portion of the student body.

Sincerely, Anonymous

Quick Opinion “Four out of five communist dictators prefer facial hair.”

Caroline Decunzo “Apparently Justin Beiber has a happy trail. My thoughts; AM I THAT OLD?” Peyton Rosenthal

Illustration by Andrew Becker

Rationalizing Gaza issue

Dear Editor,

Last week in the Cynic, a self-proclaimed “historical and political context” of the conflict in Gaza titled “Sympathy for Palestine,” left me with some biting questions.

Why on earth would America and many other countries in the free world support Israel given Nolan’s brutal and dismal description of a decades-long occupation of Gaza which denies Gazans medicine, food and basic human dignity?

Another question is why Barack Obama and over 57 percent of Americans, according to a recent CNN poll, support Israel’s right to defend itself? Is 57 percent of America blind, racist or just plain uninformed?

A more plausible answer is that Nolan Rampy is not telling us the true story.

Mr. Rampy, Gaza is not occupied. As of 2004, former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon enacted the “disengagement plan” in which the Israeli military forcibly uprooted thousands of Jewish families from a previously unsettled area in the vicinity of the Gaza Strip known as Gush Katif. From 2004 until 2006 there was no embargo or siege on Gaza and not one Jew living there.

Nolan correctly stated that a siege and embargo were placed on Gaza in 2006, but since context is so important to him, I feel inclined to provide some. In 2006, Hamas, an internationally recognized terrorist organization, was democratically elected in Gaza.

Hamas then proceeded to, not so democratically, consolidate their hold over Gaza by slaughtering their opposition through beheadings, firing squads and pushing them off the roof.

After taking credit for hundreds of suicide bombings against Israeli civilians, Israel took Hamas at its word and did what any sane sovereign country would do — protect its citizens by enacting a blockade.

Efforts were made to safeguard civilian casualties by de-

livering aid, dropping millions of leaflets, making phone calls, sending texts to Gazans in Arabic and calling off missions when it became evident that a civilian could be killed.

Since 2001, approximately 15,000 rocket attacks have been fired from Gaza into Israel. In 2005, right after Israel withdrew entirely from Gaza but before the blockade, the number of rocket attacks saw a 346 percent increase.

My cousins, who have five children in all, live in one of the cities constantly hit by rocket fire. The oldest of their children is 12 and the only memories she has are of a time of air raid sirens and running to the bomb shelter. These incidences continue as a part of her daily life.

Neither she nor the other children and toddlers living in these cities are guilty of any crimes against Gaza and do not deserve to be targeted.

The Palestinian children do not deserve to die either, and that is why Israel takes so many precautions to defend them while defending its citizens.

Needless to say, I agree with Nolan’s title. I feel, as most Israelis do, a profound sympathy for the Gazans. I sympathize with them because they have been hijacked and held hostage by Hamas and used as human shields while rocket launching sites and weapons storage facilities are placed next to schools and in residential neighborhoods.

All of what I have written is what Nolan should appreciate as “historical and political context,” context that he calls for but fails to provide. Nolan paints the Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters who are waging a self-proclaimed war on Israel to the detriment of the civilians on both sides of the border as some sort of oppression-fighting heroes. I guess if I could completely make up my own historical and political context I could make freedom fighters and heroes out of Hitler, Assad and Genghis Khan.

Sincerely, Jeremiah Rozman Class of 2014

Getting by, the best I can Dear Editor, What is up with Bianca Mohn’s article in the Nov. 1 issue about “lecture hall villains?”

We are all here for the same reason: to earn a degree and, consequently, get a job.

And we will all hopefully accomplish that by whatever method of lecture hall attendance we choose.

I found Ms. Mohn’s article to be incredibly ignorant and close-minded toward those of us who have more going on in our life other than class. The only “villain” I can identify is the one telling the rest of us how to live our lives.

I respect that the classroom is a place of learning, and learning is what I intend to do during the lectures that I sit through, but it is not Ms. Mohn’s kingdom where every-

one shall bow down to her and oblige to do what she wants.

I have just as much desire to pass my classes as Ms. Mohn, but I have personal issues in my life that are a higher priority to me than class. So I’m a villain? Does that mean I shouldn’t be allowed to take classes with the rest of the heaven-sent, attention-paying disciples of academia?

Perhaps the solution to Ms. Mohn’s problem is that she spends all her time stereotyping and judging everyone else who sits in her classroom rather than paying attention. I think she should take her own advice and “be considerate of others and we will live happily ever after.”

Sincerely, Anonymous

10

Sports

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2012

Vermont tallies third season victory Colin Hekimian Staff Writer The men’s hockey team defeated the University of Maine Black Bears 2 to 1 this past weekend in an away game televised

by CBS Sports Network. The following night, the teams had their second meeting of the weekend.

By the end of regulation, the Catamounts tied Maine 2-2.

Vermont picked up three points this weekend, moving to 3-7-3 overall this season.

“It’s a good sign for us to be up here in Maine getting on the bus with three points and feeling like we left one behind,” said head coach Kevin Sneddon.

“We need to be the third period team we want to be. Brody was fantastic.”

In the first game of the series, rookies Yvan Pattyn and Robert Polosello each scored their first career goals in the jersey as the Catamounts snapped their threegame losing streak.

“Both teams played their hearts out and our guys were excellent in the third after we were up 2-1,” said Sneddon. “We stayed aggressive but played smart. We looked comfortable with the lead.”

Maine opened up scoring later in the first period as they earned their third power play of the frame. Black Bear Joey Diamond curled into the slot patiently and wristed a shot on goal. The puck took a deflection and fluttered past goaltender Brody Hoffman to give Maine a 1-0 lead at the 16:53 mark.

ALEX EDELMAN The Vermont Cynic First-year Jonathan Turk makes a pass in a game at University of Maine in a weekend matchup Nov. 30.

Vermont won the first game 2-1 and tied the second 2-2 . The Catamounts sit at 3-7-3 overall this season.

Five minutes into the second period, Pattyn put the Catamounts on the board with a slapshot past Maine goalkeeper Martin Oullette to bring the score to a tie.

In the third period, Polosello gave the Catamounts the lead after he took a quick shot, which sailed past Oullette’s right shoulder. Junior Chris McCarthy got the assist on the play, his 50th career point with Vermont.

With only seconds to go, the Black Bears scored a game-tying goal, which was then waved off due to a crease violation.

Hoffman finished the night with 31 saves for his third career victory.

“We saw a lot of stuff going on at the net front, pretty aggressive on both our defenseman and Hoffman,” said Sneddon “When the shot was taken, we were pretty sure there was some con-

tact and a crease violation type of thing. It was pretty evident there was some contact with the goalie.”

On Saturday, junior Matt White and senior Tobias Nilsson-Roos were the lone Catamounts to get on the board in the 2-2 tie with the Black Bears.

Vermont’s defense stifled Maine during three straight power plays in the scoreless first period.

With the start of the second period, sophomore defenseman Nick Luuko broke through the barrier and fired an initially unsuccessful shot from the left side.

The rebound was picked up

by White who backhanded it to the back of the net to give the Catamounts the lead.

Soon after, the Black Bears tied the score 1-1. The Catamounts responded as NilssonRoos notched up the one point lead in the closing seconds of the middle period.

With seconds left in regulation, Maine went into a power play that earned them the match with Vermont.

In overtime, the Catamounts were unsuccessful in their multiple attempts on the goal, leaving the final score at a tie of 2-2.

Vermont returns to action on Dec. 15 as they head to Canton, NY. to face the St. Lawrence Saints in a 7 p.m. faceoff.

The last time the teams met, Vermont exited the ice carrying a 2-1 loss at the hands of the Saints.

In other news, Vermont landed a new recruit on Nov. 30.

Leading scorer in the Eastern Junior Hockey League Brendan Bradley, the 20-year-old, 6-foot, 165-pound forward on the Jersey Hitmen has committed to the University of Vermont.

“I cannot wait for next year to head up to Burlington and help UVM win a Hockey East Championship,” said Bradley in a recent press release.

Cats split weekend Taylor Feuss Assistant Sports Editor The Vermont women’s basketball team hosted the 18th TD Bank Classic this past weekend that welcomed teams from Drexel, Houston Baptist and Rhode Island to Catamount Country. The well-known tournament ended with the Drexel Dragons named as the champions after pulling wins in both of their weekend games.

With the initial game of the weekend, the Cats earned the win over the Houston Baptist Huskies with a final score of 59-48. This marked the third win for the Catamounts overall this season.

Together sophomore Annie Wheeler and first-year Kylie Atwood led the team in the victory earning Vermont 23 points, with Wheeler tallying a career-high 12 of those herself. This was Atwood’s first career start suited up in the green and gold.

“It was a great win for our team, we really needed that confidence boost,” said Vermont head coach Lori Gear McBride in a postgame interview with CatamounTV. As the first half minutes ticked down, the Catamounts racked up the points netting a seven-point lead on a layup from rookie Gracia Hutson. The Huskies battled back with a solid run on the Vermont basket, and it seemed that the half would close with Houston trailing by a single point.

Not ready to lie down, Atwood added a 3-pointer to teammate Lauren Buschmann’s previ-

ous layup to regain control for the Cats and take a 33-27 lead at the half.

Following the break, Vermont shut down the Huskies earning a 20-0 run within a span of eight minutes to arrive at what would be their final score of 59 points.

In the other Friday matchup, the Drexel Dragons pushed past Rhode Island to earn the second win of the day with a final score of 55-43.

Vermont’s streak ended Saturday as it faced off against Drexel in the tournament championship, falling to the Dragons 66-49.

Vermont sophomore Niki Taylor led the team with 14 points, with junior Sam Simononis contributing 11 points on top of that. The Cat’s effort wasn’t enough as they struggled to earn points against the Dragons and ended the first half trailing by more than 20 points.

As they returned to the court, the Catamounts increased their drive and dominated the ball in the first few minutes of play.

When Drexel earned the ball back they stole the fire and recaptured their double-digit lead over Vermont, where they would remain for the continuation of the game.

“I was disappointed in the start. I thought we were flat,” said McBride. “We didn’t hit our shots early and that took the intensity out of our defense.”

The Catamount’s next tip off is at 12:30 Dec. 16 at Oklahoma State, home of the undefeated Cowgirls.

11

SPORTS

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6 , 2012

NFL Picks Week 14 Baltimore at Washington

Coming off an emotional divisional victory over the Big Ben-less Pittsburgh Steelers, the Ravens go to Washington as the odds on second seed in the AFC. Washington still has its eye on a playoff berth, but needs some serious help. The first step toward their dream of playoff football is a win over Baltimore.

The only way that happens is if Joe Flacco stumbles. Ray Rice is one of the NFL’s best backs, but run defense is Washington’s only strength on defense.

Shutting down Flacco and his receivers will be Redskin’s only way to keep the game close.

Robert Griffin III, is the most exciting player in the NFL today and should win the NFL Rookie of the Year honors, but will be challenged against an old but stout Ravens defense. Baltimore struggles to contain the run and between Griffin and running back Alfred Morris, the Redskins should be able to wear them down.

If Washington defense can contain the Ravens, this could be a game going into the fourth quarter. I like Washington pulling this one out to keep playoff hopes alive, likely though some heroics by their rookie quarterback.

The Picks: Baltimore: Will, Josh Washington: Jeremy, Colin, Jake, Mike

Dallas at Cincinnati Playoff implications appear likely for this AFC/ NFC matchup. Cincinnati is above .500 but still sits behind Baltimore and Pittsburgh in the AFC North.

Dallas is in third place in the NFC East and appears to be on the outside looking-in in terms of the NFC playoffs. Tony Romo will as usual be Dallas’ x-factor and how he plays will likely dictate the outcome. The Cincinnati defense is average, but that may be enough.

Scoreboard: Will Jeremy Colin 23 -21 Mike 24- 20

30 -14 Josh 27 -17

26 -18 Jake 22 - 22

Andy Dalton has not seen a major sophomore slump and BenJarvus Green-Ellis has proven to be an intelligent free agent acquisition. A.J. Green is a serious threat on the outside for Dalton, but so are Dez Bryant and Miles Austin for Romo.

This game may come down to tight end play over the middle. Cincinnati has Jermaine Gresham who has almost 600 yards receiving and five touchdowns.

For Dallas, Jason Whitten is again one of the most consistent tight ends but struggles to get into the end zone with only one touchdown. Dallas will depend upon a strong outing from DeMarco Murray to literally carry the offense. Cincinnati in early December may mean inclement weather, which can mean good things for Cincinnati.

I think in the end, Cincinnati will put the final nail in Dallas’ coffin and essentially eliminate them from playoff contention.

Jeremy Karpf Senior Staff Writer

Each we ek, the C ynic Spo predict th rts staff w e winner ill anticipate of some of the we d matchu ek’s m p s .

T Karpf, W ill Andrey he participants are ost cak, Colin J Hekimian eremy Aronson and Jake , Josh Bielecki.

The Picks: Dallas: Will Cincinnati: Jeremy, Josh, Colin, Jake, Mike

the Vikings have any hope of winning.

The Bear’s defense is one of the best. Anchored by aging Brian Urlacher, they create turnovers as well as rank in the top 10 in all categories.

Minnesota has a middle of the pack defense and will likely struggle to contain double threat Matt Forte.

Chicago will be without Devin Hester; without him, quarterback Jay Cutler will need to look outside for Brandon Marshall. Marshall has had another stellar season with over 1,000 yards receiving and eight touchdowns. The Vikings simply do not have an outside threat for Christian Ponder without Percy Harvin and he appears unlikely to play.

Despite being in Minnesota, Chicago should pull this one out to keep on track for the fourth seed in the NFC playoffs.

Chicago at Minnesota

The Picks: Chicago: Jeremy, Will, Josh, Colin, Jake, Mike

New England will be without Rob Gronkowski, who is still out with a broken forearm.

Tom Brady still has receiver Wes Welker, and tight end Aaron Hernandez continues to improve as he finally recovers from a high ankle sprain.

For once, New England has a reliable running game with Stevan Ridley, Matt Schaub and Houston. The Patriots defense will be hard-pressed to contain them.

For a long time New England has relied on a bend-not-break mentality on defense but they need to do more than simply create turnovers to beat the Texans. Besides a top 10 run defense, the Patriots are at or near the bottom in most other defensive categories.

This game will be a shootout and the last team with the ball may very well emerge victorious.

In the end I believe the Patriots will find a way to squeak this one out at home in Foxboro.

Texas at New England

The Picks: Texas: Josh New England: Jeremy, Will, Colin, Jake, Mike

The Green Bay Packers are in the driver’s seat to win the NFC North. That means playoff football is unlikely for at least one of these teams.

Chicago has been both one of the best and worst teams in football. They will need to be in top form if they hope to keep pace in the playoff hunt. Adrian Peterson will need a huge game if

Two of the top teams in the AFC meet on Monday night NFL football at its best. Both the Texans’ and the Patriots’ main objective will be to stop the other’s offense.

How to handle the “*” in the major league Baseball struggles with whether the Steroid Age players deserve Hall of Fame admittance

WILL ANDREYCAK

One player was widely considered the most prolific power hitter the game has ever seen, while the other was considered one of the most consistent and overpowering pitchers the game has ever seen.

One player won seven MVP awards and the other won seven CY Young awards — both the most of all time.

One player hit the most homeruns in the history of the sport and the most homeruns in a single season.

The other player ranks third all-time in strikeouts and ninth all-time in career wins.

One player once posted a season with a .328 batting average/.515 OBP/73 home runs/137 RBI and that might not have been his best season ever.

The other player once posted a season in which he won 21 games, struck out 292 batters in

264 innings and posted an ERA of 2.05.

But perhaps the most revealing — and eventually damning — statistics of all are the numbers both players recorded after they passed the age of 35.

One was able to play five years of elite baseball, averaging a batting average of .341, 51.6 homeruns and 120.8 RBI each year over that time frame.

The other was able to play a remarkable eight more years of elite baseball, averaging a season stat line of 16-6/3.45 ERA/202.5 strikeouts over that time frame.

They were very different men, playing entirely different positions, but they have been — and forever will be — linked by one thing in common: they cheated the game and have never reconciled their betrayal.

By now, it should be obvious that the former player is Barry Bonds and the latter Roger Clemens.

Both men were dominant players who put up numbers that — in many ways — will never be replicated. Ever.

Due in large part to the aforementioned statistics — rest assured an entire column could be spent simply listing the accomplishments of each — both men are on the 2013 MLB Hall of Fame ballot.

And with their candidacy to join the halls of baseball immor-

tality finally upon us, we are at last confronted by the moment that demands a verdict on the most controversial topic in the last century of sport: how will history treat those who cheat.

For Major League Baseball, the debate must be a painstakingly impossible and complex one. Bonds is the best hitter of his era and Clemens the best pitcher of his era.

They cheated and soiled the purist of games in the most impure of ways.

Both were faces of the game for nearly two decades and the record book is littered with their names in the top 10 of most significant categories.

Maybe even more significant in the eyes of the league, both acted as massive draws for increased advertising revenue, attendance figures, television ratings and overall popularity of the sport.

Despite the profound impact of players like Bonds and Clem-

ens, in the eyes of most people, their treachery has stained it all.

They cheated and soiled the purist of games in the most impure of ways. The court of public opinion overwhelmingly and unequivocally subscribes to the notion that both players were users of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs).

The significant question here is whether or not the actions of these two men were so egregious that their on-the-field numbers have become entirely irrelevant.

In other words, does using PEDs automatically and totally disqualify any player from being admitted into the Hall of Fame?

The answer to this question will set a precedent about how we handle the issue of PEDs for all time.

An Associated Press Poll administered last week indicated that both players do not have enough support from voters to be inducted into the Hall.

In order to be inducted, a player must receive votes in the affirmative from 75 percent of those voting.

The poll indicated that Bonds received just 45 percent support while Clemens received just 43 percent support.

While the data points to Bonds and Clemens not being elected to the Hall this year, a player remains on the ballot for up to 15 years so long as they re-

ceive at least five percent support each year.

It is my view that if, and only if, Bonds and Clemens at some point in the future admit to what they did and fully and totally reconcile it with the public, they should be admitted into the Hall of Fame.

I wouldn’t be opposed to physically attaching an asterisk to their plaque.

In fact, I think it would be wise to create a section in Cooperstown where the steroid era was openly put on display — prominently featuring plaques of Bonds, Clemens, Sammy Sosa, and eventually those of Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez.

Major League Baseball could acknowledge the realities of an era, differentiate those who cheated from those who did not, and still recognize incredible historical accomplishments.

Using PEDs does not have to be a death sentence that precludes any man’s achievements from being subjected to historical appreciation.

What Bonds and Clemens were able to do between the lines — despite their use of drugs that influenced those accomplishments — is something that should be recognized and acknowledged, even if it means stamping an ugly * on the top of their plaques in the halls of history.