Cynic 2.0 to see the return of the B-side

The Cynic is going to look a little different when we come back.

Letter to the editor: Add Lofts to makeover agenda

While the plan to demolish the shoeboxes is in place (where I lived freshman year in Chittenden) and is very good, why not include the Redstone Lofts and just start over? 

A girl that needs support

It’s interesting that when we walk, we allow our butts and thighs to jiggle around, our arms swing back and forth, our hair to be blown by the wind and our hips to sway. And yet, we have a $30 billion global industry created to immobilize our breasts and press them up against our bodies.

Altruism's mask

The real life super hero boom reflects a fundamental instinct of our species – a desire to find order in disorder. Ultimately, it allows its adherents to rationalize the disarray of their respective societies. 

Social networking fuels a passive activist approach

The ugly truth is that our generation has just enough motivation to post an angry sentence, but not enough to get off the couch and do something meaningful. Instead of finding ways to be active, we are satisfied with a status post and the responses that it generates. 

Letter to the editor: Drinking causes more than fun

There is an extensive body of evidence that, compared with an MLDA of 18, an MLDA of 21 is a good public health policy.

Shoebox dorms thing of the past

In a recent proposal to the board of trustees, a housing masterplan was introduced that will tear down, renovate, repurpose and build new residential halls on the University of Vermont campus.

Visa promises are evaded

As prized targets of Taliban violence, Afghan interpreters face a tangled web of bureaucracy when applying for potentially life-saving United States visas. 

Intolerance runs rampant

In the wake of a horrible event, we view national unity as sacred. What we fail to realize during the emotional response is that unity has more dimensions than one. 

Letter to the editor: Tree huggers united

Trees are an important, if oft ignored, part of our world as humans. They provide habitat for a variety of animals, create oxygen and absorb carbon, serve as a food source for people and animals and stabilize the soil.

Letter to the editor: Let's stop hiding in basements

A safe atmosphere starts with awareness. Alcohol, like any vice, is dangerous when abused. But we are in control of our bodies and we should be able to understand what responsible behavior consists of. 

Letter to the editor: Recruiting for peace

Following in Vermont’s tradition of community building and service, the University of Vermont is nationally ranked for the high number of alumni who serve as Peace Corps volunteers.  

America, a nation united in kindness

Sometimes it’s hard to remember what makes us a community in the first place. 

Just say "no" to dope

Call me old-fashioned, but I would rather enjoy a beer over dinner with friends than get high off some pot, feeling anxious and drained afterwards. But, if the left has its way, more and more children will be exposed to the dangerous substance. 

Grass not always greener

As someone who is drug-free, I am often asked why I go to a school that is known for its so-called “cannabis culture” and fondness for getting high. To be honest, I’ve never felt deprived or excluded from the UVM experience by not smoking weed. And I believe that there are many people on campus who agree.

UVM's integrity challenge

In the past school year, the student environmental organization Student Climate Culture (SCC) has received attention for its effort to convince the administration to divest UVM’s endowment of fossil fuels.

Gratitude for Tolkien

We are writing to express our appreciation for both Chris Vaccaro, senior lecturer of English, and to The Tolkien Club at UVM for their outstanding work during the tenth annual Tolkien at UVM conference.

Trading land for their debt

Ecuador's dire poverty has forced it to betray one of the world's most precious ecologies.

Here's to you, Kurt

All of our generation's problems could be solved with a little Kurt Vonnegut.

Finding yourself in the fray

For most, self-discovery will not include wearing clothing most commonly seen on ‘90s COPS reruns. 

Embracing Bibles instead of bumper stickers

People actually have strong convictions and a certain rationality behind what they believe. As Father Schnobrich pointed out in his column, people don’t actually hate the Catholic Church; rather, they hate what they think is the Catholic Church. 

Unveiling history

We all have stories about the evil English teacher or the malicious math teacher, but at least we don’t graduate with drastically misinformed perceptions of the Pythagorean Theorem.  History, on the other hand, is a slippery, subjective beast that most students fall prey to through no fault of their own. 

Greeks do good

Excellence in community service is on our shores. With the growing prominence of UVM’s new club, SHORE, we are continually reminded about how much community service UVM students devote their time to.

Requiem for Melvin, the beaver

Perhaps Melvin’s demise will not be in vain if we can take advantage of Ben’s good work by using the story as a “teachable moment” and try to extract some generalizable principles.

The beaver situation

The problem with these statements was not that they belittled me, but that they reflect a profound misunderstanding of the community’s response to the beaver issue as well as to the dangers, or lack thereof, that the beavers posed.  

The women of agriculture

In centuries past, she has worked the house, kept the farm’s finances in order, and helped with planting. Now, she works the farm. 

City's opportunity in cleaner energy

It would be a significant advantage if the energy required to heat and cool UVM — one of the biggest energy consumers in Burlington — could be supplied by thermal energy from McNeil. It’s odd, then, to find that McNeil was designed and built to do just that. So why isn’t it?

Talk like a man; females find their role

When it comes to leadership, women aspiring to managerial positions are often encouraged to adopt forward, authoritative and self-assured leadership styles in order to earn respect in the workplace. 

Deceptions of city security

Settled between the Adirondacks of New York and Vermont’s Green Mountains, this tiny city is just about what you would expect: peaceful, picturesque and welcoming.  Just one warning: don’t put your stuff down.

Go local, ski small

Vermont’s own heritage is slowly melting away. The corporate world that Vermonters and UVMers have met with such resistance is hitting us where we’re most vulnerable — on the slopes.

Improving resident relations

It’s no secret that different stages in life are coupled with different day-to-day activities.

Turns out, faith isn't the answer

The pope is really a white unicorn named Zappy who farts out ham sandwiches to homeless people. See how conjecture doesn’t make something true? 

The meaning of sex

In the case of sexuality, we are powerless against the cultural definitions of it, not our inability to be in stable, loving relationships.

UVM's identity crisis

If the University goes further with an initiative to focus on the three “Spires of Excellence”— complex systems, food systems, and neuroscience and behavioral health— we hope that the quality of these programs are not at the expense of others. 

Smoking restriction praised

Every time I step outside, I prepare myself to take a deep breath of fresh Vermont air.  My enjoyment is soon cut short when, reliably, a group of smokers will be standing nearby.

GM crops are next to divest

Currently, University students are unwillingly implicated in funding one of the most deplorable human rights abuses on the planet. Our educational institution currently holds at least $1.09 million in Monsanto public equity stocks.

A plan in cigarette ettiquette

UVM does have a smoking problem, but the problem is less the smoking itself and more the lack of etiquette involved with smoking. 

Letter to the editor: Faith is your answer

Before dismissing or disregarding your faith, I encourage you to first seek understanding — discover the why behind the what — so that whatever decision you freely make with regard to religion and faith, the decision may be a rightly informed one. 

It's nothing to spit at

Just the other day, while I was walking to class, I watched a fellow UVM student spit toward the Rally Cat statue, and then continue on his somewhat melancholy way. How rude!

The Oscars: a film lover's plea

I am almost done with the Oscars and if you like film, and are interested in preserving one of history’s greatest artistic mediums, I think you should be too. 

Letter to the editor: Jobs are our priority

The Dean of the Honor's College writes in to clarify his position on Career Services at UVM.

UVM DJs sparking BTV

Most UVM students have a hard enough time balancing extracurriculars along with their studies.

College is not all that bad

Turns out, college isn't that bad. Bianca says why we're fortunate and should not complain.

Music after radio

The invention of the radio was a revolutionary breakthrough in the history of the music industry. 

Assisted suicide reaches State House

The two columnists discuss the pros and cons of allowing assisted suicide in Vermont from an ethical and logistical standpoint.

Letter to the editor: Growing as a person

The Living Well staff responds to a previous point-counter-point column discussing the funds for sexual education and products in the college setting.

Trustees set the mood

President Sullivan wants the best and the brightest. Coming on the heels of record-breaking first-year enrollments, the new boss is adamant about reducing class size while increasing selectivity. 

MLK murder disclosed

The trial ought to be commonplace knowledge, not merely a fun factoid for conspiracy theorists. Under US law, the United States government was found guilty of giving one of its citizens the death penalty for the crime of civic activism.

Guarding faith

Questioning one's faith is an experience almost everyone goes through.  Challenges can mount between one's devotion to a particular religious doctrine and one's personal beliefs.

Letter to the editor: Reader asks Cynic to button up

A reader expresses his or her concern over the Cynic's sexy issue, released February 14, 2013.

Career Services has a job to do

Most colleges are equipped with a Career Services office staffed by professionals whose job it is to examine a student’s interests and assist that student step by step toward finding a job.  And UVM has one of these offices. Did you know that?

Point Counter Point: The UVM naughty funds

Columnists argue whether it is appropriate for the University to spend student tuition on sexual initiatives, such as education, contraceptives and paraphernalia.

Divulge your sex position

Openness for sexual preference is something that has increased over the years.  The image, or stereotype, of what both men and women like is changing.

College courting

Welcome to the post-dating world; gone are the days of dinners, movies and the nerve-wracking telephone call.  What happened to the flowers and the romantic meals, you ask? They’ve been replaced by the two h’s — hanging out and hooking up. 

Immaculate contraception

On the list of organizations most intractable when it comes to compromise, the Catholic Church must rank near the top.  Earlier this month, President Obama’s administration did something it didn’t have to — broaden exemptions for religious organizations mandated to provide free birth control to employees.  

Turn on, tune in, support UVMtv

UVMtv faces the danger of being kicked out of the Davis Center.  We at the Cynic feel this is unjust.

Militarism remains intact

Despite the new policy allowing women to serve in the front lines, this will not be the end of our military might.

Surfing the web is a right

A gap is growing between those who have access to Internet and those who do not.  This gap makes clear that the web has become a more than just a privilege in the twenty-first century — it's a right.

Letter to the editor: Local representative writes in

A Burlington representative writes in to call for support and engagement in the community.

College media loses its liberties

We at The Cynic would like to offer our support to our fellow journalists across the border.  Fortunately, UVM administrators generally comply with our records requests; but then again, the requests themselves typically are few and far between.

Matters of manliness

Two recommendations from the Gender Based and Sexual Violence Task Force were the hiring of a men’s educator and the creation of a men’s educational center.  I believe that for the sake of all men and women at UVM, it is the duty of the university to take these recommendations seriously and act upon them.

Point Counter Point — Bearing arms over gun control issue

A point-counter-point

Two opinion columnists battle it out over the rights guaranteed in the Second Amendment.

Amp up campus security

Burlington is undoubtedly a relatively safe city and UVM is generally thought to be a safe campus. But we should recognize that trespassing crimes have been an issue in the past and currently, and maybe it’s time the administration considered change. 

Liberals miss the aim

Gun-control activists did say that “something” has to be done. I think I’ll write my congressman, asking him to ban bullets that travel faster than the speed of light.

One more day, please

Whether it is reopening the residence halls after winter break or closing the halls after finals, students are given little time to vacate or to remain in the dorms. Something needs to change.

Keep your mind open

Keeping an open dialogue with people who think differently is what educates us and makes the world more progressive in thought and in action. Sometimes, we "liberals" forget to put this into practice.

To remain divided adds to gun crisis

Solutions to stop gun violence seem to polarize people, often depending on their political party affiliate.  The voice of the popular media will tell you that Republicans love guns, while Democrats want them made illegal. But it isn’t that simple when it comes to life and death.

Step aside bear, what about the third world?

We see footage of polar bears drifting out to sea on dwindling patches of ice and elephants searching for watering holes.  As heartbreaking as these video testimonials are, they reflect a much more disturbing trend, especially when it comes to climate change. It suggests apathy for the inhabitants of the developing world. 

Finding the gray area around pink and blue

What is segregated by pink verses blue, dolls versus trucks, and home life versus adventures? Hint — it’s not a toy catalogue from the 1950s. 

Corporate warming; the price of buying

Many people, especially in Vermont, are in favor of movements to protect the environment.  Corporations, on the other hand, may not see their drop in profits as such a good thing and that is exactly the problem.

The Lofts' appearance raises questions

Sadly, I agree with the 70 percent calling the Redtsone Lofts hideous on the outside. They are. Whatever happened to an architectural review board?

No new messages: CatAlert drops ball

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.  

Challenging industry ideals

 An art form that has its origin in bee’s wax and castor oil is now a multi-billion dollar industry that takes control of society's ideal image of beauty. 

Internet censorship poses real threat to accessibility

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

Letter 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.

Letter to the editor: 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.

Letter to the editor: Getting by, the best I can

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

iPads, Kindles and the pursuit of happiness

We are constantly surrounded by our phones, computers, iPads, Kindles and other devices that keep us connected. But are we happy?

Black Friday, buy nothing day

Despite the hold consumerism has on American society, a counter-holiday has surfaced to combat Black Friday.  Coined as “Buy Nothing Day,” this “holiday” serves as a reminder of the overarching presence of consumption in developed nations of the world.  

Water too smart to evade the ban

The day of reckoning is almost upon us. With the end of this semester also marks the final days of bottled water on campus. The students have spoken, and bottled water is history… kind of. 

Sympathy for Palestine

You’ve likely heard discussion of Israel’s right to defend itself against the incessant unprovoked rocket attacks by Palestinians.  What is missing from this analysis is the historical and political context within which the conflict takes place. 

Examining Mr. Brown's statements

There’s a line called logic and when you cross it for lack of perspective, or even a possible agenda, it leaves the realm of journalism – even opinionated journalism – and becomes simply offensive to basic human intellect.  That’s exactly what this column seems to be.

Home efficiency matters

It seems like living cost increases during the winter are inevitable, but there are many easy ways to reduce home energy consumption and costs.

Divesting from oil, working together

A few savvy students recently took a look at the stocks UVM invests in. The findings? There are a few black marks on our very green campus. 

We deserve a fair campaign

A venue that once held a scrap of dignity has been degraded to the playgrounds of Washington, D.C., where politicians run around calling each other names until the teacher – or moderator – calls for a timeout. 

Measuring Graham's reach

Disheartened by the overreaching influence of Reverend Graham?

Sex and gender are not equal

Indigo James

Although I understand that the Cynic does not necessarily endorse all signed editorials, I remain shocked that the editors of a paper known for its journalistic integrity would choose to print something as facile, condescending and blatantly offensive as Tony Yasi’s Oct. 11 Letter to the Editor.

Are false facts a trend?

The Water Tower cartoon implies a hackneyed, academically lazy, yet widespread attitude that the West is always wrong, intruding, killing and bullying the rest of the world and that we see threats where they don’t exist.

Sometimes, a vandal is just a vandal

This sort of thinking ignores a significant consequence of the crime: it harms others’ property. If you vandalize someone’s property nowadays, you’re more likely to be called a homosexual, a homophobe or a misogynist than you are a vandal. 

Mr. President step up with the specifics

When UVM President Sullivan took office, he focused the beginning of his tenure on listening to the University community, promising that the outcome would be his “thousand-day plan” for the University, a guideline to his specific policies. Instead of delivering that plan, President Sullivan has been speaking about his vision in very broad terms, hitting over and over his four main pathways for success: making college affordable, improving our facilities, encouraging more public service and improving the student-teacher ratio.

A rather close rapport

The UVM Cycling club narrowly avoided a sanction for having an empty beer bottle in an SGA-insured van during a recent trip. The possession of alcohol violated SGA policy and potentially the UVM Code of Ethics — a verdict from the Center for Student Ethics and Standards (CSES) is pending.

New gym ignores UVM campus culture

There is no doubt that a top-notch facility would attract the type of talent that would uphold the University’s standard of excellence while catering to the success of current students. And yet, fiscal responsibility and campus culture should have required UVM administrators to focus their attentions on updates that fall in areas other than athletics.

As a D1 school, UVM needs new facilities

The plan for a new arena is still in its infancy and it is likely that no one reading this column will get to enjoy it as an undergraduate. However, the plans exist and a brand-new, shiny sports complex will one day reside on Athletic Campus. 

Twitter replaces Burn Book

Kara’s first mistake was making her Twitter account public. When the news about her alarming tweet and her missing status were first reported, it was everyone’s instinct to find her on Twitter. 

Equality vs. equivalence

Men and women are not equal, they never were and never will be, and there is nothing wrong with that. 

So, who really is the famous 47%?

As repugnant and glaringly cruel that I find Gov. Romney’s comments to be, I couldn’t earnestly say that I was particularly shocked or outraged. I sometimes consider whether I ought to invest in a tinfoil hat when I become convinced that many Republicans view the poor with disdain.

Some food for thought

Amending the Sig Ep mess

The Vermont chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon was cleared last week for the crimes of perpetuating rape culture and misogyny, though it may be cold comfort for its former members.  

The real issue with the indie anti-Muslim film

In regards to the staff editorial on the film, "The Innocence of Muslims," there should have been a greater emphasis on the negative consequences in the Islamic world.

Vt. not so liberal after all

I was surprised to learn that this supposedly ‘liberal’ state was not so liberal after all. Yes, it does enforce the importance of composting and has shoeless-guitar-strumming-hippies on Church Street, but the laws pertaining to marijuana are just as strict as they are back in New York.  

An open letter to the US penny

Times have changed. Your clamor in my pockets and backpacks and wallets is not charming. My floors, desk and miscellaneous jars protest at the intrusion. You have become a burden, Mr. Penny, and it is time for you to go. 

Recognizing Obama's real policies

In “GOP lacks recognition for effort,” Joseph Brown claims that President Obama removed the work requirements from the Welfare Reform Act of 1996. This claim is patently false.

Where are all of the protesters?

We at the Cynic have noticed it is quiet around campus, and we mean really quiet.  Where have all the rallying cries gone? All of the campus protests have been grayer than a Charlie Chaplin film. The passion for Occupy Wall Street has lost its presence in Burlington and, nationally, the crusade that made headlines daily a year ago has quieted to a murmur. 

Englesby, a drain on the funds?

or those unfamiliar, the Englesby House is the traditional residence of the University president.  During former President Fogel’s administration, the house sat vacant, slowly deteriorating while he collected a $1,800 a month housing stipend.  Now it is time for President Sullivan to move in, and the Board is scrambling to fix problems it has ignored for nearly a decade.  

Defining the term social justice

The fact that the social justice advocates took several hours to attempt to explain what the term means shows that this term has no parameters, no boundaries. But, social justice can range far in meaning, from the importance of simply being a good person to the redistribution of wealth, if that wasn’t already the case. I suspect that it was.

Just say no to cheap clothes

We know that inexpensive clothes do not last and that they are made of low quality materials. We know that to have such a low price, workers – especially children – were grossly underpaid. We know that textile production is destroying the environment. But do we really care?

Letter to the editor: Sperry's unreliable?

I received a pair of Sperry’s for my birthday this year. My best friend had been raving about them and I was curious to see what they were like. However, I soon found that they aren’t all they are cracked up to be. My friend swore up and down that her Sperry’s were the most comfortable shoes she had ever owned. The thing that she left out was that Sperry’s will destroy your feet before they become comfortable. 

Letter to the editor: Wake up and help the environment

I had the pleasure of attending a book talk by writer and environmental activist Bill McKibben at the Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center.  This event was part of the Burlington Book Festival, and though this particular event lasted only 30 minutes, there is so much to be said.  McKibben came to us first and foremost as a writer.  As an aspiring writer, I feel this lens of thought provided a much deeper understanding for me than it would have otherwise had McKibben chose to only address his involvement with 350.org.  

S.T.A.R.T catching robbers, criminals

With all of the police out at night, it seems a few clever crooks have figured out that Burlington is an open playground by day. We at the Cynic are all in favor for police enforcement when it is absolutely needed. Unfortunately, the police are slightly out of balance with the current situation in Burlington.

Understanding diversity

Diversity to liberals doesn’t mean diversity of thought, perspective and ideology. Rather, liberals care only for diversity that is literally skin deep.

GOP disregards the American people

Over the course of the past few years, it has become increasingly apparent that the Republican Party and its platform are incompatible with the American people as a whole, and with an America that strives for progress in the 21st century.

Should students be catching Cat$cratch fever?

For those of you who don’t know, the library no longer accepts coins. Or – if you’re a first-year – the library used to accept coins. Instead, printing must be purchased with prepaid cards. 

Computer etiquette—we need it

Taking notes on a laptop is fine. Word documents by themselves are not distracting – it’s the changing of screens and flashing images that drive those trying to pay attention in class to insanity.

What's with all the shootings?

What we can derive from all this violence is that there is in fact a problem. Certainly America needs to wake up to gun violence, but the world needs a dose of reality as well. These shootings have all been senseless, but the first problem to address is whether or not we can figure out what will work to make the violence stop.

Lance Armstrong, tested once again

Armstrong’s decision to dismiss the case and thereby not challenge the accusations in court, gave the USDA an opportunity to do what it had tried to do for years: revoke all of Armstrong’s victories. Lance has never failed a drug test. As one of the most tested athletes in the sport, not once has he been convicted of testing positive. So here’s my question: How can you convict someone without having physical proof of drugs in their bloodstream? 

More books create space issue

The recent controversy over whether or not to chuck thousands of print volumes of various academics journals – all of which are fully accessible through JSTOR – has some professors in a tizzy, while librarians plead their case from underneath piles of overflowing texts. 

Letter to the editor: A staff union at UVM would benefit many

The staff is the only group of employees on campus who aren’t unionized. Professors are unionized. Police are unionized. Custodians and maintenance employees are unionized. UVM staff are the only remaining “at will” employees of the University. We can be fired at any time, and our working conditions and benefits can be changed abruptly and without our input. We cannot negotiate our working conditions, we have them imposed on us.

Whipping American literature into shape

What is it about sadomasochism that has attracted the attention of so many people? For those of you that are unfamiliar with S&M, think bondage, whips, and chains. Ten million people in the U.S. have already bought a book that revolves around the S&M theme.

A war is being waged

Between the upcoming 2012 election and the race to humiliate such-and-such political candidate adequately through dramatic television ads, our congressmen — and women — have come up with boatloads of new laws hell-bent on punishing and humiliating women who choose to have control over their body, whether be it through seeking out an abortion or utilizing contraception.