The University of Vermont's Independent Voice Since 1883

The Vermont Cynic

The University of Vermont's Independent Voice Since 1883

The Vermont Cynic

The University of Vermont's Independent Voice Since 1883

The Vermont Cynic

2024-2025 Staff

Sophia Balunek
Editor-in-chief

Sophia Balunek

(She/her) Sophia Balunek is a junior majoring in Geography with a minor in Wildlife Biology. She joined the Cynic her freshman year as a staff photographer, then became Photo Editor her sophomore year, and is now stepping up...

Maxine Thornton
Managing Editor

Maxine Thornton

(She/her) Maxine Thornton is a sophomore English major from Nyack, N.Y and serves as the managing editor at the Vermont Cynic. She started at the Cynic as a features staff writer before serving as features editor in 2023. ...

Frances Flood
Operations Manager

Frances Flood

(She/her) Frances Flood is a junior business administration major with a concentration in marketing and a theme in sustainable business, along with a studio art minor. This is her first role at the Vermont Cynic as the operations...

Piper Lightwood
Copy Chief

Piper Lightwood

(She/her) Piper Lightwood is a junior English major from Anchorage, Alaska with minors in political science and reporting and documentary storytelling. She joined the Cynic as a copy editor in her sophomore year before becoming...

Liliana Mefford
Features Editor

Liliana Mefford

(She/her) Liliana Mefford is a sophomore political science major with minors in economics and Spanish from Madison, WI. She started at the Cynic as a features writer, then assistant features editor, and now features editor....

Andrew Gould
News Editor

Andrew Gould

(He/him) Andrew Gould is a sophomore mechanical engineering major from Springfield, VT. He started at the Cynic as a news reporter. In high school, Andrew worked for and later ran his school’s audio/visual production team. ...

Grace Wang
Culture Editor

Grace Wang

(She/her)  Grace Wang is a sophomore environmental science major with a minor in reporting & documentary storytelling from Ann Arbor, MI. Throughout her time with the Cynic, she has been a culture staff writer and photo...

Ayelet Kaminski
Opinion Editor

Ayelet Kaminski

(She/her) Ayelet Kaminski is a sophomore microbiology major and psychology minor from New Haven, CT. She started at the Cynic as a columnist in the fall of 2022 and quickly fell in love with the opinion section. In her free...

Nick Anderson
Sports Editor

Nick Anderson

(He/him) Nick Anderson is a sophomore with a dual major in English and public communication. He really enjoys baseball, collecting posters, playing bass and skiing. Email [email protected] to get in contact wit...

Emma Dinsmore
Digital Media Editor

Emma Dinsmore

(She/her) Emma Dinsmore is a junior elementary education major and political science minor from Queensbury, New York. She has been an Opinion Columnist for the Cynic since the fall of 2021, and became the Digital Media Editor...

Molly Parker
Illustrations Editor

Molly Parker

(She/her) Molly Parker is a senior studio art and anthropology double major from Hopedale, Mass. She had been a member of the illustrations team since the spring of 2020 before becoming editor of the section in the spring of ...

Emily Kobus
Co-Photo Editor

Emily Kobus

(She/her)  Emily Kobus is a sophomore public communication major, concentrating in community media and journalism and minoring in political science. She began her work at the Cynic as a staff photographer before taking on t...

Annalisa Madonia
Co-Photo Editor

Annalisa Madonia

(She/her)  Annalisa Madonia is a sophomore majoring in public communication with minors in food systems, applied design and nutrition and food sciences. She joined the Cynic as a staff photographer before taking on the role...

Charlotte Burns
Podcast Editor

Charlotte Burns

(She/her) Charlotte Burns is a junior from Seattle, Wash., studying public communication, writing and history. She joined the Cynic in the spring of 2023 as the voice and writer of the Cynic Roundup podcast and is thrilled...

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