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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

Evolution of the stoner movie

Evolution of the stoner movie

Ayelet Kaminski, Opinion Co-Editor May 1, 2025

The stoner comedy is such a mainstay in popular culture that it’s hard to imagine a world of film without it.  But with the legalization of weed for recreational purposes being a relatively recent...

Vapes began to rise in popularity in the late 2010s.

Nicotine’s generational comeback

Mackenzie Bender, Culture Staff Writer April 30, 2025

Since elementary school, education on the harmful effects of tobacco and nicotine is taught all around the country.  From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention PSAs that played on TV and the...

Poster for Catamount Film Festival hangs in Williams Hall April 13.

The Catamount Film Festival: sharing UVM’s film work with the Burlington community

Maggie O’Shea, Culture Staff Writer April 14, 2025

The student-organized Catamount Film Festival aims to create something that will continue for years to come.  This festival was organized by two senior film and television studies majors, Catherine...

“The Giver:” new identities in country music

“The Giver:” new identities in country music

Peyton Paquette, Culture Staff Writer April 4, 2025

With the release of her new single “The Giver,” Chappell Roan expands the genre and challenges the general societal consensus of what country music is and who can write it. “Good luck finding...

People participating in the UVM Contra Club’s glow-themed dance in Mann Hall March 22.

UVM Contra: spreading the love for folk dancing on campus

Max Handelman, Culture Staff Writer April 1, 2025

Mann Hall shined as rainbow strobe lights bounced off the equally colorful attire of the people filling the room.  Adorned with glitter and glow-in-the-dark face paint, many attendees left their shoes...

Hissy Fit plays March 4.

Battle of the Bands: Skrom goes to SpringFest

Erika Tally, Culture Editor March 31, 2025

Brennan’s Pub became unrecognizable as groups of music-loving students crowded into the makeshift concert venue to support the candidates for this year’s Battle of the Bands. The competition can...

The Culture Staff's Hear Me Outs

The Culture Staff’s Hear Me Outs

Culture Staff March 21, 2025

We all have our guilty secrets, like the celebrity we quietly crush on or an opinion that might receive some backlash. However, the culture and editorial staff are daring enough to expose themselves for...

Performers gather onstage during “Eleganza & Espresso: A Drag Brunch,” at the Vermont Comdey Club

Home is where the herd is: how Vermont Drag Queens have cultivated community in an unlikely place

Maggie Swanborn, Culture Staff Writer March 20, 2025

While Vermont may not have the audience size or cultural capital that has allowed major cities to develop prominent drag communities, the enthusiasm of locals and dedication of local drag artists have...

dug Nap poses with his portrait of a photographer Oct. 15.

dug Nap: a glimpse into the world of a local Vermont folk artist

Maggie O’Shea, Culture Staff Writer March 17, 2025

Inside dug Nap’s cozy Burlington waterfront studio located at 1 Main Street, art lines many of the walls.  A tour of the studio shows each stage of his work. Further inside, Nap has a cozy corner...

A cynical guide to the Oscars

A cynical guide to the Oscars

Ayelet Kaminski and Caitlin Applebee February 28, 2025

The 97th Academy Awards are coming up this Sunday, March 2.  From the looks of it this year, the Academy knew they couldn’t top Barbenheimer and just decided to throw it all at the wall. At least...

Waterman’s doors are made of bronze and cast iron Feb. 13.

Why are the Waterman doors SO heavy?

Paige Bencken, Culture Staff Writer February 21, 2025

The Waterman Building, at 118,385 square feet, is the largest academic building on UVM’s campus, with hundreds of students passing through its doors daily.  Anyone who’s had a class there is well...

What UVM students miss about 2016

What UVM students miss about 2016

Kendall Evans, Culture Staff Writer February 20, 2025

From the premiere of “Stranger Things” to #OscarsSoWhite, 2016 was a wild ride, but the feeling the year conjured hasn’t occurred since.  2016 is spoken about with a particular nostalgia within...

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