My turn
November 3, 2017
Filed under Letter to the Editor, Opinion
By Thomas J. Gustafson In a letter to the editor last week, some students asserted that UVM “waited four days” to identify the student who allegedly engaged in explicitly racist and threatening language directed toward African American members of our community. This assertion is incorr...
Respect fallen troops; don’t protest
November 3, 2017
Filed under Opinion
Since 2001, 1,645 American soldiers have lost major limbs in combat; another 138,197 American souls have been classified as casualties according to a Congressional Research Service report from Aug. 2015. These men and women earn $29,380 on average fighting to defend our freedoms. These ...
Silent response to racial threats is no response at all
November 2, 2017
Filed under Letter to the Editor, Opinion
Early this October, Wes Richter made a threat against black students. He was quickly reported to authorities at UVM, and our administrators waited one day to send a vague email to students. Then they waited four days to name Richter. He has been charged with disorderly conduct but has not been expelled,...
Getting fined by a person in sweats
November 1, 2017
Filed under Opinion, Staff Editorial
In light of the Richter case, we’re taking a closer look at student rights. According to the code of student rights and responsibilities, “the University recognizes the right of all students to engage in discussion, to exchange thought and opinion, and to speak, write, or publish freely on any subjec...
The great divide: a look into polarization in politics
October 28, 2017
Filed under Opinion
The American public has increasingly migrated toward either end of the political spectrum. And this is exactly what we all wanted. In the U.S. we tend to idolize the endless struggle of good vs. evil to show off how “good” we are. Previously, the “evil” role was filled by the ...
Debate ammunition in favor of gun control
October 27, 2017
Filed under Opinion
A brief list of stupid things and misleading arguments that delay and detract from any productive conversations on gun violence in our country and my responses to them: “In this Constitution, I have the God-given right to my guns.” When that document was published the founding father...
Let’s Talk Month aims to destigmatize sex
October 26, 2017
Filed under Opinion
October is Let's Talk Month, a month-long campaign run by Planned Parenthood to get parents and their children talking about sex. Nearly 82 percent of parents reported talking to their kids about sexuality, according to a 2014 Planned Parenthood survey. However, that...
“Me too” demands change
October 25, 2017
Filed under Opinion, Staff Editorial
So many “Me toos” on social media this past week have made us think long and hard. Too many people have been affected by sexual violence; the number of posts is unfathomable. And as post after post of “Me too” appears on social media, survivors of sexual assault are reminded regularly ...
Letter to the editor
October 19, 2017
Filed under Letter to the Editor, Opinion
This is regarding your Oct. 11 story with the headline, “UVM students organize racial justice forum,” which included a claim that the university’s response to student demands was “a breach of our agreement that the administration would not email their response” to the campus community. University senior leaders did not ent...
Sullivan’s Perkins letter was in poor taste
October 19, 2017
Filed under Letter to the Editor, Opinion
President Sullivan, Your office’s recent email comparing students here at UVM to McCarthy was in incredibly poor taste. Students who are concerned or angry that a UVM building is named Perkins should not be vilified. If you are interested in the history of rhetoric in this country perhaps you...
Scout’s honor” inequality
October 18, 2017
Filed under Opinion, Staff Editorial
Last week, Boy Scouts of America announced that the organization was opening the Eagle Scout rank to girls. We agree that gender is a social construct, and the aim of BSA is to show that anyone should be able to join the scouting organization. We understand that being able to enroll children in...
Safe spaces prevent University diversity of thought
October 14, 2017
Filed under Opinion
Recently, it has seemed that higher education is just a way to delay adulthood. In resident adviser training, we were told to take Trump signs down because of their potential impacts. This is disregarding the First Amendment by censoring views that do not align with the University’s left-...
