A Letter to Our Readers
March 18, 2020
Dear Readers, Despite other recent closings and cancellations, we are writing to let you know the Vermont Cynic is still operating. It is the duty of the press to bring you the news in both good times and bad. In fact, in moments like these, we need journalists more than ever to articulate r...
Students, use your vote wisely
February 26, 2020
Voting is one of the most direct ways to participate in democracy. This election season, make sure your vote is an educated one. UVM is a politically engaged campus. Democrats, Republicans and Progressives are all represented here through student groups, and it’s not unusual to see a presidential c...
Floor vandalism needs to stop
February 19, 2020
On Thursday night Feb 13, the Cynic sent a photographer to walk around various UVM dorms to get as many photos as possible of the aftermath of vandalism. To be honest, we thought this was going to be a shot in the dark. We were doubtful that he would see anything. But when he came back, we sat at his c...
SGA is scared to talk to you
January 22, 2020
Dear SGA senators, If you are afraid to talk to another student you don’t know, you should not be on SGA. In their first meeting back this semester, SGA debated for almost two hours over changes to their election process. One of those changes included a debate over the requirement for senators t...
Activists should abide by truth
December 3, 2019
Over this past month, posters have been strewn on tables and tacked to bulletin boards across campus. “DON’T BE THEIR PUPPET,” they read, in white lettering. In the background of the poster, an ominous and dark illustration of a gray hand with red strings tied to each finger holds up a wooden p...
Asbestos should not be a secret
November 20, 2019
In a Nov. 8 email sent to all residents of McAuley Hall on Trinity campus, UVM sought to “address any concerns and clarify any misinformation,” about the asbestos material in the building. This message was sadly long overdue. The email explained that the project discussed in our article “is i...
More women needed on board
November 6, 2019
The student population at UVM is currently 59.9% female, but barely a quarter of the board’s 25 trustees are women. As of fall 2018, 55.9% of faculty and staff combined at UVM were female. The class of 2023 is 61.6% female, according to an Aug. 28 Cynic article. The decisions of the board of trustees...
Give student journalists direct access
October 30, 2019
Over the past month, the Cynic has struggled to obtain interviews with several UVM employees. We’ve hit roadblock after roadblock in our efforts to tell the truth. For our Oct. 8 edition, the Cynic requested an interview with Daphne Wells, director of Student Life. Her email response to the Cynic stated...
Cynic to Chief Tuomey: what’s your 20?
October 23, 2019
For the last three months, UVM Police Chief Lianne Tuomey has been on paid leave. Deputy Chief Tim Bilodeau has been acting in her place. No one has been hired to take the deputy position, leaving UVM Police short on leadership. The University, to put it plainly, has not been forthcoming in providing...
Students, take back your data
October 16, 2019
Since 2018, UVM has softly rolled out its new advising software called Navigate, but how much say have students had in this process? Zero. According to the University’s own webpage detailing the project’s history, there is no indication students were a part of the leadership team for this projec...
Activists: to profit or punish?
October 2, 2019
UVM, where are you? Here you are, posting a “Photo of the Week” of senior Jillian Scannell, SGA president, on your Instagram. You write, “More than 500 community members gathered outside the Davis Center Sept. 20, speaking out and connecting with campus environmental organizations.” Around 600 s...
Keep the Climate Strike going
September 25, 2019
At the Global Climate Strike Sept. 20, we were struck by the messages written on the many handmade signs raised in the air. A young girl, sitting atop a parent’s shoulders, held a sign written in crayon: “Are erth is grat.” Another held by a student, was painted in black and red on a Bernie 20...
