On September 21, 2000, the Vermont Cynic headlined a story titled “A new artist whose music is something you need to hear.” The artist in question: Britney Spears. 

Pop stars aren’t the only thing that has changed in the past 25 years. The same year, the Cynic ran advertisements for Verizon Wireless’s Mobile Messenger to “chat without talking,” $50 plane tickets to New York City and a class to teach students how to bartend. 

“Cell phones weren’t a thing, so each dorm had landlines,” said Robin Allen, ‘00, who majored in philosophy. “Laptops and tablets weren’t available, so getting to the computer lab in the morning if you had to write a paper was a necessity. You had to get there early to find a spot to sit.”

Allen is now the human resource director for an educational nonprofit in Maine. During her time at UVM, she lived on Redstone campus, which was predominantly for upperclassmen students, for two years before moving off campus. 

Redstone had a much different atmosphere, with a café in one of the halls, The Hidden Bean, where student bands performed, she said. She remembers going over to watch live music and have coffee with friends. 

Music was a vibrant part of student life, with Higher Ground first opening in 1998. Similarly, a beloved campus tradition, the annual naked bike ride, had just begun during her time here, according to Allen. 

Rayna Freedman, ‘00, who majored in elementary education, remembers other campus traditions from that time.  

“There used to be, at the first snow, a snowball fight with the main campus,” she said. “We also used to steal the cafeteria trays and go sledding.” 

Freedman also mentioned that the campus used to have a Twister competition in the gym and broomball competitions against dorm floors.

Now teaching in Massachusetts, Freedman was a member of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority and worked at local Burlington schools during her time at UVM. She reminisced about the campus community and her favorite spots on Church Street.

“My favorite restaurant was the Red Onion, which I heard closed,” said Freedman. “Penny Clues Café on the weekend for pancakes.”

She spoke very highly about her time at UVM.

“The University prepared me for teaching more so than probably any new teacher in my district,” Freedman said.

April Christenson, ‘00, a biology major and now program coordinator for UVM Writing Centers, reflected on the constant construction that characterized her time here.

“The Davis Center, Innovation, Discovery and the Central Campus Residential Hall didn’t exist, and what is the Davis tunnel now was basically a gigantic, open culvert,” Christenson said. “A Taco Bell was at one end, which filled the tunnel with the smell of seasoned beef.” 

Christenson also described the environment in the dormitories, mentioning a popular game at the time, World of Warcraft. 

“Students would often play against each other on the same residential floor; you could sometimes hear them yelling at each other across the hall,” Christenson said. “Those who didn’t have computers eagerly awaited their turn.” 

Although it may be hard to imagine a campus without modern-day technology, many of the students’ favorite activities have remained constant throughout the past 25 years.  

“Some of my best memories were just sitting with friends on a sunny day outside,” Allen said. 

Twenty five years later, graduating senior Matt Sorensen shared some of his favorite things about UVM. 

“I love attending campus events and meeting new people at niche events that bring people together,” Sorensen said. “UVM is so creative and unique in its interests on campus which results in a lot of fun events and traditions.”

For the upcoming graduating class of 2025, Freedman recommends graduates soak it all in and have faith in themselves as they enter the job market.

“UVM prepares people for the world and you got to be able to trust that,” she said.