After 141 years of providing the University of Vermont with honest, hard-hitting student journalism, the Vermont Cynic will be closing its doors in Burlington and opening new ones at the University of Arizona.
This announcement follows the news that Interim President Patricia Prelock, self-proclaimed amateur magician and grandma, could be joining former UVM President Suresh Garimella at the University of Arizona, according to a March 31 article in the Arizona Daily Star.
Prelock is not the first to follow in Garimella’s footsteps: earlier this year, Richard Cate, vice president for finance and administration, announced his plans to take on his new role as special advisor to the president at the University of Arizona.
The Vermont Cynic will begin reporting at the University of Arizona in the fall, leaving the upcoming drug issue as the Cynic’s final publication in Catamount Country.
“This is something we’ve actually been planning for a long time,” said Sophia Balunek, former editor-in-chief. “Before Suresh left, actually. It’s just a coincidence, really.”
Despite moving to another state, the Vermont Cynic has no plans of changing the name of the publication, said co-editor-in-chief Zoe Bertsch.
“Have you ever considered what the ‘Cynic’ part of the Vermont Cynic means? Do you take that literally? No. You know why? Because it doesn’t matter. It’s just part of the name. Same goes for the ‘Vermont’ part of the Vermont Cynic. Just part of the name,” she said.
“Our name is part of our brand, our history, spanning back over a hundred years,” said Grace Wang, co-editor-in-chief. “We can’t get rid of all that just because our physical circumstances have evolved. Vermont is in our spirit.”
Within the newsroom, feelings are varied. Some editors have started packing their bags, while others expressed hesitancy to follow UVM administration across state lines.
“I’m just excited to finally get some sun,” said Alex Strand, co-photo editor.
“It’s going to be a big adjustment,” said Ayelet Kaminski, co-opinion editor. “I mean, I love ‘Dune,’ but actually living in the desert? I don’t know, man.”
Some editors were anxious to reunite with recently installed U of A President Garimella.
“I knew Suresh couldn’t go long without his favorite paper,” said news editor Noah Diedrich. “I know he loves our stuff. He was always so quick to reply to our emails and open to interviews.”
Over at the University of Arizona, The Daily Wildcat expresses enthusiasm for the merge of the two papers.
“The Daily Wildcat is excited to welcome the Cynic team to our publication,” stated The Daily Wildcat editor-in-chief Sierra Blaser in an email to the Cynic. “We look forward to having reporters with experience reporting on Garimella, Cate and potentially Prelock. Time to become Wildcats, Catamounts.”
Acting Student Media Advisor Carolyn Shapiro described her initial reaction to the decision as a mixture of confusion, shock and worry for the well-being of the paper.
“I thought they were out of their minds. I was like, are you kids doing drugs? Be honest with me, are you doing drugs in the Cynic office? I told them, just because you’re working hard on drug issue doesn’t mean you need to go method with it,” she said.
UVM’s alternative and satirical newsmag, the Water Tower, expressed mixed feelings about the move of their cousin paper, but is ready to take on next semester’s reporting.
“The Cynic is really showing their privilege fleeing Vermont while we’re stuck under the Tromp administration. But we are prepared to provide the necessary coverage to our student body, whom we are forever loyal to,” said Molly Northrup, a Water Tower social media editor.
The editors remained steadfast that the move was only geographical in nature, and would not result in any core changes to the integrity of the organization.
“Whether we’re operating from the frozen tundra of the Green Mountains or the barren sand dunes of the Sonoran Desert, the Cynic will always be committed to reporting the cold, hard truth. Nothing can change that,” Bertsch said.
Suresh Garimella could not be reached for comment.
