Category Archives: CVU Community

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CVU Community, Volume '22, Issue 1, Wellness

Navigating CVU’s reporting system

January 11, 2023 cvcadmin

HINESBURG, VT – Are students during the 21-22 CVU High School being ignored when reporting racism themselves or on behalf of other students? Are complaints being followed through? Is action being taken on these reports? These are the questions CVU students have following concerns regarding the reporting system.

New rules and regulations were put into place at the start of the 22-23 school year in response to CVU events including the racial justice protest. This was a school wide walkout that students did in response to national racial reckoning and the Black Lives Matter movement in April of 2021.

The new regulations include online reports, surveys, and more. Information on the reporting system can be found online on the CVU website, detailing how the process works. “…The House Director will give you a copy of the CVU BHH [bullying, harassment, hazing) procedures and go over it with you, making sure you understand the process. You will be asked to share your perspective on what happened. After an investigation, the House Director(s) and/or Title IX Coordinator will make a determination as to whether there is a violation of the BHH policy. A record will be made of the complaint and outcome (due to confidentiality, you will not be told of consequences for others involved).” (CVU Handbook)

Even though these systems are in place, students are voicing how they do not feel heard, “A teacher told me that [student name] is allowed to say slurs, and CVU can’t retaliate,” says a CVU senior, 17, who has chosen to stay anonymous. When asked how this made them feel, they responded, “Honestly, I was expecting it. I have never had great luck at CVU with reporting situations.” Students at CVU simply want to see results and feel like they will be protected in the school environment.

The reporting system is something that neither students or faculty feel is transparent enough. “What we know is very vague,” says a teacher at CVU who has requested to stay anonymous. When asked if they think reports are being dealt with, they say, “I think it’s a combination of both. There have been cases where the school has done nothing; I’ve heard ‘boys will be boys’ and whatnot, and it’s bullshit.”

Faculty members at CVU are Mandatory Reporters for any bullying, discrimination, or hazing they see in the building. This means that….. Teachers show that they are advocates for CVU students by reporting these acts to CVU. The strict confidentiality means that teachers nor students get to know the outcome of the report or if there was any action taken. “…But everything is confidential, so there are no specifics. I know it’s frustrating, it’s frustrating for me, I can’t imagine how frustrating it is for students of color,” says an anonymous teacher. “ As teachers and students, we don’t know many details that go into the investigations. I know SJA is pushing CVU to give us more information about the process. I think that if there is action and consequences for the reported situation, we should know the outcome of the investigation. I know the school is working hard to combat this.” Knowing that the adults in the building care about CVU’s students of color matters most for both faculty and students, but the system as it exists now does not reassure people that change is actually taking place.

After an interview with the principal of CVU, Adam Bunting, he opened up about his own struggles and experiences with the reporting system. “I think one challenge of [dealing with] bullying, harassment, and hazing is that it feels so formal.” With the private investigation, the steps the school must follow (such as making sure this doesn’t create more drama, making sure students respect the confidentiality agreement within the report, etc) he recognizes this issue and feels for the students, “even if you know there’s been an investigation and you know there’s been consequences, you don’t necessarily feel better about it, and that’s something we’re really working on as a school based on feedback.”

As for the action taken among the system after complaints, there has indeed been a significant improvement on the faculty side. “I think in the past there has been so much focus on the consequences on the person who inflicted the harm, but often what happens is the person who’s received the harm doesn’t get to experience that repair,” says Bunting. In the past year, faculty members have worked hard in figuring out how to achieve that feeling of safety for the student, “So let’s say you had a complaint that was verified against someone else, and you’re like ‘when I see that person in the hallway or in class, it’s so uncomfortable’ we’re taking that person out of your class and mapping this person’s progress through the hallways so you don’t see them.”

The improvement within the system is definitely on the forefront of the minds of administrators, but it is going to be a process. Students should know that complaints are absolutely being taken into consideration, and although some students have felt unjustified in the past, there has been a lot of growth since then. We are looking forward to seeing how improvements and changes are made throughout the rest of the 23’ school year.

CVU Community, Volume '22, Issue 1, Wellness

Should school start later?

January 11, 2023 cvcadmin

By Bevan Roberts-Williams

The time that school starts has always been a debate between students and schools. Most teenagers don’t enjoy waking up for school or going to bed early. As a result, these students are tired throughout the school day. Is the lack of sleep impacting the student’s ability to work? Are students attentive during their first period? Should CVU change when school starts, or is the responsibility on the student?

According to John Hopkins medicine, teens need more sleep than the average adult, but school start times in the mornings can make the amount of sleep students get be less than sufficient. When teenagers experience sleep deprivation, the effects can certainly be detrimental to their grades. Teenagers may experience mentally ‘drifting off’ in class, a shortened attention span, and concentration difficulties.

A CVU senior, Molly Simons, has said that she is “barely” engaged in her first period class. Along with this, she has reported feeling especially tired on her longer days of school. Despite this, she does not wish the school day started later, stating “I like getting my work done sooner in the day.” On average, Molly sleeps 7 hours and 45 minutes, which is far less than the recommendation of 8-10 hours of sleep per night.

Adult bodies, and children before they hit puberty, have a natural sleep cycle that starts at 10-11pm when the brain essentially tells you to go to sleep. According to Johns Hopkins sleep expert Laura Sterni, teenagers experience a natural shift in circadian rhythm (a natural, internal process that regulates sleep). For teenagers, the need for sleep is delayed for about two hours, making falling asleep early more difficult for them than the average adult.

A CVU senior, Zach Zizza, sleeps about 5 hours a night, but must “consume enough caffeine” to keep him awake. He does not feel that he gets enough sleep, but it “doesn’t matter” to him when school starts in the morning, especially considering his first class starts at 11:35.

A teacher at CVU, Lacey Richards, says this about her first period class, “my students are significantly more tired in the morning, but by the fourth block they’re pretty out of it as well.” She also states that she has worked at CVU for 16 years, and the start time has improved significantly, saying it “makes sense for school to start later.” When asked if she thinks the start time should be later, she says “I think it’s pretty good where it is. I think if we started later it would begin to interfere with sports and other afterschool activities.”

There is no clear solution for the sleep deprivation of students, because of their natural sleep cycle and the inability to start later. The lack of sleep affects both the students and the teachers, by hindering the students’ ability to focus during the earlier hours of the day.

Arts and Sciences, CVU Community, Volume '22, Issue 1, Wellness

History of Men’s Gymnastics

January 11, 2023 cvcadmin

Aidan Militello

Gymnastics has been my passion since I was two years old, and after almost 14 years of doing this sport I began to wonder. Where did gymnastics even come from? It was difficult to imagine how someone could even invent something like gymnastics, so I decided to find out.

Men’s gymnastics is a sport that dates back thousands of years, with the earliest recorded evidence of gymnastics being practiced by the ancient Greeks. In fact, the word “gymnastics” itself comes from the Greek word “gymnos,” which means “naked,” as the ancient Greeks believed that physical exercise should be performed in the nude.

These early civilizations used gymnastics as a way to train soldiers and prepare them for battle. They believed that physical strength and agility were essential for success in war, and so they placed a great emphasis on gymnastics as a means of training their soldiers.

But how did gymnastics go from an ancient Greek training method for warriors to the sport we know today? Well in large part it was due to Friedrich Ludwig Jahn, also known as the “Turnvater,” or “father of gymnastics.” He was a German educator and nationalist who is credited with being the founder of modern men’s gymnastics. Jahn founded the first gymnastics club in Germany in 1811, which he called the “Turnverein,” or “gymnastics club.” The first gymnastics club Jahn created was constructed outside, and consisted of several wooden climbing structures, as well as early forms of the parallel bars, pommel horse, rings, and highbar.

Jahn was enraged by the sights of Napoleon taking over his homeland of Prussia, he decided that he would empower his people into taking arms by training them using gymnastic movements.

As a result of Jahn’s attempts at empowering the people to fight against Napoleon, his outdoor gymnastics facility was eventually closed in 1819. However several turnplatz inspired gyms started opening in the United States during 1825, and gymnastics continued to gain popularity until its eventual inclusion in the first modern olympic games in 1896. There were 6 individual events competed at these games, parallel bars, horizontal bar, vault, rings, pommel horse, and rope climbing.

At the 1920 olympics in Antwerp Belgium, the floor exercise was competed for the first time. However the routines most likely consisted mainly of calisthenic movements as opposed to tumbling. At the 1936 Olympics, we can finally start to see modern men’s gymnastics take shape. The men competed only on floor, pommel horse, rings, vault, parallel bars, and high bar. There was no rope climbing, calisthenics, or any other unrelated gymnastics movement at this Olympics.

Gymnastics continued to evolve during the 1900’s before experiencing a boom in popularity during the cold war, when countries began to view the olympics as a way to passively one up each other. The Olympics went from a sporting event, to more of a cultural war between countries, and it still remains this way to this day. However the boom in popularity was mostly on the women’s side of gymnastics, with gymnasts like Olga Korbut gaining worldwide popularity for her skills.

Men’s gymnastics has continued to evolve to this day, with new and more difficult skills being created all the time. Almost impossible movements such as triple backflips on the floor, to backflips with two twists over the highbar being done.

However men’s gymnastics never quite gained the same popularity as women’s gymnastics, and in recent years with title nine colleges have begun to cut their men’s gymnastics teams, as well as many other smaller sports teams, in order to allocate funding for more women’s sports. Over the last 60 years, the number of collegiate men’s gymnastics teams has gone from 200 in 1960, to just 13 this year. While the future of men’s gymnastics becomes uncertain, it is still one of the most incredible and difficult sports on the planet.

1* https://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large-5/ancient-greek-gymnastics-science-source.jpg

2*https://www.alamy.com/drawing-of-an-outdoor-gym-in-todays-volkspark-hasenheide-at-the-time-of-the-turnvater-father-of-gymnastics-friedrich-ludwig-jahn-undated-image-image345687157.html

3*https://www.gymnastics-history.com/2022/01/1896-gymnastics-at-the-olympic-games/

4*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pr57hTIMcn4

5*https://www.facebook.com/InternationalGymnast/photos/a.129357528137/10154003557713138/?paipv=0&eav=AfYGGStF4zxGqqukHlQGtXg6kCOaFcJt7144XQ2ECwAuMO2D5o1HAnhrVMffGlcI9lU&_rdr

CVU Community, Volume '22, Issue 1, Wellness

Into the Lives of The CVU Maintenance Staff

January 11, 2023 cvcadmin

Aidan Militello

We all see them around the school, cleaning the bathrooms, driving the floor cleaner, riding on golf carts. But who are the people that do these jobs at CVU?

I interviewed Tom Mongeon, a master electrician, and Director of Maintenance for CVU. We talked about what kind of work the maintenance staff does, as well as what the lives of the crew look like outside of CVU.

In November of 2011, Tom was working on the CVU campus servicing HVAC equipment (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) when the previous maintenance director said that CVU was looking for a master electrician. After looking into the job offer further, he decided to take it.

Over the years he eventually became the director of maintenance. Now he manages the inside maintenance staff as well as the outside grounds crew. Tom also does hands-on repairs and maintenance for the building, project management during the summer, and he manages the maintenance budget.

Something that was surprising to learn was that a majority of the CVU maintenance crew live in Hinesburg and are actually former CVU students that have graduated and returned to the school to work.

What does life outside of CVU look like for Tom? He mostly enjoys spending time outdoors with his family, as well as fixing up cars in his spare time.

In conclusion, the custodial staff at CVU are an integral part of the school community. These individuals often work behind the scenes and go unnoticed, but their contributions to the cleanliness and maintenance of the school should not be underestimated.

Kathy Aube

Marilyn Mashia

Robert Siple

Bambi Loftus

Arts and Sciences, CVU Community, Opinion & Review, Volume '22, Issue 1, Wellness

CVU Student Successfully Misses All Deadlines Except One

January 11, 2023 cvcadmin

By Vivien Sorce

A CVU student in Journalism has finally met their first news story deadline following a semester of overdue pieces.

On January 11, at 10:30 am, the Hinesburg resident known as V – a senior at CVU – officially submitted their final article for review. Previous evidence provided by their teacher, Terwillegar, reveals that they missed the deadlines of submission for every one of their four articles written in the Journalism course over the semester. The four pieces have since been turned in. This slow progress posed a serious problem for both teacher and student, as part of Journalism is meant to be reporting news in a timely fashion.

V enrolled in the Journalism course in the spring of 2022: “I mean, this will be a great fun class for me, I’ll stop procrastinating, I can write about what I’m actually interested in, maybe do some photojournalism as well. I think this subject will be a favorite.” When the course began September 2nd, it turned out that may not be the case.

The first piece began drafting in early September. V chose to write a longer feature article on Lgbtq+ rights across the US; this was without regard to the time constraints, or difficulty of the topic. While research and the general writing of the piece was steady paced and intriguing for them, interviews and revision were “a grueling process that turned out much more difficult and long lasting than expected.” The article started According to Terwillegar, “V turned in a great article, just… about a month and a half late.”

Despite V’s interest in the topic, writing in an accelerated timeline was notedly a challenge for them: “despite how hard I tried, I kept getting stuck on where to go next with my pieces as I attempted to write fast and interview people – I kept over analyzing my pieces and not being able to finish them on time.” Within almost three months, V only completed the one extensive feature article, when weekly submissions were expected. “As much as I love the class, I don’t think Journalism is quite working for me.”

Before Thanksgiving break, a new assignment was begun. Once again, due the day before break started, the package was ideally hashed out quickly and drafted so it could be revised. V fell behind by first revising the unfinished begining before even getting interviews – the piece was not finished for another three weeks after break. According to them, the package was a fun project because they got to work with video and sound elements as well.

At this point a change occurred: by working with a fellow classmate on the next two pieces, they were able to collaborate on a piece on the CVU Darkroom, then a feature story on the new Ceramics teacher and room. These articles were much more enjoyable for them and both were nearly finished on time.

By the end of the course, Lede paragraphs were becoming second nature and interviews much easier. Writing in a way that included no opinion or author perspective was an interesting lesson that made V “think in a different way and write as if I were the reader.”

And deadlines: deadlines were starting to be met… after all, it’s about time.

Arts and Sciences, CVU Community, Opinion & Review, Photojournalism, Volume '22, Issue 1, Wellness

“Hoping For Sugar” reactions

January 11, 2023 cvcadmin

By: Taylor Rock

I asked a few staff members to read and react to my poetry book Hoping For Sugar. I have been writing my book for about a year through independent study in the Nexus program. It contains poetry regarding relationships with others that I have experienced throughout my life, and the emotions surrounding them. It is meant to be an emotional roller coaster, and to let others know that they are not alone in what they experience.

Michelle Fongemie reading I hope you starve from Hoping For Sugar by Taylor Rock. Fongemie says, “Wow! That is a dagger straight to your chest!”

Fongemie reading Monochromatic from Hoping For Sugar by Taylor Rock.

Olivia Gatti reading from Hoping For Sugar by Taylor Rock. Gatti has been a major help with editing and inspiration for other books.

Gatti and I talked about several ideas for Hoping For Sugar. I enjoy the passion she has for all things literature, and she portrays them well through her body language.

As I am sure you can tell, we had a great time reading some of my work together. Gatti will continue to be one of my favorites as I move on to new books and places.

Rex McCoy has also been a large supporter of my work. He always has something to say about any kind of work that I put before him.

McCoy is a bit camera shy; however, he graciously agreed to react to my book for me. We both could not stop laughing, and had a great time reading together. I appreciate McCoy’s cooperation and participation.

Arts and Sciences, CVU Community, Volume '22, Issue 1, Wellness

vandalism/ vandalisme

January 11, 2023 cvcadmin

By Rianne Nagelhout

I am Rianne, an exchange student from the Netherlands, and since I have been here I have noticed how good this school is maintained compared to my old school. I decided to go and look at the differences in vandalism between CVU and my old school back home Het Streek Lyceum. I’m also going to be looking at Städtisches Gymnasium Kamen that is in Germany.

The lockers from two different schools. Above is CVU, below is Het Streek Lyceum.

Vandalism that was found in bathrooms in the different schools from top to bottom: Städtisches Gymnasium Germany, Kamen Het Streek Lyceum Netherlands, and CVU.

What I realized that there is way less vandalism at CVU then the other schools I compared it to.

CVU Community, US Headlines, Vermont, Volume '22, Issue 1, Wellness

Burlington’s Recent Rise In Crime: Why Is It Happening?

January 11, 2023 cvcadmin

By Sam Daley

From petty theft all the way to homicide, crime has been at a 5 year high across the Burlington area. But what’s been causing this rise? And why is it so hard to fix?

In 2021, in response to national controversy and protest, Burlington cut funding to the police force by 30%. Crime has been on the rise since then, with fourteen gunfire incidents in 2021 and over twenty in 2022, as opposed to the old average reported incidents of two. Given this information, you would think the easiest solution would be to just revert that change and bring more money into the force, right? Well, no. That cut has since been reversed, but crime is still increasing. So what is the problem? It’s the same problem that has been affecting small businesses across the entire country since the start of the pandemic, the staffing shortage.

The funding cuts for the police reduced the maximum number of employed officers from around 100 to 74, but according to the New York Times, there are “61 officers in the force, but only 53 are actively deployed because of issues like injury or military service…” The NY times gets a little bit of data wrong here. They state that the maximum employed officers is 74, but when funding was reinstated the cap was returned back to 100. This means that just over half of the police force were supposed to have are currently employed, with some days only having 2 or 3 armed officers in the downtown area at a given time.

The force has been stretched so thin that they are not only having trouble dealing with the major spike in violent crime in the city, with over 10 times the old national average in gunfire incidents, but an officer says “…staffing cuts in the department made it difficult to pursue minor crimes…”(NY Times.) This quote was taken from an officer’s conversation with a woman whose bike was stolen not too long ago. In fact, bike theft has been a major problem amongst all people in Burlington, but especially UVM students. The New York Times states that “about 220 bikes, valued at $267,000, had been stolen in and around the city since June.” There have been incidents of people grinding bike racks off cars, breaking bike locks, and people have been seen just casually riding around on these stolen bikes. Some of the stolen bikes are ridden, and some are scrapped and presumably sold.

There is some data showing that Priority 1 911 calls, which consist of “…domestic assaults, shooting and other gunfire incidents… drug overdoses, suicides, and 911 hang-ups…” have a lower percentage that are affecting overall public safety, with the latter 3 options are not considered affecting safety of others. Drug overdoses and suicides have been happening much more often than in previous years with the pandemic’s effect on everyone’s mental health, and the total number of Priority 1 calls is still very high right now.

While crime rates have been much higher than previous years, Burlington was previously considered one of the lowest crime cities in the whole country. The city, even with the higher crime rates, is still relatively safe compared to other cities across America, however that does not mean it doesn’t come with its dangers. Burlington is still an amazing and beautiful city, but hopefully this data can help anyone who lives in Burlington or is traveling there, whether that be for just going to church street, living there, or going to UVM, remain vigilant and safe in these turbulent times.

Image Source: https://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/two-dead-one-wounded-in-burlington-shooting/Content?oid=36049833&media=AMP+HTML

CVU Community, Volume '22, Issue 1, Wellness

Are you studying wrong?

January 11, 2023 cvcadmin

Story by Victoria Chyra

Many people don’t like studying or have trouble with it. But is there something like studying wrong?

Every student needs to learn and study for school but which study methods are effective and how many different options are there?

A couple of decades ago it was inconceivable for educators to tailor their materials and teaching approach towards the individual student. However the idea of different learning styles was first introduced in the mid 70’s, since then many different ways have been discovered which made it easier for each student to study.

Those are the 7 basic styles of learning:

Visual – Most learners prefer to visual concepts by using images, flown charts, mind maps etc. to acquire new material

Aural (Auditory and Musical) – These people are positively affected by sounds and often resort background music to retain new information.

Verbal – students need to listen, speak and read to process new material. They benefit from recording notes and lectures for later listening, reading aloud and putting ideas into words.

Physical – In this style movements and tactile impressions work the best for learning. This doesn’t only mean jumping and dancing but also includes drawing diagrams and writing down key information.

Solitary (Intrapersonal) – these learners perform better when they are left to their own devices. They benefit from self-paced courses and are very focused on personal associations.

Social (Interpersonal) – This learning style is the opposite of Solitary. Those people learn the best through group discussions, role plays and activities.

Logical – using logical reasoning and drawing associations is the best option for these people because they need to see the connections and dive deeper into the relationships between ideas.

Those are the 7 basic learning styles. However you can’t simply categorize one person to just one style because almost all of us use more than just one way to study. Nonetheless we all have our own preferences. Some might feel comfortable reading long pages, other people on the other hand might struggle with that and prefer short key points or group discussions.

But is there something like studying wrong?

The answer is simple. No.

There isn’t such a thing as just one right method. Christopher Smith, a teacher at CVU also agrees with that, saying, “ I don’t think there is one method. I think it all depends upon your approach and how you learn. There are too many different approaches to it, to say there is just one perfect answer. Which is the problem. I think we are trying to quantify things down to ‘This is the way you should read. This is the way to do this.’ But you need to figure it out for you, which will be different to how I do it.”

However, it may be that students use a way of learning which is not the best fit for them, which again is not the most effective.

According to a survey, the most popular studying method among CVU students is repetitive reading followed by rewriting notes. A lot of students also like to discuss their material with other students and watch videos. However there are even more ways to study which are used, like: reading out loud, practicing specific problems, doing additional work, using flashcards and doing homework.

A lot of people also use study programs like Quizlet, Knowt, Quizizz or Kahoot.

The survey showed as well that most of the students use two or more methods to help them memorize and learn new material.

So whenever you feel like your learning isn’t effective and doesn’t bring you the results you were hoping for, maybe try out a new approach, so your studying becomes more fun and effective!

CVU Community, Vermont, Volume '22, Issue 1

Graduation: A time of hope or fear pt 2

January 11, 2023 cvcadmin

By Molly Simons

Three months ago, I wrote a story interviewing 3 seniors to see how they felt about graduating. I decided to follow up with them to see how their opinions changed. Bevan Roberts, 17, Jameela Memoli, 17, and Maggie Whitman, 17, all stated how excited they were to see what happens next, although they were going to miss their friends and families.

Bevan has been accepted into three colleges so far with still waiting for seven. So far, St Micheal’s, Roger Williams, and Johnson & Wales being her favorite so far for studying criminology. She explained her love for the campus including the fact that “there are only four days of classes so you have Friday off. The school has three private beaches for the college students.” Her parents are sad that she is leaving seeing as how her older brother is in college currently so they are worried about “being alone”.

Jameela has been accepted into Fisher College in Boston. She is still waiting on three, with Southern New Hampshire being her favorite. She is very excited to leave Vermont. “Southern New Hampshire’s college had a great atmosphere, and the campus, including the dorm rooms, is really nice!” She said she wants to “study criminal justice and do forensic science as my major.”

Maggie got accepted into Sienna, which is her safety school. She is still waiting to hear back from UVM which she made an early decision for. Maggie is the first kid in her family to go off to college. She stated that “I have two younger siblings, and I am going to miss their presence a lot.”

As the school year is coming to an end, and seniors are making college decisions you can tell some are very stressed for this next big step, but all students are getting excited about this next big chapter!

CVU Community, US Headlines, Volume '22, Issue 1, World News

Ukraine Roundup #2: Nov-Dec

January 11, 2023 cvcadmin

BY JACOB RUSSELL

This is the second update for the ongoing Ukraine War, in hopes that it will help inform and educate members of our CVU community on global affairs and events. By informing our local communities, we can stay informed on the affairs of other countries and the actions taken by our countries leaders in response.

Ahead of the coming G7 summit; hosted by Germany, questions have been raised over the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The conflict is one of many that the nation’s leaders have said to be discussing, with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenski to attend the summit virtually. The summit has been called due to a recent call that occurred between Zelenski and President Biden in early December.

According to NBC News, Putin has recently conducted a visit to Belarus where Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated the country was Russia’s “number one ally” and the Kremlin hinted at its potential plan to conduct a “special military operation” with Belarus.

CNBC has also reported that multiple Russian drones have struck key infrastructure points in Ukraine’s capital city of Kyiv, with Ukrainian forces claiming to have shot down over 30 “kamikaze” drones within the city. This event demonstrates how drone warfare may be a precursor to how future wars will be fought not with boots on the ground, but with machines programmed to kill.

Although the war is still ongoing, hopefully developments at the upcoming G7 summit can pave the road for a swift end to the almost year long conflict that has claimed thousands of lives in the process.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/27/politics/joe-biden-g7-summit-day-two-volodymyr-zelensky/index.html

CVU Community, Sports, Volume '22, Issue 1, Wellness

What Sports Do CVU Students and Staff Watch?

January 11, 2023 cvcadmin

By Kyle Marvin

A survey was sent out to students and staff at CVU asking questions about what sports they’ve watched, their favorite sports to watch, and why they do or don’t like watching certain sports. It turns out that people’s opinions are pretty split.

Across the world, soccer/football is the most popular sport. But at CVU, unsurprisingly, American football is the most popular. About 77% of people who responded to a survey said they had watched football in the last year. Soccer comes in third with about 48% of people saying that they have watched it in the last year.

About 24% of people that responded said that American football was their favorite sport to watch, and about 12% said soccer was their favorite. These two sports being the two most common favorites also means that they are disliked by many. According to the survey, soccer and football are tied for the third most disliked sports, getting 16% of people saying they dislike watching them. Golf was the most disliked sport with 29% of people disliking it, and baseball with 22%.

Why do people like or dislike these sports, though? A lot of people said that they didn’t enjoy watching sports that are “boring” or “slow-paced”. Those responses explain why people disliked sports like golf or baseball because golf and baseball have many breaks in between actions. This doesn’t however explain why people say they dislike soccer or football. Soccer and football both have breaks in the game, but for the most part are fast-paced.

Many people that responded said that they disliked sports that they hadn’t even watched in the last year. This could be because of memories of watching the sport a long time ago and not remembering it clearly or because of things they hear from other people exaggerating how much they hate a particular sport, which I know I hear a lot.

One respondent brought up that, in their opinion, “the quality of play we are seeing in Major League Baseball is excellent and exciting.” Yet the MLB attendance numbers have decreased from 2019 to 2021. The other major sports leagues in the US, apart from the NFL, have also decreased their attendance numbers from 2019 to 2021.

With all of the results from the survey and the changes in attendance in major sports leagues across the US, it’s easy to see that the popularity of sports changes over time. It would be interesting to see the results of the same survey ten years from now.

CVU Community, Opinion & Review, Our Natural World, Vermont, Volume '22, Issue 1, Weather

A Guide to Christmas Trees: When to Buy, How Much You’ll Pay, and Artificial trees versus Traditional

January 9, 2023 cvcadmin

By Jocelyn Kaplan

A Christmas tree is a common centerpiece to the American Christmas experience. Getting a Christmas tree is more nuanced than it may seem, as it involves several aspects. The buyer must contemplate when to purchase the tree, the price, and whether an artificial tree or a living tree suits their needs best.

Many Vermonters agree that the best time to obtain a tree is in the beginning of December. CVU senior Anna Arsovski agrees that anytime before December 1st is too early, “If you get your tree too early, it’ll be dead before Christmas.”

Country Living agrees with Anna, stating, “Typically, real Christmas trees last five to six weeks if they are looked after properly.” Many Vermonters follow Country Living’s advice and get their tree three weeks before Christmas.

CVU seniors Julia Hunt and Maggie Whitman both wait until after the Thanksgiving festivities to end before getting a tree. Julia Hunt discusses how her family wants the healthiest tree for Christmas: “Most of the Christmas magic comes from the tree, and one you get too early in the season will be droopy and sad.”

While many Vermont families get their tree the second December rolls around, getting a tree is a several hour process that does not easily fit into everyone’s busy schedules. Robert Kaplan, a Vermont attorney, gets his Christmas tree two days before Christmas every year. “It’s the first real time I have off to spend several hours picking and transporting a tree. In a perfect world, I would get it early and have it up all season, but it’s not feasible for my family.”

The economic factor that comes with buying a tree is a big consideration of when families get their tree. According to Time Magazine, the busiest day to get a tree is the first Saturday of December. The weekend after Black Friday is when Christmas tree prices skyrocket.

Prices can reach as high as $80 during the first weekend of December, and fall as low as $30 right before Christmas eve. Maggie Whitman’s tree purchased from a tree farm in Huntington was $60. Robert Kaplan’s tree was only $35 on the Wednesday before Christmas last year.

If getting a cheap tree is a priority, waiting until as close to Christmas as possible would be the best option. Another financially secure option are artificial trees.

Artificial trees eliminate the hassle of buying a tree every year and worrying about the tree dying, but they are an investment. According to Consumer Reports, the average artificial tree purchased in 2019 was $104, but due to pandemic related supply chain issues the new average price for an artificial tree is $131. While artificial trees are initially expensive, the overall cost is cheaper as they are only purchased once.

Owning an artificial tree is a less common option, but it is a very legitimate replacement to a traditional tree, along with several surprising benefits.

Lindsey Auriemma, a CVU senior, switched last year from a real tree to artificial. “I think my parents were sick of cleaning up the needles on the ground. Also we always know it’s going to fit in the house, which isn’t a guarantee with real Christmas trees. One year our tree scraped the ceiling and there was serious damage.”

Daynara Galvez, a CVU senior, has always had an artificial tree. “My mom thinks they’re prettier and also more manageable. It’s expensive initially but the investment pays off every year.”

While an artificial tree is manageable and prevents the mess a Christmas tree brings, the buying of article trees impacts small tree farm businesses. A Christmas tree farmer interviewed by the Huffington Post says, “Farmers plant millions of Christmas trees every single year, and without the business to sell them, they could lose thousands of dollars spent on the tree care.” An artificial tree may be cheaper in the long run, but it hurts the businesses around the community.

Overall, Vermont citizens appear to get their trees early in December and while the tree is in good condition for Christmas, they have to deal with the hefty price tag. The ideal time to get a tree based on cost would be Christmas Eve, but the cheapest long-term option would be investing in an artificial tree. Getting an artificial tree does impact small businesses, so if able to buy a living tree from a Christmas tree farm that would be the best option.

CVU Community, Volume '22, Issue 1, Wellness

Exam Week: Are You Stressed?

January 9, 2023 cvcadmin

By Maggie Whitman

After returning from winter break, students and teachers alike will quickly jump into the dreaded finals week to finalize Semester one. Although, do all students feel this dread? Finals week has been notorious for dumping immense amounts of stress, chaos, and weariness on young adults, and maybe even teachers, but is that changing this year?

So the big question was asked, are you stressed? Molly Simons and Jocelyn Kaplan, seniors at CVU, both answered yes. For Molly, she’s most stressed about AP Human Geography. Jocelyn’s stressed about AP Physics. Are Advanced Placement (AP) classes the issue at hand?

According to a study done by The University of Wisconsin-Madison, Advanced placement courses are a direct link to lower self esteem and lost confidence. Although this sounds daunting, it’s actually proven this doesn’t alter the effectiveness or legitimacy of the AP courses. Found in their study, low self esteem issues don’t correlate with doing worse in a class. If anything, this is building important problem solving skills for the future and will properly prepare them for the workload that is college.

Another big stress is the changing of classes. The fall semester finals week marks the end of lots of classes. CVU will be a revolving door around the building during mid January. Fortunately, this can lead to a better schedule for some. Jocelyn Kaplan told us her future semester is much lighter, only having her AP classes rolling over. New schedules will mean new change, and change is good, but not according to Molly. Her spring semester will be very busy meaning she is very much not excited.

Important question for students: do you prefer a self made project reflecting your research and comprehension skills throughout the semester, or are you old-fashion and prefer an exam that only requires studying and showing up to take said exam. 100% of respondents said they’d rather do a project all the way. According to most, they believe it’s a better representation of their learning and they don’t have as much stress.

Arts and Sciences, CVU Community, Volume '22, Issue 1, Wellness

A Soiree But With Clay

January 9, 2023 cvcadmin

By Brigid Skidd & Vivien Sorce

“You think that maybe you could literally spend the rest of your life learning all about it [ceramics]”

Over the summer of 2022, CVU rearranged its art rooms, resulting in a larger Ceramics room and changes to the layout of most other art classes. Emily Mitchell, the new ceramics teacher at CVU delves into the details of the move and her perspective on ceramics at CVU.

Who are you and how long have you been teaching?

“My name is Emily Mitchell, I am one of the art teachers at CVU, and this is my 22nd or 23rd year teaching.”

How did you come to be teaching at CVU?

Mitchell: “So I actually was hired at CVU in 2005 and I was a teacher here from 2005 until 2013. I taught Intro to Ceramics, Advanced Drawing, Painting and AP Art (not all at the same time but over the course of my time here). In 2019 I was actually teaching in Burlington Elementary School for the last three years and then Abby Bowker shifting to WCS opened a shift to the positions and I reapplied, went through the process again of interviewing and such, and then got rehired.”

How did the art rooms change this year and where is the Ceramics room now?

Mitchell: “So it was a domino effect, but basically what was the Photography/Design Tech room split into two – to be a Photography/Design room, and to have a Design Tech room where our office was previously. Our office is now where the service room used to be, the Ceramics room is in 146 now with a storage closet in the Kiln room and room 144 is our new drawing studio.”

What were some challenges of teaching in the small space of the old ceramics room?

Mitchell: “The size of the room was very limiting, not so much in what we were able to do but more just how big people could work to a certain extent, and it was just, we were very much on top of each other like no question about it. That being said, one thing I miss about that room is that we were on top of each other – and so therefore there was you know, we sat family style like a big long table and so everyone was sitting with everybody else and I do kind of miss that because I think this room with our three shorter tables kind of lends itself to people separating into different groups. I do miss that part, that’s okay I think having more work space, having the wheels have a little breath around them is a lot better.”

What are some changes that you’d make to this room that would get you back to something like the family style?

Mitchell: “The best way to set up the space – I’m someone who has to be in a space to use it, tweak it, live it, I’m going to work with it organically; so it’s probably honestly going to take me a couple years to figure out how to set up the space and we keep tweaking things that just haven’t gotten on the punch list yet, just because it’s going to keep changing I think as I settle in and figure out things that will work best in the space and also how to work with access in the space as well.

Is there anything else that has improved with the new room?

Mitchell: “The amount of light for sure, and then, I think ceramics being in this kind of closed space is better for everyone’s health, keeping all the clay together in one space, I think it’s a lot better from a safety perspective and having bigger counter space is fantastic so those are things that are working really well, and more storage.”

How does the larger room affect class size?

Mitchell: “We’re going to modulate between 16 and 20 just because the number of wheels we have there is a minimal number of spots available.”

What are some general reactions you’ve noticed from students about the new room?

Mitchell: “Most people go to the office first that haven’t been down here yet this year, they go there first looking for the door between the one that was the ceramics room because that didn’t move, right? So it’s just kind of thinking about it, thinking about where it is that’s been sort of the biggest thing and then also still like I’m still trying to decide where everything goes and so it’s again a list of work in progress so it’s kind of messier than I would like it to be”

What do you love about teaching ceramics?

Mitchell: “You think that maybe you could literally spend the rest of your life learning all about it and you would not ever learn all there is to learn or to do with clay and so that’s one. The second thing that I really really love about it in addition to being Hands-On, that part of success in clay is failing and having something break, having something crack, having ugly things go wrong, because that’s how you grow and then determine what you want to do next. So everything is laid upon itself and like I said you could literally spend the rest of your life learning how to do different forms, handle different things, combine different glazes in an infinite number of ways. There’s just so many responsibilities and I think it’s really exciting for students to try things in this room that they’ve never tried before working with this organic material. So different than any other material that we work with”

Do you think that the single semester style of teaching Ceramics is necessarily helpful with the ability to fail a bunch, the necessity of failure?

Mitchell: “I do miss the 90 minutes. That extra 15 minutes was actually probably as you know a good chunk of time but I have to plan you know leapfrogging products and then how long things take to build, dry, fire, glaze, right now it’s a whole a piece can take about a month right, so those are all things that I have to plan for regardless of if we were working a year-long or semester. So it doesn’t really matter, I’m glad we have Ceramics 2 and then you know there’s the possibility for either the independence of your studio block right, as ways for students to continue learning.”

What are some of the projects on display in the hallway right now?

Mitchell: “The large coil pots. I think right now it’s just the coil pots, and definitely first semester students have the excitement of possibly giving things that they make away for different holidays, so I think that a lot of things have headed out the door.”

Is there anything else you’d like to mention?

Mitchell: “I don’t think so… I will say the pottery wheel I think for many students has a part about failure. I think it’s one of the hardest things that some students try. I’ve been watching this show on HBO called the Great Pottery Throw Down, it’s sort of a pottery take on the Great British Bake Off and I definitely got a lot of creative ideas about just you know just not making things to keep but making things to just practice; practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, and I think structuring some of those moments in class like that. That’s what I’m looking to to do with that, classes were giving me a lot of creative ideas about how to insert some of that into here, and not worrying so much about what I’m making and what my grade is but more like what can the clay do, what questions do I have, how do I want to grow, what else do I want to try, and that to me is way more important than, like making this thing and getting a good grade on it.”

CVU Community, Volume '22, Issue 1, Wellness

What is the GSA?

December 7, 2022 cvcadmin

By Louis Curschmann

CVU– The GSA (Gender Sexuality Alliance) is a club for members of the LGBTQ community and their allies. Lots of schools, from middle schools to colleges, have GSAs, although sometimes they’re called different names. GSA gives opportunities for the LGBTQ comunity to feel free and to be able to socialize without getting made fun of or judged. The GSA also sets up events to celebrate LGBTQ community pride in Vermont and beyond.

The GSA here at CVU gives a place for people to be open about their sexuality and/or gender. It helps them feel comfortable as a community; if a person is struggling with being judged or picked on, the community picks them up higher than they were before they were down.

The GSA gives opportunities for LGBTQ youth to show their pride. On October 18, 2021, Burlington High School hosted a drag pageant as a half time show in a football game where people could dress in drag and show their pride to a crowd. Every June at CVU High School, there’s also a pride parade where community members can eat food, hear some speeches, get covered in stickers/face paint and more.

The GSA also supports other state or national LGBTQ communities that have more restrictions than the community here at CVU. For example, in 2021 they wrote letters in protest to the government about their strict non gay-friendly laws. They also have video meetings with other GSAs to show support and talk about the problems they are having there and how other GSAs could help with those issues. They also write letters to support other GSAs that don’t have the same freedom in the school as we do here at CVU.

Arts and Sciences, CVU Community, Volume '22, Issue 1, Wellness

advocating for activities

December 7, 2022 cvcadmin

By: Taylor Rock

Vermont–Champlain Valley Union High School is an extremely sports-proud school. Sports get high budgets, sponsors, high praise, and more attention than most activities including theater, band, and clubs. How can we give clubs and activities more recognition?

Ricky McCollum, the sports and activities director at CVU, has a vast experience of both clubs and activities. McCollum is still adjusting to his position, but has expressed interest in advocating for both sports and activities more in the future. “Both parties have to work together. Right now it is a lot of individualized working. For example when coaches request or need things, they advocate. For me, clubs and the arts need to do the same.” He believes that in order for anything to start to move forward, communication needs to be improved. After he is all settled in, he will be able to get the ball rolling for advocacy in all departments— as long as clubs and activities advocate to him what they need.

I interviewed Cameron Brownell, CVU’s chorus and music teacher. I asked if he felt that productions like Amalie, our school’s most recent play, were advertised for strongly. He expressed that while the music and theater department does everything that they can to spread word about concerts and productions, “the arts can always use more advocates. Just getting the news out and seeing people who may not even be directly involved supporting and shining a light on it, really helps.” In the future, Brownell hopes to be put in “Celebrations” more often to advertise 2-3 weeks in advance of performances. I was fortunate enough to see the Amalie on the last night of performances. The actors were fantastic, the set was unreal, and the lighting was off of the charts. I highly encourage everyone to see a future production if you are able to.

Jason Fearon, art teacher, feels that sports are over-represented compared to other activities. “I think that we have a culture that has a hierarchy. I think sports get more recognition than announcements. I think that early dismissals for sports are seen as commonplace, whereas you wouldn’t see students being dismissed for clubs or musicals unless it were a rare occasion.” I have been dismissed on several occasions for sports such as cheerleading and basketball, but never have I personally seen an early dismissal for any musical or theater occasions. “I would like our system to be more equitable towards our students’ interests,” Fearon insists.

McCollum plans to ramp up his advocacy for non-athletic activities such as clubs, musicals, chorus, madrigals, art contests, art exhibitions, and more. The arts are an incredible way of self expression, as are sports. Both sports and activities are a fantastic way to build community and give people a bit of friendly competition as well. McCollum is more than qualified for his position, and we look forward to seeing what he does to advocate for everyone in the future. But until then… What will happen to the wallflowers who feel unseen?

CVU Community, Opinion & Review, Videos & Podcasts, Volume '22, Issue 1, Wellness

“The Culture Around CVU” Rambling Redhawks Episode 2

December 5, 2022 cvcadmin

CVU Community, Opinion & Review, Uncategorized, Vermont, Videos & Podcasts, Volume '22, Issue 1, Wellness

“Growing Up on the Internet” Rambling Redhawks Episode1

December 5, 2022 cvcadmin

CVU Community, CVU Sports, Opinion & Review, Sports, Vermont, Volume '22, Issue 1, Wellness

Is Cheerleading a Sport?

November 16, 2022 cvcadmin

By: Taylor Rock

CVU–What drew me to cheerleading was the unity between peers. At cheerleading, I’m family with the people who surround me. I’m a family with the community that I cheer for and so avidly support. It is a high energy activity for me to engage myself and others in. I have cheered Freshman, Sophomore, and Senior year.

However, even as a Freshman, I was always told by peers, “You’re not an athlete because you don’t play a real sport.” That is why I asked professional coaches to answer the query of: “Is cheerleading a sport?”

Ricky McCullum, our sports and activities director here at CVU, is clear when stating that cheerleading is indeed a sport. He stated “…when people talk about sports, I’m like, that’s definitely a sport. To me it’s similar to football as far as one of the top sports that are team oriented.” Cheerleading is a larger sport than what is simply presented to crowds at rowdy events.

In order for something to be considered a sport, what must it possess? I asked the coaches this same question, and all answers were almost identical. “For me, having a goal, having work ethic, and working towards something I think makes it a sport.” McCullum states.

Rex McCoy, one of our two Esports coaches, says, “I don’t think the physical aspect is as important. I might be biased being the Esports coach, but I think that the kids I see succeeding in my group are taking away the same values that I took away from high school sports.” McCoy is the only coach who did not answer with a physical component in order to classify an activity as a sport.

From my experience, I would define a sport as a cooperative activity working toward a common goal, with some sort of strategy and competitive nature. The Oxford Languages Dictionary defines a sport as, “an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment”. Oxford Dictionary defines cheerleading as “a sport involving organized cheering and dancing in support of a sports team.”

Cheerleading consists of two seasons: fall and winter. Fall cheerleading is classically known for being represented at football games, and rallying the crowd. Rahn Fleming, the varsity football coach, is one of the biggest supporters. “The primary function is to evoke energy from the crowd. There’s a lot of vocalization to it, there’s specific gymnastic and dance moves…” Fall movements consist of choreographed cheers, stunts, dancing, and tumbling. During the fall season, we tend to focus mainly on cheers and stunts, while we dabble in dance and tumbling during quarters and halftime performances.

Cleo (Left) Cailie (Center) and Jackie (right) at our CVU vs Hartford home game, 10/8/22

Winter cheerleading is a competitive season. Winter cheer is known for intense dances, stunts, and tumbling. The competitive nature makes cheering extremely time-consuming with back-to-back practices, performances, and tournaments. McCollum states, “Just watching… It’s really impressive. You have to have courage, you have to have coordination. It’s a team sport. Everyone has to be in unison. Especially when you’re doing ones where you’re throwing each other up. Catching. Got to have trust. Because any mistake can be… the last. It’s very dangerous.” It is McCullum’s first year working here at CVU, and he has been extremely supportive of our team.

A needle pose at the CVU vs Hartford game, 10/8/22

Jaden Parker, a member of the boys Varsity Volleyball and track team here at CVU, says that cheerleading is not a sport. He says, “In fall you’re cheering for a team… in winter it’s more competition based with no sports team that you’re cheering for.” I asked why he would not consider cheer a sport, and his response was “I don’t think that something you don’t compete in can be considered a sport. That is why I believe winter cheer is a sport and fall is not. Most sports don’t require another sport to be happening at the same time to be able to participate in it. And I don’t think you can compete against yourself and call that a sport.” I agreed that he has a good point with the differentiation between winter and fall cheerleading. I also agreed with the fact that competing against yourself cannot really be considered a sport. Is there such a thing as a one person sport?

I asked Will Sprigg, a variety sport player and member of our E-Hawks esports team, if cheerleading was a sport. He says, “No, it’s a hobby. You’re not going against teams. Taking two teams and comparing them against each other, there’s no actual interaction between the two teams, and it does not create a sport to compete in. It’s like looking at two videos and comparing them, and calling that a sport.” He defines that sports need real competition between two or more teams, and he does not believe that competition exists within cheerleading.

Coaches have qualified cheerleading as a sport. Some students have disagreed with that definition. The Dictionary definition of sport is debatable based on where you source your definition; however, cheerleading has filled every category given in the definitions to some degree. This includes cooperation, competition, athleticism, and spirit. I believe cheerleading is a sport, and I would consider myself an athlete. If you were in my shoes, would you think the same?

CVU Community, Vermont, Volume '22, Issue 1, Wellness

CVU TARDINESS POLICY

November 16, 2022 cvcadmin

Aidan Militello

CVU– This year, CVU has decided to double down on school policies for students who arrive at school late. Arriving more than ten minutes after eight forty five is considered an unexcused absence.

Three unexcused absences triggers a meeting with a teacher to discuss why you are arriving late. Five unexcused absences triggers a meeting with teachers and parents to discuss strategies on how to arrive on time, and if the absences are all in one class, the cut process may be applied.

In interviewing Fairbanks house administrator Arthur Chiaravalli about the late policy this year, I found that the policies are not new and have not been altered this year. The school is simply reinforcing policies already in place in order to create a more normal classroom environment. During Covid, CVU was much more separated, and by reinforcing these policies this year, the hope is that it will help to bring the CVU community together.

According to Chiaravalli, “We want to be more present with each other finally after two years.” He was referring to the two years of Covid isolation and detachment from the community. Chiaravalli wants to make sure that we can all be there for each other on time. “When you think back to Covid, there were in some cases students who slipped through the cracks.” There was not as much emphasis on ensuring that students arrived on time. The enforcement of these policies now allows for students to show up on teachers’ radar, and become apparent that they may need help.

In interviewing students, I found a much different picture. I spoke with one senior at CVU who did not want to be named. I asked if he thought coming into class late affected his learning. “Not at all, I can just email the teacher or ask a friend what we did in class.” Although this strategy may not be for everyone, it demonstrates that being tardy or absent may not affect the students that much. Though what Chiaravalli said is important, being part of the community by showing up on time may not be important for every student. I asked if a ten or fifteen minute tardiness affected his learning, “Not really no, the class usually hasn’t even started by then and everyone is usually still talking.”

The big picture is if a student is tardy for a class enough, the student will be scheduled for a cut meeting. In this meeting the student will discuss with their teachers and parents why they should be allowed to remain in this class despite their tardiness. The student must explain why they have been tardy, and make plans for how they are going to resolve their tardiness problem. As Chiaravalli said, it is important for us to come together as a class and as a community, on time, and ready to participate.

Stanislav Kozliuk via Shuttterstock ukraine-briefing-carousel-kherson00

CVU Community, Volume '22, Issue 1, World News

How The Conflict In Ukraine Is Affecting The CVU Community

November 16, 2022 cvcadmin

By Jameela Memoli

Over six months have passed since The Ukraine war started on February 24, 2022 and there is still no end in sight. Millions of people have lost their homes or are unable to come home. As a high school student living in the U.S, I was wondering how people in Vermont were affected by the war in Ukraine.

I sat down with a direction center secretary, Heather Walpole, and Social Studies teacher John Bennet. Each of them have connections to the war.

Heather Walpole’s father and family members live in Kherson, Ukraine. She says she has not been in direct contact with her family since the war started. However, “my aunt, who lives in Canada, spoke to a few family members in the first few weeks, but we haven’t spoken to them since.” She continued, “as far as I know, they’re all moving to a different country right now, but they don’t have any electricity or anything like that from where they are because it is hard to get a hold of them. And they do not have access to phones or anything and I am not aware of what country they are in.” She then moved on to share that, “I think where they are from was hit badly and so I don’t know if they will be able to return to their home town or not; I’m hoping if we can get a hold of my aunt that we’ll be able to find out how they’re doing and if they are okay.”

John Bennett doesn’t have any direct connection to the war. He does however know a good amount about it. Although he has no direct connection, he did tell me that his grandfather lived in a town in Russia that is now part of Ukraine, so it is possible he has family there. He began talking about war in general. “It completely disrupts your life; it’s hard for us to imagine what that must be like when your school life is completely disrupted and you don’t know if you’re going to have a school or if your school is getting bombed.” He then went on to relate the idea of peoples’ lives being abruptly interrupted to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Imagine that to a much greater degree, you’re trying to live a normal existence in an abnormal situation.” He continued, “it’s falling into this kind of ‘forever world syndrome’ which has occurred in the world in a lot of places like Africa, Middle-East, and now in Ukraine. The war just drags on and on constantly.” Lastly, he mentioned, “the only way for the war to end is if they sit down for peace negotiations somewhere between all sides.”

So, you might not think that the war in Ukraine has an impact on you personally. However, even with no direct connection, you can still sympathize with the many people in our community who are affected.

CVU Community, US Headlines, Vermont, Volume '22, Issue 1, Weather, Wellness

Hurricane Ian beyond florida

November 7, 2022 cvcadmin

By Molly Simons

On September 28, 2022 one of the most catastrophic hurricanes in US history hit in Lee County, Florida . Hurricane Ian spread from the South Eastern States in the US to Cuba, Columbia, and Venezuela. It caused massive amounts of damage and killed more than 100 people. This is the deadliest hurricane to hit Florida since 1935.

Vermont doesn’t have hurricanes, so is anyone at CVU really “affected” by this hurricane? Turns out one of CVU’s very own history teachers, Ute Otley, was impacted by her family being near the hurricane.

Ute’s dad, step mom, and her dad’s two best friends live where the hurricane hit. She was unable to contact them for a couple days but heard through a friend that they were safe.

To prepare for the hurricane, they went out to get plywood to board up the windows in case they wouldn’t hold. Since they didn’t want to evacuate,they had to stock up on batteries and water. This caused Ute to worry about her family. Luckily, Her dad’s friends evacuated before they lost their house. Her dad’s house was okay, but his best friends’ was destroyed.

This historical event has changed the way Ute’s family lives. She said, “I can hear the depression in my dad’s voice, because our favorite restaurants are gone. Until the hurricane hit, he worked on a golf course on Sanibel island. Sanibel got hit hard and the causeway got destroyed so he’s out of a job.”
Regarding her dad, “I think he feels at moments lucky to be alive, but also at other times he feels like it’s gonna take 10 years, and he doesn’t know how it’s gonna go back to the Florida that he knew.” Her sister on the other hand, who was in a different part of Florida where the hurricane did not hit, feels like “the whole state is mourning.”

Here at CVU we are about 1,500 miles away from where Ian hit in Lee County. But even though we are miles away people in our community still were affected. We are a lot more connected than we seem and the people you see everyday can be impacted by the tragic stories around the world.

Activists rally for LGBTQ+ rights outside the Supreme Court (New Yorker) (Photograph by Bill Clark)

CVU Community, US Headlines, Vermont, Volume '22, Issue 1, Wellness

LGBTQIA+ Rights Across the US

October 26, 2022 cvcadmin

By V. Sorce

“You can’t hide from everything, and gay people are real.” – X, age 16

CVU – Florida’s “Parental Rights in Education” bill 1557, commonly coined the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, prohibits discussion of topics relating to sexual orientation and gender identity in the classroom up to grade three and beyond. Policies in some other states restrict schools from teaching Lgbtq+ related topics around gender and sexuality, restrict the use of gender-neutral bathrooms, or even prohibit the display of pride flags in schools. Over half of all US states, including Arizona, Alabama, Georgia, Virginia, and Ohio, have laws which impinge upon the rights of millions of young individuals.

Here in Vermont, however, the direction of law seems to be different. But is Vermont actually so different?

According to an NBC article dated March 20, 2022, a staggering 238 anti-Lgbtq+ bills have been introduced in the US thus far in 2022 alone; 23 states in the US have proposed anti Lgbtq+ bills, and thirteen states have signed those bills into law since the beginning of 2022. The ‘Don’t Say Gay Bill’ and rest of policies throughout these areas effect over 20 million adults and 21% of Gen Z in the US who are Lgbtq+.

Students in Virginia high schools walk out (WCBD)

Students in many affected schools are taking action by leading walkouts from school. Three states – Arizona, Virginia, and Ohio – instituted more restrictions in September regarding pronouns and gender markers in school. The bills that have been passed aren’t just seen as numbers in a pile of laws to sort through; thousands of high school students in those states organized walkouts from school on September 29th to protest for their safety and rights.

The laws aren’t just affecting their rights; it’s affecting their lives: “I nearly committed suicide. These are really kids who are scared out of their minds because of this policy,” Calabia– a high school student in Virginia–said (as quoted in the Guardian).

While these students fight for their basic rights in school, it is remarkable to consider how different the circumstances are here in Vermont. For exaxmple, during the spring of 2022, Vermont was in the process of legalizing gender affirming hormone blockers for transgender children without parental consent. As of 5/12/2022, however, the law failed to pass. Although it didn’t pass, the law was an attempted step towards equality.

And here at CVU there has been a visible increase in progress for equality over the years, such as the growth of the GSA network and the uptick of pronoun usage in class. Despite the changes, though, Lgbtq+ teens at CVU still face some difficulty. So despite such examples of “progress”, is Vermont really so different from other states?

Being inevitably stuck in awkward situations because of their identity is often a daily occurrence, and since homophobia is so ingrained in society, it will take every effort for LGBTQ+ normalcy at least reach ‘acceptance’, at a minimum. Slurs and misgendering are among many forms of how homophobia and transphobia are experienced in the halls of our own school.

X is a junior at CVU. They are out as transgender and express some changes they would want to address in US law. They stress the importance of equal rights everywhere, not only in some states: “There should be legal protections for Lgbtq+ people in all states. We can’t be discriminated out of jobs or Healthcare or housing because that’s a very real thing in certain places and it makes it very difficult for people to live their lives.”

A long-standing goal of Lgbtq+ people and allies have been how to educate society in understanding trans and gay identities to create a more inclusive world; the main place that education is taking place is, yes, school— yet schools and the education of Lgbtq+ identities are the places most of these new laws target.

It can be hard to imagine that queer Vermonters are actually in a extremely supportive space compared to the environment Lgbtq+ people might be living through in other US states. X tries to define that difference: “I think in Vermont we have definitely more protections in place, that when we go to get a job or adopt a child or need medical care, there’s a lot less in place that prevents us from getting it.”

However, “I find them [anti- Lgbtq+ laws] highly infuriating. I think they create a lot of unnecessary road blocks in the person’s development trends or just to access of information which is a big thing for rolling into being an adult you actually have to understand the world around you—you can’t hide from everything and gay people are real… Hello…!”

They also say some of the best ways to help these populations, no matter who you are, is “doing research and understanding what’s happening”. T, another student at CVU, wishes more people can “reach out to them in some capacity.” By staying connected and understanding what they’re going through, awareness can always be spread.

With still three months left in 2022, even more bills will be piling up to restrict people from equal rights. Positive Lgbtq+ laws granting rights are hardly balancing the scale currently as tensions rise, and our generation awaits a time when instead of trying to prevent negative bills, the focus can shift to the possibility of progressive protections for Lgbtq+ people. It’s hard to move forward when half the country is still moving in reverse.

CVU Community, Our Natural World, Uncategorized, Vermont, Volume '22, Issue 1, Weather, Wellness

Polluted Lake Champlain: How Can We Stop It?

October 26, 2022 cvcadmin

Written By Jocelyn Kaplan

VERMONT–Have you ever driven across the causeway between Colchester and South Hero and been hit with the pungent smell of a chemical-like odor? Have you ever looked across the lake and noticed patches of green clinging to the surface of the once vibrant lake?

Lake Champlain, Vermont’s largest lake and greatest landmark is being polluted by an excess amount of phosphorus runoff.

Too much phosphorus promotes an overgrowth of algae blooms. The blooms grow on the surface of the water and block light from entering into the lake. The blocking of sunlight prevents plants from photosynthesis, causing decay and death.

The Department of Health in New York states, “Exposure to any blue-green algae blooms can cause health effects in people and animals when water with blooms is touched, swallowed, or when airborne droplets are inhaled.” Algae blooms are harmful to humans, as many types of blue-green algae contain toxins which cause digestive issues and breathing difficulties.” Animals swimming in the lake can also suffer from the toxins, which in severe cases if ingested can cause liver failure and seizures.

Heather Morely, AP Environmental Science teacher, noted that the amount of algae blooms are affected by climate change as temperatures continue to rise. She also commented on what farmers can do to help reduce runoff. “Riparian buffers, areas that absorb a lot of the runoff before they get to waterways, and strategies about the time of year manure is applied to fields.” I asked what her main concern was about phosphorus runoff, and she voiced troubles with wastewater treatments,“We should really be focusing on our wastewater treatments and applications of manure to lawns.”

The phosphorus intake is directly related to the amount of runoff into the lakes. Runoff is caused as snow melts and there is more water than the land can absorb. The excess water flows down the land into bodies of water.

The Lake Champlain Basin Program details how Lake Champlain is suffering from phosphorus runoff coming from all parts of human life. “Nonpoint sources of pollution, which include runoff from roads and developed areas, and from lawns, farmlands, and other rural areas contribute more than 90% of the phosphorus that reaches the Lake.”

Farmlands contribute a significant amount of runoff, with 38% of phosphorus in the lake stemming from nutrients within fertilizer and manure that wash off before reaching the soil.

Developed land also has a big impact on the sheer mass of phosphorus that is ending up in Champlain, taking responsibility for 16%! Developed areas like parking lots and roadways are impervious and shed water. Instead of the absorption through grass, the rainfall and snowmelt is sent towards the lakes. Intense storm flows, a direct consequence of rainfall building up with little to no absorption, causes a higher amount of erosion in stream-banks which sends more sediments into the lake.

Vermont citizens are concerned about the state of the lake’s environment, but many are unaware of how the increasing pollution is caused by farmlands and urbanization. Ally Clos, 17, was an anomaly who was able to cite important factors that contribute to the phosphorus runoff, but was unaware of how the phosphorus buildup could be prevented. “Isn’t runoff caused by farms? We learned that it was from the soil and cow manure that runs down and pollutes the lake. But I don’t know anything about how to stop buildup of phosphorus.”

CVU students Jimmy and Hayden, both 15, discussed how the pollution has affected their lives. They have both experienced the smell of phosphorus, and have been unable to swim in the lakes because of the pollution buildup. Hayden noted that his health has been impacted by the lake’s pollution, “I’ve gotten sick from the algae, I went home with a headache and ended up with a raspy throat.”

Educating Vermonters, specifically the farmers, on the harmful effects of phosphorus could be groundbreaking on preventing future pollution of the lakes. Cutting back from phosphorus fertilizers, and implanting sewage grates designed to catch runoff water would help all Vermont’s bodies of water.

While the issue can hardly be solved by one individual, being aware of the strategies designed to prevent pollution and educating others into considering and embedding these resources into our farming, gardening, and wastewater plants could help the lakes of Vermont tremendously.

Arts and Sciences, CVU Community, Opinion & Review, Volume '22, Issue 1, Wellness

Music Technology and the Vinyl Resurgence

October 17, 2022 cvcadmin

By Colin Halliburton

My first LP was A Night at the Opera (1975) by Queen. When I sat down to listen and enjoy the album, I understood why they are still around. Interacting with the physical versions of my favorite albums created a more in-depth experience, with more character and soul. Before I had first encountered vinyl records, I thought they were nothing more than old tech, something we had created CD’s and streaming to replace.

Music has been a constant and recurring source of entertainment throughout history, but the way music has been captured and enjoyed has changed drastically. Vinyl records were first invented and released in 1930 as a way to record and listen to music and audio outside of a live performance. This brought music and joy to many homes across the world, and that continues today. Over the decades since new technologies have been invented, and the record’s purpose has changed.

In the 90’s vinyl records experienced a sharp decline, partly because record labels/corporations became stricter with their buyback policies, which many record stores relied on to keep a rotating stock of popular items. They also stopped releasing many of their albums on vinyl, and closed some pressing plants. Many saw this as a ploy to get consumers to buy more CDs, which were more profitable for the corporations.

However since 2007, vinyl sales and general popularity have been on the rise, passing CDs once again in the first half of 2020. Almost in spite of the meteoric rise of streaming services (currently the cheapest way by far to listen to music), vinyl continues to grow. Many audiophiles or anyone else who appreciates sound quality often prefer vinyl records to digital streaming, because of the compression.

Courtesy of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)

They are also very popular for collecting. Many (including myself) find the artwork and physical disc of music alluring and captivating. A lot of record sleeves come with previously unseen photographs or art, and some record discs even have art on them. In a few rare cases there is vinyl exclusive music on them as well. For example on Tyler the Creator’s 2019 album IGOR (Columbia), the song BOYFRIEND is only available on vinyl, making it a more fulfilling listen.

The almost therapeutic process of sorting through record bins to find a specific album or even anything that catches my eye is addicting. It’s also just like any other collection hobby where building the collection, seeing the shelves full of your favorite albums is enough for a lot of people. The nostalgia factor is also attractive, as vinyls are a way for many to relive their memories.

The Flaming Lips’ album Heady Fwends on hand-splattered Vinyl (via cdcentralmusic.com)

Interestingly, despite Hip-Hop/R&B being by far the most popular genre in streaming numbers (29.8% of all streams across platforms in the U.S. as of 2021, via Headphone addict) and just pop culture in general, Rock dominates the vinyl market with a staggering 41.7% of US sales as of 2018 (according to Statista). This further shows that a lot of the vinyl LP’s popularity comes from nostalgia and tradition.

For me, I have always loved music, and I think my dad fostered that love by always playing music around me and encouraging me to learn to play it. When we got a record player for Christmas a few years ago, the records really felt like a more tangible way to listen to music. To feel, see, and hold my favorite albums in front of me. Of course streaming and modern technology has its benefits of being less expensive, easier, and quicker to use, but for when you just want to really enjoy the music and have the time, I find records to be the perfect medium.

Some of my favorite albums to leave you with, along with the aforementioned IGOR, are: Gorillaz’ synth heavy statement on modern consumerism in 2010’s Plastic Beach (Warner/Parlaphone); Pink Floyd’s classic 1979 concept rock album The Wall (Columbia); the rare, limited, and sample-filled French Exit by Tv Girl in 2014 (Self); Childish Gambino’s modern soul/R&B of 2018’s “Awaken my love!” (Glassnote); the classic funk/soul of The Beginning of the End’s 1971 album Funky Nassau (Alston); and the technical jazz of Clifford Brown and Max roach on 1955’s Study in Brown (EmArcy).

From left to right: Study in Brown, “Awaken my Love!”, IGOR, The Wall, and Plastic Beach

CVU Community, Our Natural World, Vermont, Volume '22, Issue 1, Weather, Wellness

Pollution in Lake Champlain

October 17, 2022 cvcadmin

By Victoria Chyra

Pollution can be found everywhere and it affects us more than we even think.

Lake Champlain is tucked in the Champlain Valley between the Adirondack Mountains, New York and the Green Mountains of Vermont. It’s a great attraction for many locals. It is used for sports fishing, hunting and recreation and it’s also the major source for drinking water for nearly 200.000 people.

In 2012. groups of toxins were reviewed for the first time by the Lake Champlain Basin Program and partners. Specific contaminants within these groups were labeled as substances of concern.

The pollution did not occur suddenly and wasn’t caused by just one source. First of all, Vermont’s Winooski River dumps about 20,000 metric tons of chloride in the lake per year, and at the same time the runoff from rainwater and snowmelt flows into the water. On top of that,there was an excessive growth of algae found which is caused by too much phosphorus; this comes predominantly from agriculture. Because of that, large reductions are needed from farms within the Lake Champlain watershed. This amount of algae creates danger because of its toxicity for animals and even humans. It has been a problem in recent years, which led to beaches having to close. Signs were put up to discourage visitors from swimming in the lake, like in July 2021 at Burlington’s Blanchard Beach.

In the Year 2021 the Vermont government stated after years of starting the Lake Champlain Basin Program, which is in partnership with government agencies from New York, Vermont and Quebec to coordinate and fund efforts that benefit the Lake Champlain Basins water quality, fisheries, wetlands, recreation and cultural resources, that the water quality meets several standards for swimmable and fishable waters but there is still a long way before declining victory against the pollution at the Lake.

And even locals can help to decrease pollution at their known Lake by just following five simple steps:

Always avoid releasing untreated sewage into lakes and rivers as it gets mixed with water and pollutes it.
Don’t throw any solid waste into the water streams as it clogs the flow of water thereby leading to pollution.
Avoid releasing construction waste into the river. Use organic gardening techniques and avoid using pesticides and other herbicides.
Avoid releasing harmful chemicals and oils into storm drains or rivers.
Always check that your car engine is not spilling oil that finds its way into drains and then rivers.

CVU Community, Opinion & Review, Volume '22, Issue 1

Graduation: A time of hope or fear?

October 14, 2022 cvcadmin

By Molly Simons

This year there are 357 seniors in CVU’s graduating class. Graduation is on June 16, 2023. As a senior, I am undecided how I feel about graduating, so I decided to interview a few students in the month of September 2022, and see how they feel about what’s happening next. I interviewed 3 seniors including Bevan Roberts, 17, Jameela Memoli, 17, and Maggie Whitman, 17. I will interview them over the year to see how their feelings will change about the topic.

I sat down with Bevan to see how she felt about graduating. She said she was “excited to leave but scared to start a new chapter.” I asked her where she was going after she graduated and what she was looking forward to. She said, “I have no idea, but I am looking forward to going to college and getting a job.” When I asked,“Where do you see yourself in 10 years?” She replied, “I see myself married, hopefully I have a kid, and a house.”

I asked Jameela the same questions, but she gave an almost opposite response to each one. Regarding graduating, she said “I am very nervous about moving out and being on my own.” I then asked her where she was going and she responded with “I am applying to a few colleges but my main goal is to go to Castleton University and get my Psychology and criminology degree.” After asking her where she was going after high school and what she was looking forward to. She replied “Maybe getting an apartment in New York City and going to College parties.” When I asked her where she saw herself in 10 years she wanted to be settled down.

Lastly, I asked Maggie the same questions. She said she was “hopefully going to UVM.” I then asked what she was looking forward to and her response was different from the others. She said that she was excited for “freedom and not having to abide with certain schedules.” In 10 years, Maggie said that she was “hopefully at a job that I enjoy and living successfully!”

I will be interviewing these students later this year in the winter. I look forward to seeing how their answers will change.

CVU Community, Vermont, Volume '22, Issue 1, Wellness

Reintroduction to the CVU Phone Policy

October 14, 2022 cvcadmin

BY Filip Popa

HINESBURG, VT–CVU’s new phone policy has gotten students startled. “I feel like I’m not able to text my parents if I have a family emergency,” said a CVU Junior who wishes to keep their name anonymous. With the start of the new school year of 2022, CVU started re-inforcing a school policy that requires students to either put their phones in their bags or in a designated “pocket” in the classroom. This rule has been off the grid since 2019’s COVID-19 when students were encouraged to go on their phones to keep avoid speaking and potentially spreading the virus.

The idea behind this policy is that students are better off focusing without their devices on their bodies. The majority of the classrooms have a poster with a quote that CVU uses as a motive for their policy. The quote reads, “A world full of attention-deprived citizens… will be a world of cascading crises where we can’t get a handle on any of them.” – Johann Hari. CVU is enforcing these policies backed up by scientific research saying student learning will increase if phones aren’t present during class in the learning environment. However, the policy allows students to access their phones after class and during passing periods.

Arthur Chiaravalli, the Fairbanks house administrator, agreed with the change, “I feel like I’m getting to know my advisory a lot better, I’m connecting with them, there’s not that distraction of “I’m just gonna zone out.”

On the other hand, a senior at CVU who did not want to have their name included, answered that they think, “No, I don’t think it’s helping me, it actually makes me feel more conscious about my phone,”

So overall, the responses coming from the CVU faculty and the students vary and opinions are mixed. Many of the students “don’t care” as Chiaravalli pointed out, while others claim against it and say it’s not helping.

McKinley Martin, Junior, said, “I realized that not having the access to check in with my family and people that I need to be able to talk to has induced more stress on me than actually helping my learning.” On the other hand, Aidan Militello, Junior, felt that “the phone policy allows me to honestly stay focused and not worry about any notifications that might interrupt me.”

With this policy being reinforced freshly this year after many years of no enforcement, there isn’t enough data to prove if this policy has been making a positive impact or not on the school. What do you think? Fill out this google form and tell us what you think in regards to the effectiveness of this policy, you can do so by clicking here. The answers to the survey will be used to create an updated piece in the near future. If you’d like to be interviewed, leave your name in the survey.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeaWZSiGjoBsNKrgjxE9SJWxDuQKv0_2es8h2vWe-OycxWGPg/viewform

Arts and Sciences, CVU Community, Opinion & Review, Vermont, Volume 12: Fall '21, Wellness

Hobby Hunters Episode #2: Adam Bunting

December 22, 2021 cvcadmin

Hobby Hunters episode 2

The Champlain Valley Chronicle

Category Archives: CVU Community

Navigating CVU’s reporting system

Should school start later?

History of Men’s Gymnastics

Into the Lives of The CVU Maintenance Staff

CVU Student Successfully Misses All Deadlines Except One

“Hoping For Sugar” reactions

vandalism/ vandalisme

Are you studying wrong?

Graduation: A time of hope or fear pt 2

What Sports Do CVU Students and Staff Watch?

A Guide to Christmas Trees: When to Buy, How Much You’ll Pay, and Artificial trees versus Traditional

Exam Week: Are You Stressed?

A Soiree But With Clay

What is the GSA?

advocating for activities

“The Culture Around CVU” Rambling Redhawks Episode 2

“Growing Up on the Internet” Rambling Redhawks Episode1

Is Cheerleading a Sport?

CVU TARDINESS POLICY

How The Conflict In Ukraine Is Affecting The CVU Community

Polluted Lake Champlain: How Can We Stop It?

Music Technology and the Vinyl Resurgence

Pollution in Lake Champlain

Graduation: A time of hope or fear?

Reintroduction to the CVU Phone Policy

Hobby Hunters Episode #2: Adam Bunting

"News for our Community"