Thursday, May 8, 2008

Messages to graduating seniors

1. Megan Monette
Message from her parents: “Congratulations, Megan! We are so proud of you.”

2. James V. Palmarozza
Message from family: “Congratulations on your graduation Jim! You have a bright future ahead of you. We are so proud of everything you have accomplished. Love, Mom, Dad & Rebecca.”

3. Alex Rapice
Message from his parents: “These four years went by so fast! We are very proud of you. Go west young man! GO WEST! Good luck in pursuing all of your dreams out west. Love, Mom & Dad.”

4. Rodney Mercier
Message from his family: “Congratulations Rod! You worked hard for this. We hope you get the job you want. Love, Mom, Dad, Randy & Mindy.”

5. Tracy Anketell
Message from her parents: “We are very proud of you! Love, Mom & Dad.”

6. Kaitlin Letourneau
Message from her parents; “Congratulations Katie, we are so proud of you! Love, Mom & Dad.”

7. Jeffrey Scott Dickinson
Message from his family: “Congratulations on your achievement on this wonderful day. We are so proud of you. Best wishes for your continued journey, may it be filled with happiness and love, Your Parents & Sister.”

8. Matthew Kittredge
Message from his parents: “Congratulations! You have done a great job! Love, Mom & Dad.”

9. Andrew Shepeluk
Message from his parents: “Congratulations & good luck, Andy! Love, Mom & Dad.”

10. Amanda Wozniak
Message from her family: “Congratulations Amanda! All that hard work has paid off. Good luck for a very bright future- we’re with you every step of the way. With love, Mum, Tim, Kristen, Josh, Ryan, Cori & Matt.”

11. David J. Dumais
Message from his parents: “Congratulations David! Your hard work and dedication has paid off. The long journey has ended and now a new one begins. We are very proud of you. Good luck - We love you!”

12. Sarah Winans
Message from her parents: “Great job Sarah! We are very proud of you. Love, Mom & Dad.”

13. Russell A. Lafleur
Message from his family: Russ, we are so proud of you on this day, your day of graduating from Lyndon State College. Your future is bright; we look forward to your continued successes. Love, Mom, Dad & Craig.”

14. Dane Haskell
Message from his family: “Dane, congratulations on a job well done! We are all so proud of you! Best wishes for a bright future! Love, Dad, Brittany, Mimi & Uncle Ritchey.”

15. Christopher Gillece
Message from his family: “The very basic core of a man’s living spirit is his passion for adventure… make each day a new horizon… Congratulations - Love, Mom, Dad, Sean & Tommy.”

16. Brittney Holland
Message from her mother: “We could not ask for a better daughter. You can do anything. You have worked hard, now it’s time to make all of your dreams come true. I am more than blessed to see you come this far. You have made my dreams come true. Love, Mom.”

17. Eric Guillot
Message from his family: “We are so very proud of you! Love, Mom, Dad & Stephanie.”

18. Bryan Edward Shaw
Message from his dad: “GO BRYAN!”

19. Brandon Wholey
Message from his parents: “We are so proud of you son for all the effort you have put in to achieve your goals. May you be blessed with future success and happiness. Love, Mom & Dad.”

20. Chris Nachtwey
Message from his parents: “Have fun! Congratulations - You earned it. Love, Mom & Dad.”

21. Sarah Willey
Message from her parents: “Great Job, well done Sarah! Always the best of success in your future. Our love will always follow you where ever you turn. God Bless You! Love, Dad & Mom.”

22. Earl Jamaal Lawson II
Message from his family: “Jamaal, we are proud of you and your commitment to graduate! Love always, Mom, Dad, & Kayla.”

23. Christine Cyr
Message from her family: “Congratulations Christine!!! We hope you never lose your sense of wonder or settle for the path of least resistance…As you continue to Dance, Dance, Dance. Be happy and know we are proud. Love Mom, Dad & Matthew.”

24. Sara Jane Morehouse
Message from her family: “Congratulations, Sara! We are so proud of you. Love, Mom, Dad, your sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews, and grandparents.”

25. Joslyn Grace Sykes
Message from her family: "Dear Joslyn, Today we celebrate with you your graduation from LSC! You are a generous, loving, member of our family and we are truly blessed because of you! You are a gifted, talented business woman and we look forward to witnessing and sharing in your future. Remember the love of your family and friends. Remember your own sacrifice and hard work. And remember that God has a special plan for your life. All our love, Your Family."

Condoms are free on campus

Photo by Catherine Story5/8/08

Catherine Story
Business Manager


“We have a virtually unlimited number of condoms,” Avery Williams a Resident Assistant in Arnold said.

The condoms are Durex extra lubricated and they cost over a dollar a piece at Rite aid.

“All RAs on campus have condoms as well as all Resident Hall Directors and the Brown House and they are all completely free,” Williams said.

Some students are shy about the free condoms on campus.

“I’ve had some students come in and try to start a conversation at four in the morning,” Williams said.

“I’ve also had students come wearing just their towel,” Williams said.

Williams is happy that students are being safe and doesn’t mind the early morning interruptions.

There have been rumors on campus that the free condoms on campus are not as good as the ones that can be purchased in the store.

“At the beginning of last semester people were complaining about the condoms breaking,” Williams said.

A group of men in Williams' suite filled a condom with water and it didn’t break even when it expanded to the size of the sink. Williams feels that the condoms are perfectly safe.

“It’s more likely that students just don’t know how to put them on correctly,” Williams said.

Critic TV

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By Gwen Cook, Allison Sullivan, Aimee Lawton.

Wet and wild action at the Spring Dip.



Who is your favorite professor?
By Keith Whitcomb Jr., Joshua James Gervais, Emily Curtis and Blair Wolston.

What did students say when asked “who is your favorite LSC professor?” Watch this video and find out.



The Critic
By Katie Story, Ben Holbrook and Emily Hazard.

A humorous look at what really goes on behind the scenes at the Critic.

AIM may go the way of the dinosaurs in computer labs

5/8/07

By Ben Holbrook
Managing Editor


When one of the most often used programs in the computer labs is non-educational it can create problems for students who need to get work done.

With new software available the IT department has been able to monitor ten computers in the 24-hour lab to see which programs get the most use. IT has bee compiling the data for about a month, which was when they acquired the new software Mike Dente, head of IT, said.

The three most used programs in the computer labs are Internet Explorer, which was used the most, AIM came in second and Microsoft Word was the third most used program, Dente said.

Even though word was only the third most used program it wasn’t a huge concern since, “it isn’t like word isn’t getting used at all,” Dente said.

Jeb Stewart, a math major, didn’t care if AIM was removed from the computers because, “I don’t use it.”

Although nothing has been decided as to whether AIM will be removed from the lab computers it would be done in order to make the labs more efficient, Dente said. “Recreational activities like AIM are lowest on the scale of priorities,” Dente said.

The real issue isn’t with people using AIM but with the people who use AIM exclusively, Dente said. Another problem is that AIM contributes to a large number of the noise complaints within the labs, Dente said.

Kasey Cushman, a sophomore, wasn’t concerned about AIM being removed because, “I don’t even have AIM but it would bother me if I had something to do and people were only using AIM.”

A possible compromise would be to only have AIM on a certain number of computers in the labs. Shandi Barclay, senior social sciences major, didn’t think removing AIM would make any difference because, “people could still use AIM Express on Internet Explorer.

Mike Thatcher, a senior social science major, shared similar feelings because; “I’m graduating in two weeks so it doesn’t matter.”

Dente would also like to have “lab maps” outside of the computer labs, which would show students, which computers are available and which ones aren’t available.

Nothing has been decided yet as to whether AIM will be removed from the lab computers because data is still being collected and it needs to be looked at, Dente said.

Cooking with Cook: Finals snacks

5/8/07

By Gwen Cook
Critic Staff


Ugh. Its finals time again. Most college students, me included, are completely jam packed with last minute papers, projects, and studying. There’s barely any time to do anything else but study, and certainly no time to prepare something to eat. So with this article, the last of the semester, I wanted to do every student at the campus a favor and do a snack article. I’m talking quick and easy things designed to go along with your jam-packed day. It may not all be brain food, but its sure going to hit the spot when it’s needed most.

Cream cheese and cherry dip
Ingredients-
1 package of cream cheese
1 jar of cherries (drained and sliced)
1 box of graham crackers

Procedure-
Mix cream cheese and cherries in a small bowl. Spread over graham crackers.

Microwavable nachos
Ingredients-
1 bag of tortilla chips
1 jar of salsa
1 jar of Cheez Whiz

Procedure-
Spread desired amount of chips on a plate. Pour salsa and Cheez Whiz over the top and microwave for 45 seconds.

Mini PBJ’s
Ingredients-
1 sleeve of Ritz crackers
1 jar of peanut butter
1 jar of jelly

Procedure-
Lay out crackers on a plate. Spread peanut butter and jelly on them and top with another cracker.

Formerly British, at home in the states

Photo by Norman Johnson5/8/07

By Norman Johnson
Special to the Critic


"You get in about 6 a.m. unless you sleep well on a plane, things are a bit bleary," said Bill Barber about the 6½ hour plane ride from Boston to Heathrow in London.

Barber, fiftyish, well over six feet tall, has a basketball center's build, Celtic-Graying loose-curled hair and blue eyes. By today's airline seating standards, a flight of that length is pure misery for anyone of Barber's size.

On trips to England, Barber and his family now rent a car to make sure they visit all the relatives. "You don't want to offend people," he says about making sure everyone gets a visit. "With the way the dollar is, it'd be a lot cheaper for them to see us." Barber interjects, however, "one of the things about going back is seeing how much your relatives have aged." He talks about seeing his mother age and a young girl he saw on his last visit who is now old enough to go to a pub.

Barber is from Harwich, England, a town with a history going back to the Roman occupation. "You still see Roman walls around town still being used." Barber said. "There's an old crane down on the docks dating back to the 1600s that looks like a big hamster cage—" and he details how people walking in a big round cage power the gears that operate the still functional dock crane.

"When I graduated from high school, I worked for the customs and excise department on the docks," Barber said. "I realized I didn't want to end up like those guys, and I quit. My father went ballistic." For Barber's father, it was like throwing away a perfectly good job to go to school.

At the time, College was free in England. Barber went to night school, worked off expenses picking grapes or construction work on the continent. Later, he spent what he calls "a four year stint," traveling through Canada, the U.S., Central and South America, India, and Russia. He's also seen far western China.

He worked his way into polar studies at Cambridge, a masters program for people with school and work experience. Since then, Barber has worked, as he says, "on the ice," at both ends of the globe, also in Greenland and Alaska, contracting services to polar study groups.

Barber, his wife Victoria, and son Max live in St. Johnsbury, Vt. He built a super-insulated house, what he calls "Greenland style," off the electrical grid near Marshfield on 150 acres, is remodeling a house in St. J. and has projects in Kentucky. He thinks of going back to work on the ice, but doesn't know when.

Harwich, with its old Roman walls and Napoleonic War era tower, is on the coast northeast of London, with the Netherlands to the east across the North Sea. "They say you can go anywhere in England, and never be more than 80 miles from the sea," said Barber. "There's something about growing up on the sea, it's very calming. Every day after school we'd go down to the shore when the tide was out. Sometimes the fog came in while you were out there and you couldn't see the land."

Barber, a U.S. citizen now, is thoroughly adapted to life in the states but his speech still retains that distinctive British elegance. After a moment he says, "I miss the attitudes, the gentleness of the culture. When I was working on a boat in Antarctica, we stopped in the Falklands. They were so gracious, so English," and he recounts the way Falklanders entertained them with English tea and biscuits, a bit of England in spite of thousands of miles of cold Atlantic between them.

A Time of War

5/8/07

By Nat Forcier
Special to the Critic


Nick Davis and Matt Howard, veterans who served multiple tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq, provided some insights into the war in the last issue. Members of the National Guard have also been called upon to serve in this Global War on Terror. When Charlie Forrest, LSC staff member, was sent to Iraq as a member of the Guard, Harry Swett, LSC staff member and Vietnam veteran, gave him a small Vermont state flag. Forrest took it with him and then returned it to Swett on a visit home months later. Swett asked him to keep it for the remainder of his tour, but Forrest insisted it stay stateside. He added his name and unit numbers to the flag in white and it still hangs in College mailroom today. Forrest came home, but there is still the possibility that his unit will be called upon to serve again in this war.

Swett said it is "such an ironic thing" when American citizens "scoff" at our privileges. "We take it for granted [while others in the world are] crawling just to get the right to vote," Swett said. David Ballou, LSC professor and Vietnam Era veteran, also advises that students "exercise your right to vote" while there is no draft that makes it compelling. When asked how we might best respond to the war, he repeated, "That is a hard question to answer other than with a vote." Shine, LSC professor and veterans advocate, acknowledged that "people's lives are hard" and we tend to avoid painful issues, but we need to become empowered as "agents of change in our society…If people thought they could make a difference, they might." She also reminds "politicians are beholden to the people."

Swett said the media provides only of "a snippet of what [soldiers] see" and is "so manipulative and so controlling." He looks to alternative sources of information for full coverage of opinions and events. "Those opposed are more vocal," Swett said. "Let 'em be -- I don't like it, but…they have a right to do so." He served in order to ensure that right remains in place.

Buck Beliles, LSC professor, "couldn't sit still" as the case for the war was advanced "based on lies…Wasn't enough to talk about opposing the war." His family joined in protests on campus, in New York City, and later in Washington DC. In spite of the size of protests, Beliles was "so disappointed" by the press he holds in such high regard. "They are not really doing their job anymore" and this leads to a "breakdown of our democracy," he suggested. For Beliles, it is important to "give play to another side" through alternative websites and print publications. Fellow faculty member Shine would like to "invite faculty to imbed important information into our courses…Students are interested in learning more." As the media begins to critique itself, it is hoped that films like Buying the War will be shown to all audiences in an effort to spread media literacy. We have developed a certain savvy when it comes to advertising, but we must see how those same techniques are applied to our most readily available sources of news. A healthy skepticism must be cultivated.

At the same time, it is of the utmost importance to support our troops and returning veterans. Davis stressed the power of mail as a morale booster. Swett recalled the importance of the written letter when he was a sergeant. Ballou remembered the same and gives a nod to cell phone technology.

Davis finds that movies that "over glorify" the military do a disservice and recommends the Valley of Elah. CAB could be showing important productions on campus: Body of War, Fog of War, Why We Fight, Buying the War, Bush's War, Bad Voodoo's War, and Taxi to the Dark Side. It is an investment in time, but all warrant viewing. Some are available for online viewing. The Winter Soldier hearings are also online. Iraq Veterans Against the War "implicating themselves in murder," said Howard, discuss the errors they saw occurring in Iraq and Afghanistan.

New Hampshire Guardsman Jose Pequeno, Sugar Hill police chief, was wounded in an attack that also killed a Vermont Guardsman. Anne Brown, Director of Americorps at LSC, also runs a summer quilting program that distributes quilts through Quilts of Valor and it was important to her one should reach this NH neighbor. "He has a young family and received severe head wounds…He still is not home (after years of) countless procedures and surgeries…His wife called me and thanked me. It is so sad…"

Another recipient wrote a poignant thank you note to Brown's group. Richard Jadick was presented with a quilt while attending a conference: "I am not wounded but have treated many of the wounded in Iraq during the campaign for Fallujah in 2004. I was there with 1st Bn 8th Marines and was merely at this conference to support those who were home and having trouble navigating a convoluted post combat course. [But]…to some degree we all return with wounds and whether physical or emotional they never go away. Thank-you for understanding and giving me such a tangible piece of comfort."

We all may not be able to offer such gifts to our troops and veterans, but we can exercise the rights and privileges they are ready to defend for us. We can also send mail and pay attention. This is a time of war.

Soldiers raise questions about war, the first part of this two part series.

Reconstruction of the Athletic Fields Underway

5/8/07

By Jennifer Ingram
Critic Staff


The construction of a new field and an amphitheater, and improvements to the varsity and intramural fields are in the works. It is hoped that the intramural field will be completed by the fall of 2008, and that the varsity field will be completed by the fall of 2009.

“The varsity field which is located closest to the gym needs to be overhauled. There have been no improvements made to the field in nearly 20 years,” Chris Ummer, Director of Athletics said.

At this point in time, the plan is for the varsity field to be overhauled and then to have grass reseeded.

The varsity field has taken a beating due to the fact that there are so many events that happen on the field. In addition to games, class graduations, practices for soccer and summer camps all take place on the field.

The graduation ceremonies are rough on the fields because of the tent that is set up and the thousands of people that walk across the field. Last year the tent was on the varsity field for nearly a month due to the fact that the tent had to be dried before it could be taken down and it kept raining so the tent never was able to dry completely.

When a certain area of any space does not get precipitation for nearly a month it does a certain amount of damage to the surface. In fact, according to Chris Ummer, the field was in such bad condition in the fall that the varsity soccer team’s practices were relocated to the Lyndon Town School.

Currently the intramural field, which is located near the Stonehenge parking lot, is under reconstruction, and receiving the long overdue improvements. The new field will be located near the intramural field near the Stonehenge parking lot. Already, trees where the new field is planned to be located are being cleared. The intramural field homes the rugby, soccer and lacrosse teams, According to Tom Archer, the plan is that all of the fields will be regulation size fields. “I have my fingers crossed that the new field and the intramural field will be ready in the fall of 2008 so that the sports can be played as scheduled,” Ummer said.

With more regulation fields available, the utilization will be spread out and the fields will be in better condition.

Hornets baseball, softball going to national tournaments

5/8/07

By Andrew R. Koch
Sports Editor


The Lyndon State baseball and softball teams have earned bids to go to the national tournaments for the first time in recent memory.

This year was the first winning season in several years for each team. The softball team learned about their bid last week, while the baseball team received their berth on Tuesday. According to a press release on the athletic department’s web site, this year was the baseball team’s first winning season in over ten years. The team has recently caught fire on their way to earning the bid.

Two weeks ago, the Hornets were on the outside looking in at a bid, as they were two games below .500. The team has won eight out of their last 11 games, including back-to-back doubleheader sweeps against UMaine-Farmington. The softball team has won five out of their last eight games and has had a winning record since April 12.

“I can’t even explain how I feel right now,” senior captain Angel Phelps said. “I’m honored to be a part of this team. This is the best thing to happen to me in college sports.”

“This’ll be great for me to finish out my last year ever of playing fast-pitch softball by going to the national championship as a number one seed,” said senior pitcher Ashlea Bourdon. She and junior catcher Sara Fetterhoff will each be going to their second national tournament this year, to go with their appearance at the USCAA women’s national basketball championship earlier this year. Bourdon says she’s more excited for this tournament because softball is her sport, and that she’s worked hard to reach this level. Fetterhoff thinks this string of national championship appearances by the school’s women’s sports teams shows how strong the women’s sports programs are here at LSC.

“It’s good to finally get some recognition,” Fetterhoff said, adding that she enjoys the camaraderie of her teammates. She also had some advice for her teammates about what it’s like to go to a national tournament.

“The goal is to win a few games, if not the championship. It’s not a vacation. The school is sending you to make a name for it,” Fetterhoff said.

Junior lefthander Matt Picard of the baseball team has enjoyed the offensive support he’s received in his recent starts. He and junior righthander Jesse Ballard lead the team in wins.

“It’s been phenomenal,” Picard said. “We got hit after hit. The offense got big hits from everyone in the lineup, especially big two-out hits.” It hasn’t been just Picard and Ballard leading the way in the rotation; it was everyone on the staff, as well as everyone on offense.

“The whole team in general has done well, on both offense and defense,” Picard said. Head coach Ryan Farley praised his players’ mental toughness when they caught fire on their way to clinching their tournament bid. The bats proceeded to heat up from there.

“The guys made a decision and they wouldn’t be denied,” Farley said. He added that this season’s success is the result of hard work all season long.

“We put a lot of work into it,” Farley said. “It’s nice to see it pay dividends, especially for the seniors.”

Farley says that after the struggles of the last couple of years, it’s rewarding to know that he was doing the right things and was putting the team in a position to be successful.

“It’s nice to know there’s something after the regular season,” Farley said. “It’s nice for the seniors who experienced the hardships.”

The softball team will be in Illinois for their tournament this weekend, while the baseball team will leave for Virginia tomorrow.

LSC hires new soccer coach, seeking new basketball coach

5/8/07

By Andrew R. Koch
Sports Editor


The Hornets have found one new coach and are looking to find another.

Jim Davis, the husband of administrative assistant Traci Davis, has been hired as the new head coach for women’s soccer. The athletic department is still searching for a new head coach for men’s basketball.

Former head coach Miles Etter decided to leave because he found that it was more difficult to balance both his full-time job and coaching, according to Athletic Director Chris Ummer. Ummer was very appreciative of the job Etter did as head coach.

“He did a wonderful job,” Ummer said. “He raised the bar for the program, and he did it effectively. Under his tenure, the women had their most success, by far.”

Davis, who graduated from North Country Union High School and Middlebury College, was hired because of his vision for the future of the school’s women’s soccer program.

“As much as Miles raised the bar, I’d like to see that bar continue to be raised,” Ummer said. He added that part of Davis’ vision for the team is to make it competitive with any Division III program in New England.

Because of confidentiality issues, Ummer couldn’t name who the other three candidates were for the position. He did say that all of them were “external to New England,” including one from Britain.

As for the former men’s basketball head coach Randy Rathburn, the athletic department decided to go in a different direction in terms of leadership in the coaching position, according to Ummer. This move follows the team’s struggles each of the last two years. One of the candidates for the position is Assistant Coach and Sports Information Director Bill Johnson. Ummer confirmed that Johnson has submitted an application for the job, but again because of confidentiality issues, couldn’t name any other candidates. Because of his candidacy for the position, Johnson was unable to comment.

Ummer says that he’s forming a search committee, which will begin looking for a new coach within the next one to two weeks. The athletic department hopes to have a new coach in place by the beginning of June.

While the athletic department would like to see all its varsity sports have winning teams, Ummer says that the student athletes’ experiences are even more important.

“We’d like to see all our student athletes have a positive experience with every component of every program. The head coach plays a pretty key role in that,” Ummer said.

Ummer is very hopeful that the new coach will make the team more competitive next season, when the athletic programs begin competition in the North Atlantic Conference.

“We got a lot of talent on the men’s basketball team. We got a lot of returning talent,” Ummer said, adding that recruiting is a very large part in the team’s success.

“You bring in good folks with people who have good knowledge, that’s a lethal weapon,” when it comes to having winning programs, Ummer says.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Don't fear the freeze

5/8/08

By Keith Whitcomb Jr.
Critic Editor


To make sure the budget is balanced by the end of the fiscal year, the college has taken measures to control spending.

“Effective immediately, all spending for supplies, services, travel, and equipment will be frozen until the end of the fiscal year,” Wayne Hamilton, dean of administration, said in a memo.

The freeze affects departments, such as Digital and Graphic Arts, which have not completed their purchases yet. Some members of the LSC community, who did not wish to be named, were concerned that the fees paid by students as part of lab and course fees would go to paying the college’s bills and not course supplies.

“Our first priority is to balance the budget,” Hamilton said.

“Academic departments anticipating equipment and supply purchases from course fees and lab fees should submit their requests to Dean Dalton,” Hamilton also said in the memo. “If departmental funds are currently available, purchase requests for items may be considered prior to June 30, 2008. Essential purchases relating to summer 2008 courses should be specifically identified. Departments currently without available funds in their budget will not be able to purchase items until fiscal 2009 (July 1, 2008).”

“I don’t think the message was clear when it first came out,” Sheilah Ladd, LSC Controller, said. Ladd also said that the freeze only affects the timing of a department’s purchasing.

“I respect very much that fees paid to a department should go to that department,” Hamilton said. If money comes out of a department to help pay for something else, that department will get its money back as soon as possible, Hamilton said.

“I hope that come June 30, all of this will be moot,” Hamilton said. June 30 is when the fiscal year ends.

Students looking for work at the college this summer may end up being affected in a much more direct way, however. “Direct hire of student workers is being curtailed for summer 2008. Departments that will have funding have already been notified and no additional funding is available. This does not affect students with federal CWS funding,” Hamilton said later in the memo.

The freeze comes as the result of a $500,000-$900,000 budget deficit announced by the LSC administration April 21. Many factors contributed to the deficit, including energy costs rising 50 percent. This also affects travel.

“All travel must be pre-approved by the appropriate dean. Employees should confirm approval by email prior to traveling. Faculty travel reimbursed under the professional development provision in the contract is excluded from this requirement. Employees traveling from the LSC campus should use college vehicles whenever possible,” Hamilton said in his memo.

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Soldiers raise questions about war

Photo by Nat Forcier
5/1/08

By Nat Forcier
Special to the Critic


On the morning of 9/11, Nick Davis, Afghanistan/Iraq War veteran and former LSC student, was down a foxhole training with his M16 along with other Army personnel. Drill sergeants told everyone to halt, gathered together after some initial confusion, and resumed the exercise. The Army chose not to share the details and Davis had no access to the media.

Many join our armed forces and "deploy with noble intentions," Matt Howard, president of the Vermont chapter of Iraq Veterans Against the War and UVM student, told an LSC audience in April. But Howard said, "I didn't sign up to have contractors make billions. . . . Iraq as a country does not exist. It is rubble." Howard joined the Marines pre-9/11, because he lacked direction, understood the benefits after service, and out of an "allegiance to the Constitution." Davis joined for similar reasons and is proud of his Company's efforts: "We did it awesome." He, like other Americans trusted in the prowess of our military, and thought, "Who is gonna mess with us?" He did not anticipate serving one tour of duty in Afghanistan and two in Iraq.

LSC professor Patricia Shine has a nephew who served and was honorably discharged. He established a business in Florida and, then as part of the Stop Loss policy, was called back to serve again; he lost his business and investment. For family members, Shine said, it is "just a nightmare." Stop Loss enables the military to require, if it chooses, service 90 days before a volunteer's start date and extends service 90 days beyond the end of one's service. During this extension, another tour of duty can be demanded. This is often referred to as a sort of "back door draft." Davis signed up for 4 years active duty and 4 years inactive duty with the Army. He has served his Stop Loss tour and, with one year left of inactive duty, is contacted every couple of weeks by recruiters updating his information. He is cooperative and hopes to remain a student in the meanwhile, but the stress of knowing that he may have to return to the Middle East is uncomfortable. It's "hard for families," Davis said. He realizes that with "one little signature [the] non-deployable crap is thrown out the window."

Howard suggests each of us take seriously the idea that the war "was being done in your name. . . . Get informed, do the research, and know the geopolitics behind it." 4027 soldiers have died in Iraq and the number approaches 500 in Afghanistan. Civilians have suffered far greater losses -- men, women and children.

"Even if you don't support the war, you can always support the soldiers," Davis said. According to the Congressional Budget Office, "As of December 2006, more than 1 million active-duty military personnel and over 400,000 reservists had deployed to combat operations in the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters."

While this war may not seem to touch us all, as casualties increase, it reaches deeper. Our veterans return in need of care and now the order "don't diagnose PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder)," said Howard, has come down. This recognized detriment of war is considered a "pre-existing personality disorder" and thereby relieves the government of the responsibility of treatment for those suffering. Traumatic brain injuries are also of particular concern in this war. The projected lifetime cost for treatment of these bomb blast injuries is $35 million. Shine indicated that as funding continues to be spent on the Global War on Terror, other services are "losing major funding and it's not going to get any better. . . . We are ethically-bound to hold elected representatives accountable." The War List reports that "according to secret Pentagon study, Marines KIA [killed in action] from upper body wounds that might have survived with extra armor, 2003-2005 [equals] 80%." Cries about inadequate equipment fell upon deaf ears. We cannot let the same mistake be made with services denied our veterans.

While our military serves abroad in a certain capacity, these soldiers are ready to fulfill duty in this country should it become necessary. Send mail and shoeboxes full of items! Davis said that "mail is better than email. It's like a present. Don't expect a thank you letter back," but know that your gift is well-received. A handmade envelope from a friend meant a lot to him. The woman who became his girlfriend made a wreath with her mother of Vermont balsam and Davis hung it in his tent until it was brown; he had to be asked to take it down. Yellow ribbons are meaningful for troops to see. Davis also said, "I wish people talked more to soldiers." They have stories to tell and the telling may benefit both the veteran and the listener.

In Part II, a discussion of how we can become better informed, the role of National Guard, and LSC Vietnam veterans consider the issue of how to respond to war and how to best support the troops.

LSC alum for Gov with love for bud

Photo by Catherine Story5/1/08

Catherine Story
Business Manager


Tony O’Connor a LSC alumnus is making a run for governor this fall and he stopped by LSC to chat with students about his no politics policy.

“There’s no Passas,” O’Conner said “There’s no fun. I want to make it fun.”

O’Conner holds to his views which are a little different than most politicians. His motivation is that he’s not a politician.

“I won’t take the big bucks,” O’Conner said. ‘I don’t want anyone to own me at the end of this.”

O’Conner estimated that he had only raised about $5,000.

“The ordinary citizens of the state are sick of seeing professionals screw it up,” O’Conner said. “I could screw it up just as well.”

O’Conner’s speech was full of jokes. Many of these were focused on his disabilities.

“I lost my arm and both my legs, below the knee,” O’Conner said. He was shocked while playing in a train yard as a teenager.

“I was hoping to receive a lot of press for free,” O’Conner said. He has had trouble getting much attention in papers and on television stations.

“I want someone to write a letter to the Burlington free press and tell them that there’s another candidate,” O’Conner said.

O’Conner’s major issues are oil and energy.

“We need to cut the oil umbilical cord,” O’Conner said. He also talked about rising gas prices, which he said, are up $.71 since January 1.

“I do not support atomic energy,” O’Conner said. “There are other forms of energy.”

“I don’t think Vermonters want anymore atomic plants,” O’Conner said. O’Conner worked for the INS and he said that atomic plants are a more likely terrorist target.

He supports hydro dams around the state as well as solar power and wind turbines.

O’Conner’s other major political goal is to legalize marijuana 100 percent.

“I was in law enforcement for a while,” O’Conner said. “I hated ruining kid’s lives over a couple of joints.”

“When you pull over someone who has been smoking marijuana they’re apologetic,” O’Conner said. As opposed to pulling over a drunk which he described as hostile.

“Marijuana can’t be stopped,” O’Conner said. “ Just like distilling alcohol couldn’t be.”

O’Conner pointed out that while working on the border he new many people who had smoked pot in their past.

“If you use marijuana it leads to bigger things,” O’Conner said. “Which apparently means a job at the border.”

“50 percent of United States citizens want marijuana legalized,” O’Conner said. “Lets tax it and make some money.

O’Conner does not support the legalization of any other drugs.

O’Conner is also anti-draft.

“I am not in favor of the draft,” O’Conner said. “I am in favor of paying them.”

O’Conner hopes to return to the campus in the fall to what he hopes will be a larger crowd.

“I’m already reaching tens of people,” O’Conner said.”

Another Hurdle to Jump Over

5/1/08

By Jennifer Ingram
Critic Staff


In Meri Stiles’ Intro to Human Services class this past week students were giving speeches on a term paper that they wrote.

The speech that they gave in front of their class counted as the newest graduation standard. Students are required to give a speech to two different professors to meet the oral expression standard.

The other graduation standards are written expression, quantitative reasoning and information literacy. Written expression is embedded in upper level courses, quantitative reasoning can be embedded in upper level courses or be taken as an online assessment depending on major, and information literacy is taken as an online assessment.

There are exceptions for certain majors.

“Education majors can be exempted from taking the written expression and the quantitative reasoning portions off the graduation standards if they passed the writing and math components of Praxis 1, “Diane Tanguay an Education and Human Service major said. Praxis 1 is a standardized test which tests students’ knowledge in three aspects reading, writing and math.

Juniors and seniors have different graduation standards than freshman and sophomores because the standards were introduced over a number of years.

Graduation requirements
If you came in 2004-2005

Written expression

If you came in 2005-2006
Written expression
Information literacy
Quantitative reasoning

If you came in 2006-2007
Written expression
Information literacy
Quantitative reasoning
Oral expression prior to graduation

If you came in 2007-2008
Written expression
Information literacy
Quantitative reasoning
Oral expression prior to graduation

Spring Dip: Human icicles form in LSC pond

Photos by Katie Story5/1/08

By Matt Vercillo
Critic Staff


There isn’t anything much more enjoyable than going for a swim on a sunny May afternoon. Unless of course, its 40 degrees outside. This year’s Spring Dip was faced with this very twist of fate on Thursday, May 1st when over a dozen members of the community gathered to face the frigid waters.

Spring Dip, now in its second year, is an annual fundraiser held by the Faculty-Staff Scholarship committee. The event was conceived as both a wacky way to shake the winter blues, and also as a creative fundraiser benefiting student scholarships through the Faculty/Staff Scholarship Endowment Fund.

Registration was 10 dollars per person, which was donated. Entrants all received a coupon for a free iced coffee, although most everybody seemed to need a hot cup on that day. A veil of clouds formed and was diffusing what little warmth could have been offered, but the show went on.

Things started at 12:30 without delay, and the 13 registered participants lined up outside along the edge of the water. They all rushed in at once, and a 14th member ran in at the last second to join the festivities.

Granted, the event was purposefully designed to offer the dippers with a brisk experience. However, it was particularly cold for the first day in May. All of the dippers should be given a pat on the back for risking pneumonia in the name of student scholarships.

Photos by Katie StoryLSC legend, Harry Swett was one of the participants in the Spring Dip. “It’s a good cause...damn that water’s cold!” he said, as he stood hunched and shivering after his brief flirtation with the icy pond-water. Harry’s enthusiasm was also emanating from his bright pink wig and oversized, Seuss-inspired top hat. “It’s good to have spirit.”




Given the conditions outside, none of the swimmers seemed particularly intent on spending any extra time enjoying a swim. It was in and out for everyone.

The event was over as fast as it began. After all was said and done, the event was a relative success despite the opposition of the weather. Given the number of entrants, there was a stout 130 dollars raised toward scholarships, which should provide one lucky student with the cost of a fraction of one credit here at LSC.

As the crowd dispersed and the swimmers dried off, it was hard not to notice the sun beginning to peek out.

LSC Gets Trashed

5/1/08

By Brian Wilcock, Jon Mazurek, and Dani LaPointe
Special to the Critic from SCC


Over two thirds of LSC’s waste is actually recyclable material including glass, plastic, aluminum, paper and organic material that can be composted.

The findings come from a waste audit done by Students for Campus Conservation (SCC) during Earth Week. A waste audit is an event where people sort through “trash” to see how much waste can actually be recyclable.

Things in the trash including many unopened or half finished items of food and drink, clothes in good condition, books, and others. The waste audit will hopefully get students and administration see that many of the things that are thrown away should actually go somewhere else to be recycled or used as compost.

A large percentage of the actual trash consisted of Styrofoam plates, plastic utensils, packaged food wrappers, and coffee cups. Most of these items and a majority of the organic material (food) came from the Hornet’s Nest. It would be easy to solve this problem by implementing practices such as using reusable or recyclable serving containers.

To reduce the amount of organic waste that is thrown out, the Hornet’s Nest could start a composting program like the one already in use at the Dining Hall. These two practices would greatly reduce the amount of waste on campus.
Those living and studying on campus would benefit from a more expansive and convenient recycling program. In a recent project for our Leadership Theory and Practice class, we put recycling bins in every freshman suite on campus. These were to be used when they were available and convenient.

The SCC club is currently focusing on increasing awareness and creating solutions for more sustainable waste management on campus. If anyone is interested in helping us create a more sustainable campus, they can e-mail Kurt Heinchon at kurt.heinchon@lyndonstate.edu.

Charlie Forrest, LSC Public Safety

5/1/08

Ben Holbrook
Managing Editor


Charlie Forrest sits in the Public Safety office taking calls before he heads out for his usual security checks around campus.

Charlie Forrest, a Public Safety officer, has been working at LSC since 2004 after he decided to leave his state corrections job. “I got tired of dealing with the atmosphere and the inmates,” Forrest said. Working for Public Safety at LSC is along the same lines as corrections in terms of making sure everything is in order, Forrest said.

Forrest, who works from 4 p.m. until 12 a.m., is usually alone for the first three hours of his shift until the other Public Safety officer goes on duty. All of the Public Safety officer shifts overlap so that someone is always on duty, Forrest said.

Forrest, who attended LSC in 88’ and 89’, served in the military for 16 years and is now part of the National Guard. “Eventually I would like to be the director of Public Safety,” Forrest said.

Public Safety is required to go on routine security checks during their shifts to inspect the buildings and check the boilers every couple of hours, Forrest said. “Once everyone goes home we take over everything,” Forrest said.

“I really enjoy this job because it gives me the opportunity to help people out,” Forrest said. Although there are some issues, usually with underage drinking and some drugs, there aren’t many problems on campus, Forrest said. “The potential (for something to happen) is always there,” Forrest said.

Some of the most common problems that Public Safety deals with are issues with parking, especially with students who park in the fire lanes.

The prime days for there to be problems are Wednesdays because of Packer night, Fridays when everybody is gearing up for the weekend, and the beginning and end of the school year, Forrest said.

If there are issues that can’t be handled by Public Safety officers, such as a student who is getting aggressive then the state police have to be called. “Public Safety officers don’t have the ability to restrain people because we don’t have arresting powers,” Forrest said. “When dealing with someone during an incident I fall back on my communication sills that I learned while working in corrections,” Forrest said.

“I just want to keep everything calm and talk to them,” Forrest said.

“People should know that this department is here to keep people safe and make sure that no one gets hurt,” Forrest said.

LSC checks out

5/1/08

Avery Williams
Special to the Critic


With the end of the semester approaching all residents living on campus will have to deal with more than their final exams and projects. They will have the job of moving all of their belongings from their current room and follow a list of check out procedures. To insure that this will go without complications I will go over a list of instructions to make this easy for you.

You have 24 hours after your last exam to leave the residential halls. In every hall there will be a sign up board with a list of times and resident assistants on duty at that time. As the resident you will be required to sign up at least 24 hours before you leave.

When the time you sign up has arrived you will have the responsible to find the resident assistant who you signed up under. They will not come looking for you and will not drop everything they are doing if you do not arrive on time. If you miss this time the best thing to do would be to find the RA and find the next best time that would be open for a check out.

Before you go to your RA to check out you must have all of the following done. Everything that is in your room that belongs to you must be moved out. Even if this is in the suite it is acceptable. Second is that all of your furniture must be moved to the state that it was when you originally moved into your room. Nothing can be stacked or bunked, and all of the original furniture has to be in the room. This will also apply for suites where there is furniture.

The room must be cleaned, to get a vacuum talk to your RA and they will sign one out for you. All of the trash must be out of the room and put down the trash chute. Once again, if you have missed one or more of these things your RA will not do your check out and you must find a new time.

When you get through all of this you must have your room and suite keys ready. The RA on duty will bring your Room Condition Report and check your room against what it was when you moved in. After going through this you will return your keys and be moved out for the summer, if not longer.

In the Arnold/Bayley Residential halls a new check out procedure will be tried this year. The traditional version will still be an option, but for those who are interested in it there will be meetings for Bayley on Sunday at 9pm and Arnold at 8pm respectively.

Any damages that have happened to your room will be charged to you. Fines will also be given out to dirty rooms, lost sets of keys and failing to check out. All of this comes from the Student Life procedures. If there are any more questions feel free to ask your RA. Have a great summer.

Recreation hits the road

Photo by Catherine Story
5/1/08

Catherine Story
Business Manager


One LSC student recently made a trek across the country to start a job at an outdoor adventure program called Deer Hill in Colorado.

“I'm working at deer hill because it's a sweet place with sweet people in a good central location for outdoor recreation activities,” said Seth Gordon, an adventure based program management major who graduated in December.

“I also like their mission to implement service projects into all of their programs to help out usually Native Americans or the USFS which benefits everyone,” Gordon said.

“I’m pretty much using my major to the T,” Gordon said. “I am a manager at an adventure based program.”

“I think working here will improve my leadership skills by being in a managerial position and being an educator to give me a solid foundation for advancing into the adventure guiding realm,” Gordon said.

“I’m always nervous about the responsibility but when I get there it’s a lot of fun,” said Gordon.

Gordon’s jobs at Deer Hill include managing the base camp and being a field instructor. While managing the base camp he is responsible for the group’s food an equipment preparations while they travel. As a field instructor Gordon will be guiding groups through the area for weeks at a time.

Gordon drove across the country with just a few belongings, mainly clothing and recreation equipment that he will need at his new job.

“I was afraid my car would break down,” Gordon said. His Chevy Malibu cost almost $1000 in repairs before he left.

“I was also afraid I would run out of money, which I did,” Gordon said.

With gas prices peaking at $3.69 the trip was a little more expensive than he had anticipated.

“I was excited about seeing places I had never been and visiting friends who had moved to Colorado on the way,” Gordon said.

“I’m not sure if I was a rec. major or just a major wreck,” Gordon said about his college career. That’s a common saying among students in the LSC recreation department.

“I have a real passion for being outside” Gordon said. “I find value in interacting with my natural world and feel that it can help me learn about myself, grow as an individual and find a sense of place and value through a connection with my natural environment.”

Gordon spent four and a half years at LSC preparing himself for his career.

Lacrosse team taking growing pains in stride

Photo by Jordan Royer5/1/08

By Andrew R. Koch
Sports Editor


The Lyndon State lacrosse team had its share of frustrations as it wrapped up its inaugural season this week. That frustration was clearly shown in a very chippy 23-15 loss at home to Johnson State on Monday.

Despite winning only one game all year, junior captain Craig Salvagno sees a lot of promise and opportunity to grow the sport here at LSC.

“I think we’ll be seeing a lot of kids come in for lacrosse in the future,” Salvagno said, now that the team will be able to recruit students. He does admit however that lacrosse is not a big, popular sport in this area.

On a team of nearly two dozen players, Salvagno is one of only seven players who have experience playing lacrosse prior to coming to Lyndon State. He has been playing since he was in 6th grade. Salvagno says that leading a team which doesn’t have that much experience in the sport has been a lot more fun than some people might think.

“It’s new, it’s sometimes frustrating, but it’s mostly fun. It’s fun expanding a program,” Salvagno said, adding that trying a new sport can be part of the college experience. “It’s about trying new things in college.”

Salvagno, along with head coach Tim Tierney, essentially had to start from scratch when the team first started practicing. They had to teach the players, especially those who are just now learning the sport, the basic skills that are keys to playing the game the right way. In lacrosse, these skills include catching the ball in the webbing, shooting, and passing, along with the proper ways to play on both offense and defense.

“From there we moved on to putting everything into game mode. We learned a lot by playing our first couple of games,” Salvagno said.

Now that they’ve played a full season together, Salvagno likes what he sees as the team gelled throughout the year. Even though he’s the captain, he says there really aren’t any particular players that the team needs to rely on for scoring.

“We’ve been playing more like a team lately. Everyone has stepped up as a group, we’re relying on each other,” Salvagno said. He added that everyone has spoken up when they’ve felt the need to and contributed their thoughts, both in practice and in the huddles during games.

Tierney has only seen positives from his team this year, despite the frustration of losing their last nine games. Of those losses, there are a couple of games that Tierney thinks the team could’ve won.

“We could’ve beat St. Joseph’s (ME.). We almost beat Mitchell, but that was our first game ever. The team we have now would definitely beat Mitchell,” Tierney said.

Even though he’s the coach of a first-year team, Tierney says that this first year is the ultimate building year for the team because the expectations aren’t that high.

“It’s not hard. You just have to keep everything in perspective…The expectations are just to be able to field a team,” Tierney said.

Like Salvagno, Tierney sees a bright future for lacrosse on this campus. He expects to see a number of good players coming to play here in the near future.

“The word’s out about lacrosse here at LSC. Lacrosse is immensely popular in New Hampshire, in Maine, in Massachusetts, in Connecticut, in the surrounding states. We’re going to see an influx of experienced high school players,” Tierney said.

“Combined with this inaugural team, we’ll be very competitive. This year’s team set the tone for intensity.”

Even with all the losses, Tierney liked how his players never gave up during each game, no matter what the score was. Lacrosse fans on campus can only hope that this attitude can become a trademark of the program.

Cooking with Cook: Potatoes

5/1/08

Gwen Cook
Critic Staff


Potatoes are a pretty inexpensive and filling addition to any meal. They can also be a meal in themselves, which is what I wanted to focus my column on this week. A bag of potatoes could go a long way if you knew the right recipes, even if you’ve only got a microwave to cook with. It doesn’t hurt at all that they’re really cheap too.

S.O.S
Ingredients:
4 large potatoes
1 package of Steakums (microwaveable)
1 jar of beef gravy
3-4 tbsp margarine (optional)

Procedure:
Scrub potatoes thoroughly. Pierce with fork and microwave on high for 5-7 minutes or until soft, flipping about halfway through. Cool after enough so that you can handle them safely. Cut/peel the skins from the potatoes. Mash the potatoes in a large bowl. Add butter if desired. Follow the directions on the Steakums package and blot with paper towel after to dry up the grease. Chop up and mix in a small bowl with the jar of gravy. Pour over potatoes.

Potato skins
Ingredients:
2 large potatoes
1 bottle of Bacon Bits
1 small container of sour cream
Cheez whiz or shredded cheese

Procedure:
Scrub the potatoes thoroughly. Pierce with fork and microwave on high for 5-7 minutes or until soft, flipping about halfway through. Cool enough so that you can handle them safely. Cut in half and place on plate. Scoop out a little hole on the center of the potato halves to hold filling. Next, sprinkle on Bacon Bits and top with cheese. Microwave for another 30-45 seconds to melt the cheese. Top with a dollop of sour cream.

Microwaveable potato chips
Ingredients:
4 large potatoes
Approx 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt (optional)

Procedure:
Scrub potatoes thoroughly. Slice VERY thin (paper thin) and place in a bowl of cool water, with desired amount of salt, for 10-15 minutes. Take them out and place them on a paper towel to dry. Place potato slices on either a microwave safe plate or an opened up hot pocket sleeve which has been rubbed with vegetable oil. Add desired seasonings if preferred. Cover potatoes with a microwave safe cover. Cook on high for about 5 minutes or until they are light brown. You don’t have to re-grease the plate/hot pocket sleeve for the next batch. Repeat all other steps for the remaining potatoes.

SGA may be more important than you think

5/1/08

By Ben Holbrook
Managing Editor


SGA plays a larger role at LSC than just being the voice of the student body.

Every 10 years colleges are required to submit a self-study, which is a 100 page document describing, the school, Bruce Berryman, professor of Meteorology, said. Berryman has been a part of the evaluation process for a number of years.

The document covers three main areas, which are what the school is doing at that time to address certain areas, an analysis of how well they are addressing these areas, and what they will do in the future to improve, Berryman said. Two students sit in on the evaluation process and help with writing up the analysis of how the school is doing, Berryman said. The school will then be evaluated by an outside agency, which will determine whether the school is meeting the requirements to be accredited.

As part of the evaluation, accredited schools are required to have a functioning student government, Jonathan Maciel, SGA president, said. If however, a school did not have a functioning SGA then, “it wouldn’t be immediately that they close us down,” Berryman said. However, the school would be required to explain why it doesn’t have an SGA and if it couldn’t give a justifiable reason then there could be problems, Berryman said.

The evaluation system that is used to determine if a school can be accredited is vague because, “each school is different so each SGA is different,” Maciel said.

There are certain problems that arise if a school cannot be accredited. One of the problems is that a school is not eligible to receive Federal aid for its students if it isn’t accredited, Berryman said.

Another problem is that, “if you aren’t then who would want to come here,” Berryman said. Accreditation means that the school has been looked at by an outside agency and it is functioning properly and is a respectable college, Berryman said.

If SGA were unable to function properly then it is up to the students to make sure it is running properly because the administration will not step in to fix the problem. SGA is a student run organization and therefore it is a student problem if it isn’t working, Maciel said. The SGA at LSC is a large organization since every club has a representative, which not all SGA’s have.

LSC has never had a problem with losing accreditation and has passed the requirements every time, Berryman said.