140 YEARS OF THE VERMONT CYNIC
this act allowed students in Vermont to play their part in defense against the Axis powers . During the war , the university ’ s Athletic Department started preparing a physical program geared toward defense needs ( by providing physical fitness classes for both civilians and service men ). How did the word get out ? The Cynic . And finally , following the end of the war , as peace-time enrollment began to rise to the highest levels since the USA joined the Allied forces , The Cynic celebrated the return to normal by writing about the incoming class on the front page .
Over a decade later , after the assassination of JFK , the paper paid a final tribute to the president , putting a photo of him during a visit to Vermont on the front page . That week ’ s issue also ran various political cartoons and quotes from his time in office alongside the photo of a grieving student on campus . Later in the ‘ 60s , when Martin Luther King Jr . was killed , the paper ran multiple photos of him . One , on the cover , showed King in his casket , with the following question written underneath : “ Did he die in vain ?”
Amidst the Vietnam war , the paper published several pieces , from ROTC protests to photos of soldiers who had died in battle . The paper refused to shy away from the issues on everybody ’ s minds . One edition even published a
photo of a Vietnamese prisoner being executed , “ Apparently today ’ s techniques and mentalities differ little from the ways of Napoleon ’ s imperial forces ,” the caption reads . In the ‘ 80s , the paper published news of Vermont receiving funding to combat the AIDS / HIV epidemic
devastating the country . The Cynic also published pieces on gay liberation and when Vermont courts ruled in favor of civil union .
Following the September 11th terrorist attacks , The Cynic became an outlet for students to find resources and express their sorrow and anger . The paper published pieces directing students toward grief counselors and opinion pieces about how the attacks will impact the student body as they move forward . “ Attacks End Innocence , Age a Generation ,” one opinion piece is titled .
In another called , “ Students Reflect During Time of Crisis ,” opinion writer Ruby Ferm writes , “ Our lives go on , but distracted , saddened , and angry .”
It ’ s in these moments of great tragedy that we see the importance of The Cynic . Whether it be to voice the immense grief of students as they process earth-shattering events or call into question the doings of their government , The Cynic has been a powerful platform for students to make themselves heard and cope with the stressors of college life and the world around us .
Of course , in addition to responding to major world news , The Cynic also reported on collegiate events , highlighting the community of UVM . For years , it ran special issues for Senior and Junior weeks , as well as running stories on the homecoming and military balls . Less grand UVM traditions also made their way into the paper . A 1936 issue of The Cynic reported on the annual fountain fight , a tradition that has since died out . Students from UVM ’ s sophomore and freshman classes competed in various activities and games — all in fun — to determine class supremacy . According
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