Crunching retention data
Solil Devyn Borthwick, Staff Reporter
September 15, 2020
With NVU-Johnson’s Office of First-Year Experience no more and the future of the VSCS in the hands of the Vermont Legislature, efforts to retain students are more than ever essential for healthy enrollment. Determining how best to keep students enrolled is a large part of Director of Student Engagement...
New chancellor Zdatny heads push for bridge funding
Rebecca Flieder, Editor in Chief
September 15, 2020
After former VSCS Chancellor Jeb Spaulding’s proposal to close both campuses of NVU and the VTC-Randolph campus, a petition quickly arose calling for him to step down. Less than a month later, Spaulding issued his formal resignation, and VSCS General Counsel Sophie Zdatny was asked to take his place...
Memorializing Mamadou
Allison Irons, Staff Reporter
September 15, 2020
Friends and teammates of Mamadou N’Diaye, who died this summer in Montana in a drowning accident, gathered on the quad for a candlelight vigil honoring the beloved NVU student on Friday, Aug. 28. Mamadou came to NVU from Prince George, Maryland ,where he played basketball at Potomac High School. N’Diaye...
Dente departs
Rebecca Flieder, Editor in Chief
September 15, 2020
After a long and busy summer upgrading both NVU campuses to run remote classes and a successful 21 years with the Vermont State Colleges, Chief Technology Officer Michael Dente is moving on to work for the state of Vermont. “I came here as a student in 1996,” he said, “ and graduated in ’99....
New Board of Trustees chair
Emmett Avery, Staff Reporter
September 15, 2020
Eileen Dickinson, the recently elected chair of the Vermont State Colleges System’s Board of Trustees is leaving the board’s options wide open as she looks to steer the system toward a sustainable future. The VSCS Board of Trustees elected Dickinson chair on Aug. 12, following the resignation of...
It’s not all doom and gloom on Zoom
Opal Savoy, Staff Writer
September 15, 2020
The fall 2020 semester at NVU-J looks a lot different than any of its predecessors. There’s significantly less traffic on the quad and everyone within sight is masked and spaced apart in compliance with state-mandated health practices. It’s an otherworldly sight for those who have been here before...
Positively negative: so far so good
Emmett Avery, Staff Writer
September 15, 2020
With two rounds of testing nearly complete, Northern Vermont University has had no positive COVID-19 cases. Dean of Students Jonathan Davis said that as of Sept. 2, over 2,404 COVID-19 tests had been conducted between the Johnson and Lyndon campuses. This number, according to Davis, accounts for nearly...
Lights out, door locked: Office of First Year Experience gone, programs to be housed elsewhere
Solil Devyn Borthwick, Staff Writer
September 15, 2020
After being formed in 2006 under a Title III grant to increase first-year retention, the Office of First-Year Experience at NVU-J, which helped guide incoming students in their new home, has seen all of its staff leave the university for various reasons. Two left amidst the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic. The...
Les Kanat retires after 31 years at NVU
Rebecca Flieder, Editor in Chief
May 19, 2020
In all his 31 years at NVU, Les Kanat’s proudest achievements as a Professor of Environmental and Health Sciences all involved the successes of his students. Along with the successes of former students, Kanat said he was proud of the Student Transition, Achievement, Retention, and Teaching Scholarship...
After nearly 50 years, Professor Silver retires
Basement Medicine Staff
May 3, 2020
Professor of Humanities Paul Silver has a vast knowledge of history, particularly American history. And especially of the Declaration of Independence, the signing of which he witnessed first-hand. Or so goes a common “Paul” joke, reflecting his nearly fifty years of mentoring students through the...
BFA Fairfax school farm still running during COVID-19
Solil Devyn Borthwick, Staff Reporter
May 1, 2020
Editor's Note: this is a follow-up story to an earlier article about the BFA Fairfax Farm to School program, which you can read here. Black tarp covers several of the garden plots. Others are layered with hay, or growing cover crops and weeds. In the greenhouse, recently seeded pots are labeled with...
Where’s the stuff?
Magnificent Schmidl, Staff Reporter
May 1, 2020
May 5: As of today, there has been no announcement about when students will be allowed to retrieve their belongings. On March 12, students throughout the VSCS were told they had a little over 24 hours to move off campus until the tentative return date of April 6. In response to the ever-increasing threat o...
Creative Audience persists despite distance
Solil Devyn Borthwick, Staff Reporter
May 1, 2020
Despite the chaos and the social distancing, NVU's Creative Audience class has been forging onward. "We have had wonderful participation so far," Tammy Johnson, Coordinator of First-Year Experience says on the virtual Creative Audience events. Unfortunately, not every student has been able to access...
Chancellor Spaulding announces resignation
Rebecca Flieder, Editor in Chief
April 28, 2020
After his proposal to close three VSCS colleges and a petition with over 2,000 signatures calling for his resignation, VSCS Chancellor Jeb Spaulding has announced via press release that he will step down. Spaulding has been chancellor of the system for just over five years. According to the press...
VSCS Board hears 3.5 hours of public comment
Rebecca Flieder, Editor In Chief
April 22, 2020
After a tidal wave of public outcry and postponement of the initial vote to close NVU-Johnson, NVU-Lyndon and VTC-Randolph, VSCS Chancellor Jeb Spaulding proposed his plan of closure at the Monday, April 20 meeting. After his presentation, the Board of Trustees and Spaulding listened to nearly 3.5 hours...
Tired of Facebook Messenger? Get yourself a COVID pen pal!
Magnificent Schmidl, Staff Reporter
April 21, 2020
Through the dark times of social distancing and isolation has shone a light: NVU’s sense of community. As students recall the joy of being together on campus, Erin Rossetti, director of student affairs at NVU- Lyndon has created a Pen Pal program connecting students from the two campuses through snail...
VSCS Board of Trustees vote postponed
Rebecca Flieder, Editor In Chief
April 19, 2020
After a public outcry and outrage at VSCS Chancellor Jeb Spaulding's plan to close NVU-Lyndon, NVU-Johnson and VTC-Randolph, the Board of Trustees has postponed the vote, as announced in a press release. VSC Delay Press Release (4-19-20)...
Joint Alumni Council votes No Confidence in Chancellor Jeb Spaulding
Rebecca Flieder, Editor In Chief
April 19, 2020
Read the joint letter here: NVU-LYNDON-JOHNSON-ALUMNI-COUNCIL The alumni councils at both NVU-Johnson and NVU-Lyndon have voted no confidence in Chancellor Jeb Spaulding. At the beginning of a faculty assembly meeting at 5:00 on April 18, Meaghan Meachem, the representative for the Lyndon...
VSCS Chancellor Spaulding recommends closure of NVU, VTC-Randolph
Rebecca Flieder, Editor In Chief
April 18, 2020
Editor's Note: This will be updated as we see more of this story develop. On April 17, 2020, Chancellor Jeb Spaulding was expected to meet with representatives from each institution in the Vermont State College System (VSCS) to discuss his recommendations for the Board of Trustees for the futu...
NVU joint faculty assembly unanimously votes No Confidence in Chancellor Spaulding
Rebecca Flieder, Editor In Chief
April 18, 2020
Just after 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 18, an unofficial joint NVU faculty assembly of over 50 members from both campuses unanimously voted “No Confidence” in VSCS Chancellor Jeb Spaulding. The vote came less than 48 hours after Spaulding’s original announcement that he would recommend the VSCS...
2020 commencement postponed, alternate events planned
Rebecca Flieder, Editor in Chief
April 15, 2020
Since NVU’s initial move to remote instruction on March 12, seniors from both campuses have raised the question on social media: “What about graduation?” In fact, nearly 400 people have signed NVU-J senior Matt Allen’s petition on Change.org, titled, “Demand A Graduation Ceremony @ NVU.” “We,...
COVID-19 relief funding for VSCS, NVU
Rebecca Flieder, Editor in Chief
April 14, 2020
On April 10, 2020, VSC Faculty Federation President Linda Olson sent a message to the Federation about the financial impact of COVID-19 on the VSCS. “Based on the survey of faculty that we sent out last week,” she wrote, “it is clear that you all would like some information about what is happening.” Olson’s...
Dr. Susan Green, beloved professor, dies at 66
Rebecca Flieder, Editor In Chief
April 14, 2020
Editor's Note: This is a developing story. Please check back for more details. If you would like to share a story or photo with Basement Medicine to add to Dr. Green's memorial, please email us at [email protected] NVU President Elaine Collins announced the death of Dr. Susan Green through ...
Farm to School program at BFA Fairfax has a successful first Harvest Dinner
Solil Devyn Borthwick, Staff Reporter
April 13, 2020
A platter of roasted Brussels sprouts, cooked squash, carrots that have been sliced and baked, and mashed potatoes are just some of the dishes that grace the tables. Bags of thyme, sage and parsley are for sale alongside jars of honey and heads of garlic. Every October at BFA Fairfax, 200...
Pass/No Pass option now available on most classes
Rebecca Flieder, Editor In Chief
April 10, 2020
Due to vocal demand from students across both campuses, NVU Provost Nolan Atkins announced that students could now change the grading option on their classes to Pass/No Pass. The policy is completely opt-in, and requires students to fill out a form online for each class they would like opted in. Pass/No...
Lamoille talks broadband
Rebecca Flieder, Editor-in-Chief
March 12, 2020
On Feb 27 residents from Belvidere, Eden, Wolcott, Waterville, Hyde Park, Cambridge and Johnson were scheduled to meet to discuss Communication Union Districts (CUDs,) a way in which the municipalities might band together to cable their towns for high-speed broadband internet. A strong snowstorm blew...
A fairytale Winter Faire
Solil Devyn Borthwick, Staff Reporter
March 12, 2020
A woman picked up a sword from a table. Its hilt was wrapped in green felt and decorated with copper wire. The colors went well with the dress and corset the woman was wearing. The blade was slim and short, barely from her fingertip to her elbow. As she handled it, a smile spread across her face. “Husband!”...
Elmore needs more
Solil Devyn Borthwick, Staff Reporter
March 12, 2020
A house divided cannot stand. The same could be said for Elmore’s town garage. The garage is currently supported by three 2-by-4s held together with nails, Brian Lane-Karnas, a civil engineer at DeWolfe Engineering, told voters at Elmore’s annual town meeting on Tuesday. The select board talked...
Town Meeting in Hyde Park
Patrick Bell, Sports Editor
March 12, 2020
A few sparks flew at an otherwise mellow Hyde Park town meeting on Tuesday. One contentious proposal would have authorized the select board to research the idea of allowing it to appoint the town clerk and treasurer, now an elected position. “This is one of the worst articles I think I’ve ever...
MASTER class welcomes swimmers of all levels
Meghan Hilferty
March 12, 2020
“So, Jim, on your butterfly kick, splash your feet,” Erica Clark, the certified American Swim Coaching Association (A.S.C.A) coach, says to her student while making hand motions to demonstrate changes in the swimmer’s style. “Your chest is doing the right thing. You’re pressing your chest and...
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