The student-run community news site of Vermont State University - Johnson

Basement Medicine

The student-run community news site of Vermont State University - Johnson

Basement Medicine

The student-run community news site of Vermont State University - Johnson

Basement Medicine

The reference section in the library.

Library policies, hours change for COVID-19

Marcus Allen, Contributor September 22, 2020

COVID-19 has disrupted many campus functions to some extent, and the Willey Library is no exception, with reduced hours, reduced staffing, and reduced student access to the stacks. In the years preceding...

Sophie Zdatny

VSCS trustees ponder priorities

Emmett Avery, Staff Reporter September 22, 2020

The Vermont State Colleges System’s Board of Trustees created a preliminary list of strategic priorities at its Sept. 19 meeting. These priorities, once refined and implemented, “will serve to articulate...

Rising stress levels from students, faculty and staff have prompted conversations about mitigation and prevention.

Stress levels skyrocket for students, staff, and faculty

Rebecca Flieder, Editor in Chief September 22, 2020

This is the first installment of our series on campus-wide stress, focusing primarily on workload.   In an anonymous survey given to students by Basement Medicine, one question asked them to compare...

Elaine Harvey

Crunching retention data

Soleil 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....

the Golden Dome in Montpelier

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...

NDiaye on the court

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...

Michael Dente sits at his office chair in Willey Library in early September 2018

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...

VSCS logo

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...

To accommodate social distancing, the capacity of a classroom must be physically managed.

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...

The BROAD Institute in Cambridge, Mass.

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...

Nobody home...

Lights out, door locked: Office of First Year Experience gone, programs to be housed elsewhere

Soleil 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...

Kanat and Jones

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,...

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...

BFA Fairfax school farm still running during COVID-19

BFA Fairfax school farm still running during COVID-19

Soleil 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...

Wheres the stuff?

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...

Creative Audience persists despite distance

Soleil 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...

VSCS Chancellor Jeb Spaulding in 2017. Spauldings plan to shutter 3 VSC campuses has been met with controversy and outrage.

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....

Students, faculty, staff and supporters of NVU have changed their Facebook profile pictures to this image to show their solidarity.

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...

Tired of Facebook Messenger? Get yourself a COVID pen pal!

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...

From left to right: David Silverman, Karen Luneau, Chancellor Jeb Spaulding, Board Chair Churchill Hindes, Lynn Dickinsen at the Sept. 13, 2019 white paper presentation meeting

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...

VSC Chancellor Jeb Spaulding addresses JSC students at a unification Q&A session on August 30, 2017

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...

Students, faculty, staff and supporters of NVU have changed their Facebook profile pictures to this image to show their solidarity.

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...

VSCS Chancellor Jeb Spaulding in 2017. Spauldings plan to shutter 3 VSC campuses has been met with controversy and outrage.

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...

2020 commencement postponed, alternate events planned

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...

COVID-19 relief funding for VSCS, NVU

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...

Susan Green, Professor at NVU-Johnson, changed the lives of hundreds of students and helped effect policy and major changes to better the institution.

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...

Farm to School program at BFA Fairfax has a successful first Harvest Dinner

Soleil 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...

After students lobbied for pass/fail, the opt-in policy was instituted.

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...

Lamoille talks broadband

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...

A fairytale Winter Faire

Soleil 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,...

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