SGA reveals theme of this year’s Casino Night

February 21, 2019

On Feb. 5, 2019, the Johnson SGA hosted the Reveal party for the theme of the 42nd annual Casino Night. This year’s theme is A Royal Affair. Every year the SGA’s Casino Night Committee picks a theme for the event in the fall and it is kept secret from everyone else on campus until the reveal party...

Build your mental health toolkit

Seana Rowell

February 21, 2019

In the last issue I wrote about the campus Wellness Center and suggested taking advantage of their free counseling and walk-in hours along with their self-guided relaxation, light therapy and biofeedback spaces. There may be times, though, when someone needs a listening ear in the middle of the night,...

Legislators: stop this travesty

Adriana Eldred

February 8, 2019

My name is Adriana, and I’m a first-generation college student from a low-income household. Because of this I was not only encouraged to go to college, I was expected to. My parents had seen the struggles associated with not having a degree first-hand. They taught me that through hard work and dedication,...

SGA’s new project

Haley Frechette

February 8, 2019

The SGA has been working diligently this semester to listen and to meet the needs of our students and staff. One of the projects taken on by one of our Senators, Haley Frechette, was to replace the old, outdated water fountain inside of Dewey Hall. This water fountain did not have one of the filtered...

Words of Wellness: outdoor therapy, nature’s cure

Melissa Cluff

February 20, 2018

Recent studies show that being outside has both positive psychological and physiological benefits. Ecotherapy (also known as green therapy, nature therapy, and earth-centered therapy) is contact with nature and is a powerful new kind of therapy. It has been found to be just as effective against depression...

Vermont State Colleges System Delivering Entrepreneurs and Workers

Chancellor of the Vermont State Colleges System Jeb Spaulding

February 8, 2018

The Vermont State Colleges System (VSCS) is a major workforce pipeline delivering entrepreneurs and workers to power our state’s economy. As a system, Castleton University, Community College of Vermont, Northern Vermont University – Johnson and Lyndon, and Vermont Technical College annually confer...

Words of Wellness: the connection between trauma and addiction

Courtesy of Ashwood Recovery

February 8, 2018

Addiction is a disease with several causal factors – genetics, environment, personal behavior, and experience, in the form of trauma. The relationship between trauma and substance abuse is complicated and closely intertwined. In other words, the road between the two goes both ways, and the negative...

Strategic Plan must address IT deficiencies

Thomas O'Leary, -Editor-in-Chief

February 8, 2018

With the spring 2018 semester officially in session, we are now a mere four months away from Johnson State College (JSC) and Lyndon State College (LSC) officially merging under the umbrella of Northern Vermont University (NVU). Regardless of whether you are students, faculty, staff, or administrators,...

A message from Student Trustee Benjamin Simone

Benjamin Simone

February 4, 2016

Hi, how’s it going? I’d like to introduce myself to you readers today, my name is Benjamin Simone, and in a few weeks, myself and 12 other members of the VSC Board of Trustees are going to decide on whether or not to raise your tuition. Now that I’ve got your attention, let me properly introduce mys...

Tolerance is not enough: addressing LGBT life on campus

Ryan Downs

February 4, 2016

Certainly, Johnson State has made some progress as far as the state of life for the LGBT community goes. There is now an LGBT oriented club on campus; a discussion was raised a year ago about how essential it is to keep the current gender neutral bathrooms on campus—as well as adding a few if poss...

Thank you, Kind Sir

Victoria Greenia

May 8, 2014

I fell into love with a man a few nights ago and got a chocolate bar out of it –53% cocoa with pistachios and hot peppers, wrapped with a picture of Grace Potter. While I am neither a fan of chocolate nor the singer, the bar, more than half eaten, lays on the front passenger seat in my car as though...

A Band-Aid on a gaping wound

Tyrone Shaw

February 6, 2014

Editor’s note: The following commentary was originally published in Vt. Digger on Jan. 21. It’s been reprinted here due to its relevance, despite the protests of its author, stemming from his active involvement with Basement Medicine. Relevance is relevance. Gov. Shumlin’s latest budget is by ma...

You have the right to remain silent – right?

Phil O'Neil

May 3, 2013

You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney and to have an attorney present during any questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be provided for you at the government’s expense. Boston...

We must not balance the budget on poor, elderly

Sen. Bernie Sanders

March 28, 2013

  In the spirit of Sen. Sanders’ recent JSC Student Town Meeting, we reprint the Senator’s recent op-ed, which discusses many of the points he raised during the Student Town Meeting.       The Democrats won a major victory on Election Day.   Despite dozens of billionaires spendin...

CATFISH:”Fifty Shades” Are Us?

February 7, 2013

Unless you’re Amish, or live in a cave, you have probably heard of "Fifty Shades of Grey." Many of you have read it and maybe you have even read it secretly in that barn or cave. Set largely in Seattle, it is the first installment in a trilogy that traces the relationship between a virgin college gra...

Silenced Voices loud and clear

Kayla Friedrich

December 6, 2012

As I entered Bentley 207 to witness “Silenced Voices”  on Nov. 14, I didn’t know what to expect. Living in Vermont I have had the pleasure of meeting a few of the migrant workers who traveled here from Mexico to work on our dairy farms. What I didn’t realize was the level of fear that these...

Greeting from the SGA

Melissa Rixon, SGA, Director of Public Relations

November 15, 2012

With Thanksgiving Break just around the corner, it is hard to believe the Fall semester is already coming to a close. The SGA has been hard at work accomplishing a number of projects and initiatives with many new ideas making their way into action. President Shane Bouthillette and Vice President Colin...

Puzzled by Petrics

November 15, 2012

Six JSC students, Jane, John, Erin, Frank, Ester and Jose, come to a river crossing while on an Outdoor Education trip. They have only one boat amongst themselves which can only carry 2 people at at time. There is however an additional complication which is that Jane and Frank are dating, as are Erin...

Student First, SGA Later

Dan Schurman

November 1, 2012

I would like to address the Student Petitions Against SGA GPA Requirement article. I would first like to say that you are here to be a student FIRST! You are not going to college to join the SGA or play a sport or go on amazing trips, you are here for a degree. A degree in which you pay A LOT of money...

Letter to the Editor re: Wiseman investigation

VSC Faculty Federation

October 2, 2012

While the Faculty Federation does not generally comment on confidential personnel matters, the situation involving Professor Fred Wiseman at Johnson State College has generated so much press coverage and public controversy that we feel compelled to comment. The Federation has reviewed all the material...

Stop the nuclear industry welfare program

Senator Bernie Sanders and Ryan Alexander

May 3, 2012

The following is an excerpt from a commentary written by Ryan Alexander and Bernie Sanders. The US is facing a $15 trillion national debt, and there is no shortage of opinions about how to move toward deficit reduction in the federal budget. One topic you will not hear discussed very often on Capitol...

Benefits of health care reform

Senator Patrick Leahy and Congressman Peter Welch

April 12, 2012

This guest column was originally published in the Williston Observer. In the two years since President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act, Americans are seeing the benefits. Nearly 86 million Americans have received free preventive services such as routine check-ups and cancer screenings. Over 105...

Rap from the Rep

Mark Woodward, Lamoille County State Representative

March 22, 2012

There is no place for intrigue and excitement like the Vermont Statehouse as the end of a biennium approaches. We all come back from town meeting knowing that if legislation is to make it to law this session it has to pass out of committee this week in order to have time to work it’s way through the...

Rap from the Rep: A Message from Rep. Mark Woodward

Rep. Mark Woodward

February 16, 2012

This has been an exciting week at the State House. In my ten years as the Rep from Johnson and Eden I have never witnessed such a large turnout of Vermont State College students. As a JSC alumni myself, I have to admit we had by far the best showing. Well done JSC! It is this kind of action that influences...

Rap from the Rep: A Message from Rep. Mark Woodward

February 2, 2012

This year, the Vermont Legislature has hit the ground running. Throughout the fall most members were hard at work helping their communities recover from Hurricane Irene. Fortunately, Lamoille County sustained little damage when compared to the southern part of the state, although Johnson did lose...