Teacher’s Note – Ben Heintz We have a story this week that’s partly about an ugly exchange in our community, in which one community member called another a Nazi. That moment was controversial, but of course we’re all guilty of being…
Month: March 2019
“It’s about philosophy, It’s not about right and wrong”: Charlie Merriman
Charlie Merriman was elected to U-32’s school board after a recount following the town meeting day election. Merriman ran for the board on an anti-Act 46 platform. He also publicly voiced his distaste for WCSU’s superintendent Bill Kimball. Merriman was…
“I felt everyone looking at me”: Students of Color
“One time in US History, these kids at my table told me I would’ve been a house negro because I was half black,” U-32 senior Latisha Badeau recalls. “They said I wouldn’t have had to worry about working in the…
“There’s nothing that I would change”: The Journey of Jen Duprey
The air in the custodial staff room is relaxed: people chat amiably, eat, and prepare for the night ahead of them. Jennifer Duprey, the Head of Custodial Services, gathers the crew for a group photo. They get into a loose…
ACT 46: What’s At Stake
Editor’s Note: This piece includes reporting by Townes Degroot, Max Fair, Patrick Cioffi, Ania Kehne. One measure of intensity around the Act 46 debate was an exchange between two men at a WCSU district organizational meeting, which resulted in one…
“It sticks to cars like molasses”: Salt and Brine
Shaun Brown, a mechanic at Utton’s automotive, stands under a 2007 Toyota Yaris. Looking up at rust forming in front of the rear wheels, he notices a golf ball sized hole where the rust has gone through. This car came…
“We lose money left and right:” Cafeteria at the Crossroads
The gates to the sandwich bar had not yet been opened. Near the cash registers of the cafeteria, a small cart was set up. On the top shelf of the cart, several types of plastic packaging were displayed, along with…
Sharing State Street: Eric’s Cigarettes
Eric can often be found between two shops on State Street, sitting on the bare sidewalk with a can and damp cardboard sign below his feet that reads: “homeless, live in a tent, can’t work, anything helps, please and thank…
The Women’s March: A Minority View
On the cold morning of January 19, 2019, Meaghan Falby, a local high school teacher, was among the thousands of women who flooded Montpelier’s State Street pink with signs raised above their heads. Vermont Women’s March 2019 Photo: Meaghan Falby…
“That’s not money I have”: New Inspection Laws Burden Students at U-32
(A student’s 1985 Mercedes Benz 300 at U-32 High School) The U-32 High School parking lot has changed over the years. The sputtering engines, squealing fan belts, are a thing of the past. The Vermont Inspection Laws regulate what vehicles…
Does U-32 Deal With Students Skipping Class?
The student handbook says, “students are responsible for attending classes on time as scheduled. Consequences for class cuts include a grade of zero for any work due or completed during the missed class. The student will also be assigned to…
Seniors on Varsity Field Hockey
Harley Dewald had been playing field hockey since seventh grade. There wasn’t a lot of pressure for her to be good, it was for fun. In her junior year, her summer vacation took up all of preseason, making it so…
U-32 Start Time
In the past several years, the U-32 School Board has been trying to make an important decision. The school board has been meeting regularly to decide if delaying the start time of the school day would be beneficial for students.…
U-32 Parking Challenge: The Latest Social Media Mischief
On the morning of February 5th, student Rae Powers pulled into the parking lot and drove by several poorly parked cars. She decided to join them. “I left school and came back and my original parking spot was taken,” she…