http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmpr/ Latest news from the UVM Public Relations Office en Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmpr/?Page=News&storyID=15452 Synopsis: <img src="http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmpr/images/features/stephencarter_300x212.jpg" height="212" width="300" />Dust covers everything in the UVM clay studio &#8212; the floors, the stools, even the electrical wires that snake down from the ceiling to power the potter's wheels. But the layer of dust doesn't appear to bother the students who've pulled the low stools into a circle to listen to Stephen Carter as he lectures them about one of his favorite forms: the flanged plate. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmpr/?Page=News&storyID=15451 Synopsis: <img src="http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmpr/images/features/savanna_430x300.jpg" height="300" width="430" />For a tree, wildfire spells doom. Or does it? A new study led by the University of Vermont's Brian Beckage suggests that, in some savannas, trees have evolved to actually promote fires by, for example, shedding lots of easy-to-burn needles and bark.<span id="caption">Smokejumpers, stand down! Savanna trees, such as these pines in Everglades National Park, may promote wildfires to prevent other trees from crowding in. (Photo: Brian Beckage)</span> Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmpr/?Page=News&storyID=15450 Professor Richard Sugarman, the director of the Integrated Humanities Program (IHP) for first-year students, encourages his students to grapple with ethical and moral questions inside and outside of the classroom. This is why he and the Integrated Humanities Program, the Integrated Social Sciences Program, and the Dewey House for Civic Engagement decided to bring U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders to campus on Nov. 16 to engage with students and faculty on "The Fight for Social Justice and Equality."</p><p>The conversation, in Q&A form and occupying most of the event's time, brought out a myriad of social, political, as well as personal concerns of some of the students. Questions posed to the senator dealt with the environment, healthcare, the performance of the Obama administration, Afghanistan, education, homelessness, gay marriage and more.</p> Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmpr/?Page=News&storyID=15449 Synopsis: <img src="http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmpr/images/features/arms_300x212.jpg" height="212" width="300" />His business began with rats. More specifically, rats' knees. It was 1978, and UVM sophomore Steve Arms had landed a good work-study job in the department of orthopedics and rehabilitation. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmpr/?Page=News&storyID=15448 Given the stigma surrounding testicular cancer, it's not surprising that alumnus Colin Shore's battle to overcome it and return to the lacrosse field without missing a game during the 2008 season didn't receive much attention at the time. It's a disease that people, especially young men in their prime, don't like to talk about.</p><p>Shore, who was diagnosed with Stage 1 testicular cancer in the fall of 2007 during a hernia checkup, underwent surgery in November, followed by a month of radiation. "I was shocked and basically broke down in tears," said Shore, who lives in his hometown of Ithaca, NY. "I didn't know how to tell people. One day after practice I just said to the team 'I have cancer; you can make jokes about it if you want.' Being able to laugh about it was important for me and the team."</p>