The Arbiter Vol. 35 Issue 9 1.26.23

January 26, 2023

Vol. 35, Issue 9

I NDEP END E N T

STUD E N T

VO I C E

O F

B O I SE

STATE

S I N C E

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HOMELESSNESS IN BOISE

A GROWING POPULATION FACING A GROWING COST NEWS

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Boise State restricts access to TikTok through campus WiFi following an executive order from Gov. Little.

VISIT US ONLINE:

OPINION

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Learning a new language provides many health benefits and opens the door to new opportunities. arbiteronline.com

CULTURE

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No matter how far in your college career you may be, it is never too late to get involved on campus. @arbiteronline

SPORTS & REC

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With over 1,100 wins, Boise State’s Esports program stands as one of the most prestigious in the nation.

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@arbiteronline

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Editor-In-Chief Andrea Teres - Martinez editor@stumedia.boisestate.edu Online Editor Kelby Andrew onlineeditor@stumedia.boisestate.edu News Editor Brydon Black news@stumedia.boisestate.edu News Reporter Kate Jacobson News Reporter Kiryn Willett Culture Editor Hanalei Potempa culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu Culture Reporter Emily Gordon Sports & Rec Editor Adam Bridges sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu

The Boise State women's basketball team competed against the Colorado State Rams in ExtraMile Arena on Jan. 11.

Elise Ledesma | The Arbiter

Sports & Rec Reporter Marlei Soderquist

ON THE COVER:

Opinion Editor Kiyah Henson opinion@stumedia.boisestate.edu Copy Editor Kelly Ann Asker copy@stumedia.boisestate.edu Social Media Coordinator Amy Brennan Digital Content Manager Taya Thornton digitalcontent@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Homelessness in Boise is on the rise, but not for the reason you think. With so many risks involved with living on the street, how are communities combating these challenges and finding suppor t?

Photo cour tesy of Jason Armond

HOW TO REACH US:

Graphic Design Manager Sasha White design@stumedia.boisestate.edu

CONTACT US: editor@stumedia.boisestate.edu 208.426.6302 PHYSICAL LOCATION: Located on first floor of Lincoln Avenue Garage Suites

Graphic Designer Dorothy Martin

MISSION:

Digital Content Producer Elise Ledesma

Illustrator Sydney Smith Distributed every few weeks during the academic school year and online daily, The Arbiter is the official independent student newspaper of Boise State University, where student editors make all content decisions and bear responsibility for those decisions. The Arbiter’s budget consists of fees paid by the student body and advertising sales. The first copy is free. Additional copies can be purchased for $1 a piece at The Arbiter offices.

As a student-run organization, we produce accurate and hyper-local information through non-par tisan and socially responsible media.

MAILING ADDRESS: Student Media MS 1340 1910 W Universit y Dr. Boise, ID 83725 -1340

NEWS

January 26, 2023 | ARBITERONLINE.COM

GOV. BRAD LITTLE BANS TIKTOK ON STATE-OWNED DEVICES

The security risks of TikTok and its impacts on Boise State’s campus Kir yn Willet t | News Repor ter | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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n Dec. 7, 2022, Gov. Brad Little handed down the executive order banning TikTok on state-issued devices, and campus WiFi, leaving many wondering why exactly this ban is necessary.

What’s the key difference between TikTok and other social media apps? TikTok is a platform where users post videos ranging from 15 seconds to 10 minutes. The app sports various styles of content from dancing videos, dinner recipes, comedy, animals and more.

However, TikTok has been a controversial platform since its release. According to the governor’s personal website, it’s a necessary step in the “fight against communism.”

The ban orders school institutions to forgo their TikTok accounts. This is the case for the Boise State Bronco Shop.

Sonnay Alvarez, the marketing and promotions coordinator for the Bronco Shop, used TikTok for marketing and promotional campaigns in the past.

“Bronco Shop had a lot of success recruiting students to the point where we were fully staffed because of TikTok,” Alvarez said. “We had numerous students tell us during interviews that they applied because the Bronco Shop seemed like a fun place to work based on our hiring content on TikTok.” The shop used TikTok for recruiting, launching and promoting products along with sharing information. Alvarez and her student assistant ran the account, which had several videos that reached upwards of 40,000 views. And despite having four times the number of followers on Instagram, their Instagram reel videos only reached upwards of 10,000 views.

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Risks like data mining make TikTok a controversial app. The ban orders school institutions to forgo their accounts.

Elise Ledesma | The Arbiter The shop still uses other forms of social media for marketing, such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, but Alvarez said their viewer growth will be at a slower rate.

“One of the top rules in marketing is ’be where your audience is,’’ Alvarez said. “A majority of our audience is on TikTok, so it is unfortunate that we can no longer use that platform.”

TikTok, like all social media, can pose risks to consumers on an individual level.

Human traffickers and others seeking to cause harm can sometimes extrapolate the location of the user based on the backgrounds of their posts. TikTok also datamines extensively and poses a few unique risks in comparison to other social media platforms.

One of these risks is due to the extent of the data mining. According to Edward

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Vasko, director of cyber security operations at Boise State University, past versions of TikTok’s mining policies were much more invasive than other social media platforms and tracked information from sites you visit immediately after leaving the app.

“If data mining is a scale, Google, Meta, Apple, all these other companies, they mine about 75-80% of data. TikTok mines about 90%,” Vasko said.

According to Vasko, the risk level for the individual is relatively low. The risk is more concentrated on an aggregate level.

Facebook has had issues with foreign intervention, where countries like Russia purposefully create accounts and content to cause unrest in America.

TikTok has the same potential for social manipulation. The key difference is that unlike with American companies, the

government cannot ask TikTok to flag false or misleading content.

“I think that you have to look at TikTok through the lens of national security in order to view it as a cybersecurity threat,” Vasko said.

TikTok moving away from an app for dancing and toward more political and social activism-related content creates an opportunity for intervention from China in American politics and social issues.

While students use TikTok for academic and social reasons, social media can also shape our reality according to Therese Woolzey, a Boise State lecturer on digital literacy. “The ban itself only bans TikTok on state-owned devices and on-campus WiFi, so aside from increased cellular data rates, students are unlikely to be severely affected,” Woolzey said.

NEWS

WOMEN, LIFE, LIBERTY: IRAN’S POLITICAL CRISIS COMES TO BOISE STATE How Boise State students are fighting for reform in Iran Kir yn Willet t | News Repor ter | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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amir Keshavarz, a 2017 Boise State graduate, left Iran when he was 15 years old. Years later, he returned to campus to attend a protest in support of women’s rights in Iran.

Turns out, many in the city of Boise are joining the movement.

One of these protests took place on Dec. 6, where students, faculty and recent graduates gathered to raise awareness and garner support for the Iranian people.

The protest was organized by the Iranian Student organization.

Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian citizen, was arrested on Sept.

13, 2022, for not wearing her hijab correctly. After being taken into custody by the Iranian morality police, she died three days later in the hospital from offensive wounds.

Since her death on Sept. 16, protests have erupted across all of Iran for women’s rights and freedom from the oppressive dictatorial regime. Iran has not seen such widespread protesting in many years, and the movement has ripple effects for the whole world.

“That’s unfortunate,” Keshavarz said.

“But when you see a whole generation, especially women and girls, basically risking everything they have, they come to the streets and they’re demanding their freedom and they want a normal life.”

Keshavarz believes organizing events is what students can do to be a voice for those in Iran. He and many others from the Iranian Student Association are lobbying for more media coverage of this months-long call for change. By getting media attention, they aim to raise awareness and pressure the American government into action.

Professor of civil engineering Avrin Farid was born and raised in Iran before moving to the United States to finish his Ph.D. Farid said he witnessed the government’s human rights abuses firsthand.

“This regime has always been brutal, but this is much more widespread — they are using every weapon in their arsenal,” Farid said.

Protesters are beaten back with batons, paintballs with metal and plastic casings and even live ammunition. Students have

On Nov. 6, the Iranian Student Organization led a protest at Boise State University in support of women’s rights in Iran.

Elise Ledesma | The Arbiter

been kidnapped from college dorms, and both women and protesters are taken off the streets for not complying with strict religious laws.

Following these acts of violence, the regime then pressures victims’ families to say their death was caused by pre-existing medical conditions or suicide, according to Farid.

“Not only they would shoot and kill the ones who were protesting, they shot and killed the ones who were trying to help the injured protesters as well. I know firsthand,” Farid said. “My wife’s cousin was just walking and noticed somebody was shot in the head. He went to help him, and they shot him in the eye too.”

The cousin died shortly after due to the fatal wounding.

The recent protests aim to bring hope for the Iranian people. Unlike protests of the past, such as the Green Revolution and the 2019 gas price protests, this movement focuses on more than just one issue.

“This is way more widespread. It’s poor, rich, young, old, especially women and it’s in every city or even rural areas,” Farid said.

The role of social media and young Iranians has had massive impacts both inside and outside Iran, according to Farid.

Iranians haven’t been protesting just in Iran, but all across the world.

“Even though the Iranian population in Boise is only a couple of hundreds, in Berlin there were 80,000 people protesting in the streets,” Farid said.

He compared Boise’s numbers to the 30,000 protestors in Washington D.C. and in Los Angeles.

“Hopefully, the large silent population will join the group that are brave enough to go into the streets despite the level of brutality that is the biggest impact, in my opinion,” Farid said.

Farid accuses the government of being “hired thugs.” He isn’t the first to share this criticism. For years the Iranian morality

police have committed human rights abuses without trials for those accused of religious immorality.

The fight for Iranian citizens’ freedom extends beyond Iran. The student organization at Boise State University, the Iranian Student Association, has been organizing protests and events on campus to raise awareness.

Awareness is key, because it can encourage foreign governments to recognize the regime is not legitimate. Farid and others in the ISA believe foreign governments should be exerting pressure on Iran for reform.

“We want to live freely, just like other Western countries,” Keshavarz said.

The Iranian Student Association is hopeful that this movement can accomplish change.

“We’ve had revolutions in the past,” Keshavarz said. “The main difference is, it’s pretty comprehensive. You have the capital, you have more than 100 cities that are rising. There is a great chance for success here, their victory is for sure. It might just be a matter of time.”

Saman Rastgar, who graduated from Boise State in 2022, emphasizes the importance of uplifting Iranian voices.

“There is no justice for these people, there’s no place for them to hear their voice,” Rastgar said. “And we want to say why is this happening? You don’t get any response from the regime and all the answers they can give us is killing.”

“This time we want to make it official that this is a revolution, let’s not just call it a protest,” Rastgar said.

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NEWS

LARGEST ACADEMIC STRIKE IN U.S. ENDS WITH GAINS FOR STUDENT WORKERS

Despite its historic significance, cable news only ran one segment covering the strike Br ydon Black | News Editor | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

A month into the strike, the remaining workers reached a tentative agreement with the University of California.

Photo courtesy of Genaro Molina

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n Nov. 14, around 48,000 teaching assistants, postdoctoral workers, researchers and graders at the forefront of teaching and research at 10 separate University of California campuses went on strike in what is the largest academic strike in U.S. history. Seventeen academic workers were arrested on Dec. 6 after staging a sit-in in the lobby of the UC president’s Sacramento office.

On Nov. 28, two weeks into the historic strike, around 12,000 assistant researchers and post-doctoral workers reached a tentative agreement that delivers their highest wage increase to date, a 20% raise for post-doctoral workers, among other benefits. On Dec. 9, workers voted to

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ratify their new contracts by margins of 79.5% of assistant researchers and 89.4% of postdocs, returning them to work.

A month into the strike, Dec. 16, the remaining 36,000 workers reached a tentative agreement with the university, officially ratifying the agreement via a union vote on Dec. 23.

The deal includes healthcare benefits, childcare benefits, paid leave, guaranteed transit, and wage increases in 2023 and 2024. 55-80% of the wage increases for academic student employees and 25-80% increases for graduate student researchers by 2024.

Despite being the largest academic strike in U.S. history with large gains for student workers, the mainstream cable news

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coverage has been minimal to nonexistent.

Media critic Adam Johnson tallied the amount of T.V. coverage of the strike compared to recent visits from British royalty to the U.S. Johnson found that with the exception of a one minute and 40-second segment on ABC’s Good Morning America on the first day of the strike, mainstream T.V. news (which he defines as CNN, ABC News, NBC News and CBS News) haven’t covered the strike once, compared to the recent separate visits by Prince Harry and Prince William in Nov. and Dec. of 2022, which received a total of 34 individual segments amounting to 1 hour and 36 minutes of coverage.

Johnson also notes that ABC News, CBS News and CNN all have a dedicated “royal expert,” “royal correspondent” or “royal commentator.” Yet none of these outlets have a dedicated “labor expert” or labor reporter. NBC News’s Eli Rosenburg is tasked with covering labor and tech, but Rosenburg never covered the University of California strike.

At the start of their strike, the workers at the University of California requested a minimum annual salary of $54,000, increased childcare benefits, disability benefits and public transit options, among other proposals.

Saying they didn’t earn enough to afford the cost of living, the workers also accused the university of breaking the law by not bargaining in good faith with their union, the United Auto Workers. In a union survey, 92% of graduate student workers said housing took more than a third of their income, with 40% saying it was more than half, according to The New York Times.

“We’re the ones who perform the majority of the teaching, and we’re the ones who perform the majority of the research,” Rafael Jaime, a doctoral candidate at the University of California, Los Angeles, and president of U.A.W. Local 2865, told The New York Times.

The U.A.W. Local 2865 represents around 19,000 teaching assistants, tutors and other classroom workers. Jaime said in a union press release that many of the workers make less than $24,000 a year.

In the early days of the strike, University professors expressed solidarity with the workers. Their statement read, “We will be exercising our legally protected right under HEERA as Senate faculty both to honor the picket line in full and not to replace struck labor.”

NEWS

ASBSU CONVENTION ON HIATUS

UNIVERSITY CUTS BACK COVID TESTING

Br ydon Black | News Editor | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Kate Jacobson | News Repor ter | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Administration seeks more student involvement

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n Oct. 24, the Associated Students of Boise State University (ASBSU) delegates passed a new constitution. Notably, the new document would dissolve the Inclusive Excellence Student Council (IESC) and Funding Board as separate branches, integrating them into a new three-branch system.

Before going to students for a vote, the new constitution needs approval from the Dean of Students and the President of the University. Neither granted the approval.

On Oct. 28, Dr. Chris Wuthrich, associate vice president for Student Affairs and dean of students, emailed the ASBSU executive council, senate and assembly, laying out several requirements that must be met before Wuthrich and university president Marlene Tromp will sign off on a new constitution.

The email, shared with The Arbiter by the Office of the Dean of Students, said that a team of administrators met on Oct. 26, 2022, to discuss the proposed constitution. They also heard from a number of students concerned about the process and how it was not sufficiently organized or robust enough to reflect their interests.

Wuthrich wrote that the expectation was for ASBSU to hold recorded constitutional change workshops facilitated by Student Involvement staff, with each delegate receiving advising and consultation by a

University staff member.

Additionally, Wuthrich encouraged an amplification of student voices and intergovernmental dialogue, urging the importance of student involvement in major ASBSU decisions.

Kalista Barkley, associate vice president of Academic Affairs and constitutional convention chairwoman, spoke with The Arbiter about the next steps ASBSU will take to address the administration’s concerns.

Barkley explained that planned informal meetings between delegates and students will be held before the delegates meet to discuss opinions and become informed on the process. The first of these meetings was held on Jan. 20 at the Student Involvement and Leadership Center.

“I expect that each delegate does talk to as many students as they can so we know this is truly how their constituents feel,” Barkley told The Arbiter.

One more convention day will take place prior to a day designated to voting. The meeting will be held in a debate format open to the public, where delegates will go over pros and cons of the new constitution as they see them.

No vote will take place at the last convention meeting, in an effort to give delegates a week to decompress before making their final decision.

ASBSU to address administration concerns.

Taya Thornton | The Arbiter

Boise State sees reduced demand at testing center

Campus testing center announces reduced hours.

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t’s officially been three years since the COVID-19 pandemic began overtaking the world. While COVID may never be truly gone, many people have finally started to feel a sense of normalcy.

This new normal recently led to Boise State University cutting back on COVID-19 testing services due to a decreased demand.

“We have reduced hours to meet existing campus and community COVID testing needs,” Clinical Programs Director Stephanie Hudon wrote in an email to The Arbiter. “Even with our reduced hours, we have not run out of testing appointments on any day so far.”

Data from Boise State’s Public Health Dashboard shows that over 1,000 tests were administered each week for much of the fall 2021 semester. In fall 2022, however, there was only one week all semester where more than 100 tests were administered.

This reduced demand meant that the testing center at Boise State had to let go of nine employees. Most of these employees, however, were able to find positions elsewhere on campus, according to Hud-

Taya Thornton | The Arbiter

on.

The cutback on COVID-19 testing has no impact on the vaccines available at the Boise State Vaccination Clinic. The clinic is still offering COVID-19 vaccines and boosters, as well as MPV and influenza vaccines, all of which are offered free of charge to members of the campus community regardless of insurance status.

“There is a new COVID virus subvariant called XBB.1.5 which is highly transmissible (and) Idaho is seeing very high flu activity,” Hudon wrote. “Thus, this would be a good time to get the new bivalent booster and flu vaccine if you haven’t yet.”

As the prevalence of COVID-19 continues to lessen, campus community members are still encouraged to be vigilant of their health and get tested if they are feeling sick.

For those still wanting to get tested for COVID-19 or the flu on campus, the new testing center hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. While appointments are required for testing, there is typically same-day availability. Appointments can be made online on the Public Health response page.

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OPINION January 26, 2023 | ARBITERONLINE.COM

‘AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER’ IS WELL WORTH THE 13-YEAR WAIT James Cameron stuns audiences with the long awaited sequel to “Avatar” Kelly Ann Asker | Copy Editor | opinion@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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he first Avatar movie, created and directed by James Cameron, was released in 2009 and gave the impression of a standalone film. It did phenomenally at the box office and remains the highest-grossing film of all time, making $2.9 billion.

Viewers were promised a sequel, but as years passed, hope was lost.

But now, 13 years later, the wait is over.

“Avatar: The Way of Water” is now in theaters.

The stakes are high for this sequel.

Everyone’s eyes are on James Cameron to see if he can top his outstanding work, and after seeing this film, I can confidently say that Cameron exceeded all expectations.

If you have yet to watch the 2009 Avatar film, make sure to see it before heading to theaters to see “Avatar: The Way of Water,” so you don’t miss out on vital background for the sequel. This is not a movie to see without watching the prequel, as Cameron jumps straight into where Avatar left off.

“Avatar: The Way of Water” takes place several years after its prequel, and we start by learning that Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) have recovered and thrived after the Sky People left, and they now have four children.

But when the Sky People return to the planet Pandora, determined to kill Jake and his family, he and Neytiri are forced to leave their home in the forest with the Omaticaya clan and hide out among the Metkayina clan in the Pandora islands and learn their ways.

The most outstanding aspect of this film, by far, is the CGI and special effects.

Cameron’s team brings to life stunning concepts that are so realistic, they might just take your breath away.

The execution and details put into the

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creation of the landscapes, animals, planets and the Na’vi people are truly phenomenal.

Every aspect is unique; I have never been more amazed by a film’s special effects.

The storyline of this film is perfectly paced, with slow, aesthetic scenes and white-knuckle battle scenes to balance it out. These aspects make you almost forget that “Avatar: The Way of Water” is over three hours long.

The rising action, conflict and conflict resolution don’t get lost throughout the film, and the plot is clear, which helps the viewers engage with the movie and helps the runtime fly by.

Even at slower points, where Cameron risks the possibility of boredom, he holds the audience’s attention with captivating CGI and cinematography.

If you’re asking yourself, “couldn’t the film be cut shorter?” The answer is yes.

However, you’d miss out on scenes vital to the development of new characters in the

franchise. Fortunately, the film doesn’t drag on; every moment of “Avatar: The Way of Water” is engaging.

Another impressive aspect of the film is the diversity of culture and language between the Na’vi clans. The Omaticaya clan and the Metkayina clan each have their own languages, with the Metkayina clan communicating by using sign language.

CJ Jones, a deaf actor, created a new sign language specifically for the film, making “Avatar: The Way of Water” one of the few, if not the only, film to have created an entire sign language.

Cameron’s commitment to creating unique culture and tradition goes to show his dedication to personifying both positive and negative human qualities of the Na’vi, which helps the audience form a connection to the members of these clans.

When the film came to a close, and the credits started rolling, the audience erupted into applause. However, the ap-

plause wasn’t just reserved for the ending, the crowd whistled and clapped during the underdog’s highly anticipated revenge scene. People were so moved, they just had to share their pride for Cameron.

If you have the opportunity to see this film in 3D, I absolutely recommend it.

Seeing the Na’vi and their world even more up close and personal than before, is extraordinary and welcomes a whole new level of appreciation for the world Cameron created.

The mind of James Cameron will continue to amaze those of all generations and the Na’vi will continue to entertain on the big screen, with three more sequels expected to arrive in the coming years.

It’s safe to say that whether it be two more years, or 13 more years, the upcoming Avatar sequels will be well worth the wait.

“Avatar: The Way of Water” is a worthy successor to James Cameron’s “Avatar,” boasting stunning visuals, well-paced storytelling and thorough world building.

Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios

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OPINION

EVERYONE SHOULD BE LEARNING A NEW LANGUAGE

How it can benefit you and how to get started Kiyah Henson | Opinion Editor | opinion@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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he process of actively learning a new language offers a number of health benefits and creates more opportunities in areas like careers and social relationships.

People who are bilingual often stand out in the competition for jobs. In an article from New American Economy, it’s stated that the demand for bilingual workers over the past five years has more than doubled in the United States. The article also specifies that workers who speak Spanish, Mandarin and Arabic are in high demand for these employers.

According to U.S. census data, 21% of the population in the United States speaks a language other than English at home, and 13.5% of the population uses Spanish.

In Idaho specifically, 8.2% of the population are Spanish speakers.

Learning another language opens the door to creating relationships with people from other cultures and languages. In an article from Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley, they list the benefits of being bilingual, one of which is the ability to make friends in more than one language.

“The demand for bilingual workers over the past five years has more than doubled in the United States.”

This means more opportunities to meet new people, enjoy different hobbies and activities and be more socially adept.

The health benefits from learning a new language can also include enhancing problem-solving skills, improving verbal and spatial abilities and allows you to be more creative thinking.

ACTFL Language Connects states that these benefits have been proven to strengthen student performance in stan-

Learning a new language offers a number of benefits, including improved verbal and spatial ability, enhanced problem-solving skills and more creative thinking.

Taya Thornton | The Arbiter dardized tests, reading achievement and academic performance at the college level.

When your brain is learning new skills, it’s working to remember new words, make the connections between them and use them in context. According to an article from Middlebury Language Schools, learning a new language improves memory, ability to multitask and academic performance.

In a quote from an article written by Caitlin Ware, “Bilingualism has been linked to higher cognitive reserve, better performance in executive control, changes in brain structure and function relative to monolinguals, and delay in dementia onset.”

This means that learning languages, especially later in life, helps to improve cognition and promote neuroplasticity (also known as the brain’s ability to reorganize itself after forming new connections).

Learning a new language may seem daunting at first, but there are many free

resources available to help you get started on your language-learning journey.

I am currently studying Spanish and German, and a big motivator holding me accountable to studying a bit every day is following my friends on Duolingo, a free app and website. This source has lessons that teach you to read and write in your target language, as well as exercises that strengthen your listening comprehension and pronunciation.

When reaching a new milestone, my friends and I are able to send each other congratulations through the app. Duolingo allows you to keep up with how much your friends are studying and will even host friend challenges where users can complete a set of tasks with a friend.

Other free apps include Memrise and Babbel which teach in a lesson structure, and HelloTalk, an app that connects users to native speakers allowing them to both learn a new language and help others improve their English.

I have studied a number of different languages over the years, and with understanding a new language, I feel a great sense of pride in myself. Nothing is better than finally understanding something in your target language without any assistance.

Some of the music I enjoy is in Spanish and Korean, and there have been times when I’ve comprehended lyrics as I’m listening, and it’s very exciting. Studying languages helps me to create a better understanding of different cultures and also allows me to enjoy non-English spoken media on a deeper level.

Even if just casually, I think everyone should be learning a new language. For Boise State students, the university offers twelve different languages that can be taken for a minor or certification including Arabic, French and Japanese! Not only does it have proven health benefits, but it’s also a great source of gratification, and there is always a demand for it.

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HOMELES SNES S IN BOISE:

A GROW ING POPULATION FACING A GR

OW ING CO ST

AMANDA NIES S | FORMER OPINION EDIT OR | OPINION@STUMEDIA.BOISE STATE.E DU GRAPHIC S BY SASHA WHI TE | PHO TOS

BY JASON ARMOND

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ccording to the Boise Homeless Coalition, the National Coalition for the Homeless estimated that 44% of people experiencing homelessness nationwide are employed. It is assumed that folks without homes are often unmotivated or unsafe to

be around, but that is not the case.

The homeless population often struggles to find work because of the obstacles they face on the street. Obstacles include lack of access to the Internet, transportation, less experience in the workforce and mental health issues, to name a few.

A January 2021 report from Optum Idaho’s Dr. Dennis Woody says an estimated 45% of Idaho’s homeless population is dealing with mental health problems ranging from schizophrenia to anxiety, with 20 to 25% having serious and persistent mental illness.

“Living with the stressors and trauma of homelessness can increase symptoms of mental illness, particularly if there is no treatment,” as stated by the Boise Homeless Coalition.

Searching for protection in the streets Lily Lynette is 19 years old and has been

on the streets for almost two years since moving to Boise. Lynette was born at a homeless shelter in San Diego, California, but later moved to Meridian, Idaho, with her adoptive parents at the age of 18. She was convinced by family members that she would be safer in Idaho, but after almost two years with no consistent place to call home, Lynette thinks otherwise.

“I don’t really feel like it’s super safe here,” Lynette said. “You have got to know who you’re talking to and use a little bit of street smarts to know who you are around.”

Individuals like Lynette are exposed to many different elements when it comes to living day-to-day. She and many others have been introduced to drug paraphernalia and untrustworthy groups of people, which has contributed to her feelings about living without a true home.

Corpus Christi House runs as a day shelter but their main objective is to help individuals get into other overnight shelters like River of Life, Interfaith Sanctuary or City of Lights.

Since coming to Corpus Christi, Lynette has received her own bed at Interfaith Sanctuary, another local shelter nearby. She was lucky enough to obtain a bed in the shelter within two days, and has felt more supported.

In response to this newfound support, Lynette established her own “street family” with other individuals without homes who have entrusted her to reciprocate support and protection.

“I didn’t really look for [a family], necessarily, but over time I met people that would call each other their grandma and when I would come by and hang out with them, I started becoming part of their family and now I’m one of their street kids,” Lynette said.

With a strong and functional street family, Lynette feels more secure in Boise, where she spends most of her time. However, there is a feeling of uncertainty when it comes to the rest of Lynette’s friends and acquaintances who are still left to their own devices on the streets of downtown Boise.

Starting in 2022, local law enforcement enacted a series of “raids” or “sweeps” on

West Cooper Court, where a majority of the homeless population resides when they’re not utilizing public shelters during the day. Officers and other enforcement officials have stripped these people of their basic human rights and their belongings in an attempt to clean up the city.

Lynette and many of her close friends have experienced these sweeps and oftentimes are forced to start over when everything they own is taken away from them.

“They’ll give you a ticket for camping,” Lynette said. “When you’re just trying to survive on the streets.”

A different kind of home Duane Paris works as the Corpus Christi site coordinator. He is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the shelter, as well as organizing staff and volunteer scheduling to ensure that the shelter can run smoothly during its normal hours of operation.

According to Paris, the shelter sees about 90-100 guests each morning for breakfast and visitor numbers vary throughout the day. Oftentimes, the shelter’s population will increase based on the weather conditions.

“It’d be safe to say about 80% of our guests are men and about 20% of women,” Paris said. “We see some young adults — that’s probably 20-30% of our demographic and then we have a good range of people in their 30s to mid 40s, early 50s.”

One of the largest issues observed by Paris and his team is the discrepancy between groups who are seeking shelter but are burdened with emotional or mental issues caused by drug and alcohol problems, and those who are simply seeking shelter after recently becoming homeless.

The conflict between those without

homes and law enforcement officials is a never-ending battle, meaning these sweeps should come as no surprise. Paris and his team work hard to keep their guests happy and safe. However, when law enforcement feels the need to involve themselves, they do not hesitate to do so.

These folks in and around shelters like Corpus Christ are expected to keep their surroundings clean in order to police sweeps but in some cases it is unavoidable.

“I do announcements every Friday before lunch of what’s going on in the community, and I ask the community to make announcements of things that they know are going on,” Paris said.

This is often when the sweeps are mentioned.

An uncertain future for Boiseans Throughout 2022, there was a lot of discussion about the City of Boise purchasing what used to be The Phoenix, a small building near Cooper Court. However, on Dec. 14, 2022, it was announced that Mayor Lauren McLean and her administration had backed out of the purchase due to a supposed lack of state grant funds.

This building was planned on being used for another shelter, to ease the stressors of overcrowding at the pre-existing shelters downtown.

CATCH is an organization that works closely with people experiencing homelessness and connects them to those who can provide them with housing. Similarly, Our Path Home is a public-private partnership working to end homelessness in Ada County.

Both CATCH and Our Path Home will continue to lease office space in the building until February 2023, but it will no longer be used as a warming shelter.

With this roadblock to expansion for the homeless population, there is a much needed discussion about next steps as we enter the thick of the winter months in Idaho.

“This is the underbelly of society, and we welcome them with love and try to work with them and work with their conditions,” Paris said. “And that’s what we’re just here trying to do, you know, ease the burdens. We’re not judgmental.”

With many down on their luck due to life’s unforeseen curveballs, it’s difficult to maintain feelings of optimism and hope for these people without homes.

Every person on the street has their own story to tell. From being a part of a worldwide outlaw motorcycle club, Hell’s Angels, to ending up on the streets of Boise — or even coming from a successful background of working as a software developer in the Silicon Valley to living day by day at a women’s shelter.

The moral of the story is that we are all people who are sometimes dealt unlucky cards, but it’s how we turn those cards around that shows our true character.

People like Duane Paris are the reasons why these folks without homes are able to survive on a daily basis.

“Everybody’s looking at you like, you chose to be there but no one has chosen to have this lifestyle,” Paris said. “Circumstances have led to that so let’s build them up and build their confidence and give them some hope. That’s really what our mission is: love and hope.”

C U LT U R E January 26, 2023 | ARBITERONLINE.COM

BOISE STATE HONORS COLLEGE OFFERS AN ENHANCED ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE

Alumni Honors student shares her experience and the skills she developed for real world endeavors Hanalei Potempa | Culture Editor | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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oise State’s Honors College is an experience that is by no means restricted to academics. It focuses on the individual path of each student to provide life-changing opportunities that extend beyond graduation.

Associate Director Emily Jones has worked with the Honors College for eight years, managing many facets of the Honors program, including recruitment, incoming applications and coordinating the Honors 390, a course on crafting professional narratives.

Jones shared that the Honors program is created to enhance a student’s overall academic experience, providing Honors students with unique education opportunities regardless of their area of study.

“We exist to augment and enhance anybody’s academic programming on campus. So we’ve had students from every major at Boise State be a part of the Honors College,” Jones said. “We don’t change what it is that they’re doing within their own degree plans. We’re just enhancing that by providing some additional coursework or some additional academic options.”

The Honors program is flexible and specific to each student and their career path, allowing students to fulfill Honors credits through courses they are already required to take for their specific degrees.

“I think one of the things I love most about our program is that inherent flexibility is the understanding that every student is different and every student needs something very different to enhance their experience of Boise State,” Jones said.

The Honors program also includes a small set of required courses all honors students are expected to take.

“It’s a way for them to get out of there,

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maybe get out of their academic comfort zone … So we’re not adding lots of extra credits, it ends up just rolling into their elective credits,” Jones said. “It’s a really fun way to do something a little bit differently academically.”

Jones shared that these required courses each have a different goal, many which provide helpful knowledge for life post-graduation.

“So we had a number of our alumni years ago come back and say, ‘What I really wish I would have had at the end of my college experience was this.’ And a lot of them were talking about experiences that they’re (current Honors students) now getting an Honors 390,” Jones said.

“So Honors 390 essentially is the way that we support our students to be thinking about what’s next, and then to be very practically working toward applications for what’s next after graduation.”

Claire Oberg, a recent Boise State alumni, studied through the Honors College all four years and dual majored in elementary education and special education with a minor in American Sign Language.

She currently teaches in Anchorage, Alaska, as an elementary extended resource special education teacher.

Oberg praised the high level of flexibility offered in the Honors program and the small class sizes that came with these different opportunities, providing the chance to dive into more content and have more in-depth conversations with classmates.

She emphasized the real-world skill building she was able to partake in, preparing her for post-graduation plans and experiences.

“I think one of the biggest tools that I gained from those classes was being

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The Honors College provides unique education opportunities to students across all majors.

Taya Thornton | The Arbiter able to justify your own thinking. And so being around peers of all different majors, sometimes even different years, I remember being a sophomore a junior in classes with seniors, and so that adds its own kind of element,” Oberg said. “And so post-graduation, it really prepares you to justify your own thinking, to be able to think logically about things and to be able to stand for what you think, but also engage in healthy conversations with people who think all different things.”

Oberg shared that personally she was very involved in the Honors College through student leadership and other activities, but emphasized that the Honors

College experience is whatever you desire to make of it.

“If you’re in the Honors College, it does not have to be your whole world.

You can do lots of other things, or you can make it your whole world. It’s not like a pick one, choose one,” Oberg said.

“It was able to be that dual partnership where I knew that there was support from both peers and faculty across the board.”

C U LT U R E

IS IT THE RIGHT TIME FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS TO BECOME PET OWNERS?

College students are beginning to own more pets, some being emotional support animals Kayla Myers | Staf f Writer | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Although pets can provide emotional to their owners, they require support in return, such as daily enrichment, attention and veterinary care.

Taya Thornton | The Arbiter

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s young adults begin to move out on their own, they can feel lonely without their pets from home. Many students are adopting pets to alleviate this need of support and company of an animal.

Around 75% of college students who leave home for school experience separation anxiety from their pets that they leave with their families.

More students are adopting pets to curb this anxiety and fill their new homes with the same type of comfort that they now feel detached from.

Makenna Green, a junior at Boise State studying health studies and science, adopted a cat with her roommate and recommends other students do the same.

“We originally decided to adopt a pet when one of our friends got a kitten, and it convinced us it was a good idea,” Green said. ”I would totally say to do it. It can be a time commitment, but cats are low-

key, and we’re gonna have so many more memories to tell our kids from having our own pet.”

Not only does owning a pet affect your college and young adult experience, but it can also have an impact on the way a person lives and their overall mental health.

Kristine Schellhaas, the public relations manager for the Idaho Humane Society, feels that there is a strong connection between emotional health and pet ownership, although she also believes there are drawbacks to students having their own pets.

“Animals provide a tremendous amount of love and support to their owners, but in turn, they also need support,” Scheelhass said. “They need daily enrichment and attention, food, veterinary care and more. If the owner wants to travel, arrangements need to be provided for appropriate care, and of course, unexpected emergencies may arise that may cost

thousands of dollars.”

Pets do require some financial stability and can prevent younger people from having complete freedom over their daily schedules, but despite these drawbacks, they do provide happiness and comfort to those that take the risk.

Chloe Stowell, the manager at pet supply store Bark N’ Purr on Vista Avenue, shared that she has an emotional support animal at home that she adopted at 21 years old.

Stowell shared that having her own emotional support pet has changed her life for the better, and she has no regrets.

“Having an emotional support animal has helped me develop independence and has encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone,” Stowell said. “Due to some mental health conditions, it can be difficult to find consistency and routine.

Having an emotional support dog helps me maintain a routine, which helps sup-

port a healthy mental state.”

Owning pets can make it difficult to find a place to live that is pet friendly, as many landlords and apartments in Bosie don’t allow pets. However, if you and your pet qualify, owning an emotional support animal is a good way to support yourself and ensure you will be able to live anywhere you would like to, regardless of pet restrictions.

“More rentals have slowed accepting specific pets, sometimes specific breeds or dogs within a set weight range. Some prohibit cats, reptiles and more,” Scheelhaas said. “The Idaho Humane Society has seen a large uptick in owners surrendering their pets to us as finding pet-friendly, affordable rentals are becoming more difficult to find. Relinquishing a pet is never an easy one, so if students are considering adopting, I recommend having a plan in place.”

When deciding to get an emotional support animal or deeming a pet as one, it is important to keep in mind that fraudulently claiming you are in need of an ESA can prevent others from being able to do so.

“I love finding ways to enrich my ESA’s life as much as he has enriched mine,” Stowell said. “Although, I think it is extremely important to ensure that people understand ESA’s and that service animals are not a joke. Faking one can be detrimental to those who truly need them. It can be an easy way to not pay pet rent, but it can affect the availability of those who actually need them.”

Owning a pet at a young age is a big responsibility and can cause stress when it comes to housing or affordability, but if a student is able to make the commitment and provide a proper environment for a pet, having a pet of their own can offer many mental health benefits and make for a great overall experience of comfort and support.

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C U LT U R E

STUDENT ARTISTS SHOWCASE WORK IN FALL 2022 BFA EXHIBITION Students use their voice through their art using a wide variety of art mediums Hanalei Potempa | Culture Editor | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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oise State’s Blue Galleries, located in the Center for Visual Arts, hosted the semi-annual BFA Exhibition, highlighting the work of graduating art students.

The exhibit featured art in many forms such as photography, illustration, ceramics and painting. These student artists created art to approach topics such as mental health, women’s issues and the overall human experience.

Jessica DeLeon, a current senior double majoring in photography and criminal justice, presented her collection of digital photo prints titled “You Misunderstand Me.” In her artist statement, DeLeon writes, “‘You Misunderstand Me’ is an invitation to look beyond the silence and to acknowledge your own coping and to recognize that we aren’t all that alone.”

Her collection includes some serene shots of nature, candid images of friends and tangible objects.

The collection presents a personal insight into coping with mental health issues, and includes images of her aunt’s sobriety chips and keychains, and of her wife’s daily journal.

DeLeon shared details of the story behind the title of her work.

“The subjects that I spoke to had expressed that, you know, there’s people around them that are upset because of how they managed and coped with their mental health,” DeLeon said.

Allyn Dreher, a current senior majoring in drawing and painting, presented “Red,” a collage of photo paper, yarn and other found materials.

Deher shared that she went through “Playboy” magazines for inspiration, and decided to focus on the color red due to its traditional connection to women during that time period.

“Red was the first color that was introduced. I think probably because it’s the easiest to produce knowing the history

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of makeup and everything,” Deher said.

“And so that’s why a lot of women during that time had red lipstick, red nail polish, just that tradition of red being connected to women.”

Dreher shared that she found most of the digital images featured on the piece from the “Playboy” archive, and a few from another old women’s magazine called “Mademoiselle.”

Her collage features a crocheted blanket that she acquired second-hand, as well as hand-crocheted flowers surrounding the old magazine photos.

“I think I just wanted to show my anger about everything… through using that red, and sort of disrupting this traditional way of making that women are known for like crocheting, and collaging, or scrapbooking, and stitching, and bead-

work, I guess stuff like that,” Dreher said.

Dreher included elements of these activities; scrapbooking, crocheting, stitching, along with activities that are perceived as feminine.

“It was freeing to make,” Dreher said.

“It was an exercise in exploring feelings that I’ve had that have been hard to discuss.”

Sativa Justice, a current senior majoring in drawing and painting, presented a stunning collection of paintings on silk titled “Attribution of Absences - Worldwide Femicide.”

“I always thought a woman being killed was an anomaly,” Justice said. “Then I read that over 80,000 women are killed every year … more than five women or girls are killed every hour, not every day, every hour.”

Justice decided to try painting on silk with paper underneath, and ended up loving the different results in the process.

“I liked what happened on the paper under the silk better than what was on the silk. But the silk was really lovely too because you could see through it,” Justice said. “So it is a female presence, like ‘you’re here, but not here’ on these women that have died.”

Justice shared that she based each facial image on real women who died, each from a different country.

“I just wanted people to become more aware … so that these women will stop being killed, that there will become more social consciousness around it,” Justice said.

At the 2022 BFA showcase, students tackled topics such as mental health, women’s issues and the human experience through many different art forms.

Photo courtesy of Hanalei Potempa

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C U LT U R E

FROM SWING DANCE TO JEDI TRAINING, BOISE STATE HAS IT ALL

Students can find their community within Boise State’s 200+ clubs Emily Gordon | Culture Repor ter | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Boise State University has over 200+ clubs and organizations for students to join, from the Jedi Academy Association to the Country Swing Dance Club.

Taya Thornton | The Arbiter

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etting involved on campus can be hard — scary, even.

As the spring semester starts and campus activities resume, many students may feel that they’re too late to get involved with something new.

Claire Phillips, the student organizations coordinator at Boise State University, reminds you it is never too late to find your Bronco community. If anything, you are just on time.

Phillips’ office is located in the Student Involvement and Leadership Center.

Students who arrive will notice it’s full of laughter and welcoming faces eager to help any and all who enter.

It’s very clear that this is a team simply rooting for the students. Phillips is beyond helpful and knowledgeable on all things club related.

Students who stop by will have access to resources to discover all sorts of different clubs at Boise State. Philips shared a flyer that promoted just some of the clubs offered on campus, such as the Country Swing Dancing Club, the Jedi Academy Association and Dungeons and Broncos.

At the top of the flyer, in bold, were the words “You Belong Here.”

Phillips explains that all clubs on campus are constantly taking new members, and the spring semester is when most students begin reaching out to their desired communities. With more than 200 clubs available, you are sure to find your people.

The time commitments are completely up to the students, and experience is not a requirement for many of these clubs.

If you can’t find your specific club here

on campus, feel free to make your own, Phillips says, “It only takes three.”

It only takes three people to start a club here at Boise State, and you would be considered “founders” of whichever club it is you decide to create. The process of creating your own club is surprisingly simple and can be done online through Boise State’s website.

Boise State sophomores Bella Ramirez and Cambria Brann are already ahead of the game. Ramirez and Brann, the founding members of the Film Production Club, explained the inner workings of their organization and how simple the process of creating your own community here on campus can be.

The two movie lovers were insistent on reminding students that their club is open to all who are interested, despite any prior

film production knowledge.

“Whatever you want to do, there’s a place for everyone,” Ramirez said.

Joining a club and opening yourself up to new experiences is a great way to feel more comfortable on campus and make more friends who share an interest in some of your favorite hobbies. Boise State freshman Maria Purtee, member of the Country Swing Dancing Club can attest to this.

“I don’t know what I’d do without this club,” Purtee said. “I was never a club person before.”

Purtee is an off-campus freshman who felt what many students feel when entering a new space, totally overwhelmed and lost. On a whim, with no experience, she entered the Bronco Gym and was greeted with cowboy boots, country music and welcoming faces.

Purtee shared that at the Country Swing Dancing Club, all different kinds of students come together to dance, ranging from freshmen like her, to already-graduated students.

Since then, Purtee has found her community here at Boise State. When asked about her experience putting herself out there, she shrugged and said, “You never know what you like until you try it.”

Purtee explained that the time commitment is extremely flexible and no experience is necessary. Experienced members are beyond willing to share their passions and teach you to dance.

Joining an unfamiliar club is a great way to learn something new or to simply do something you love with new friends.

As the spring semester starts and days begin getting longer, finding your niche community within Boise State is a sure way to end your year on a high note.

Whether you are a brand new freshman who has always wanted to train as a Jedi, or a senior counting down the days until graduation, remember that your fellow Broncos are waiting for you.

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S PORTS & REC January 26, 2023 | ARBITERONLINE.COM

TRANSFER SEASON FOR BOISE STATE FOOTBALL: WHO’S OUT?

A number of Boise State football players entered the transfer portral following the 2022 football season Marlei Soderquist | Spor ts & Rec Repor ter | spor ts@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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t’s transfer season for Boise State Football, which means Bronco Nation can expect some switch-ups for the upcoming football season.

The transfer portal permits student-athletes to place their names in an online database declaring their desire to transfer to a different school.

Athletes enter the portal by informing their current school of their desire to transfer and may have opportunities presented to them from other universities to join their roster.

The transfer portal window opened on Dec. 5 and closed on Jan. 18, 2023.

Although former Boise State quarterback Hank Bachmeier headlines the university’s transfer portal talks, he is only one of many ex-Boise State football players to have entered the transfer portal this season.

Hank Bachmeier After entering the transfer portal just four games into the 2022 season, Hank Bachmeier, one of the most talked about former Boise State football players, has finally found a new home at Louisiana Tech.

Per ESPN’s Pete Thamel, the “quarterback-friendly system of coach Sonny Cumbie” appealed mightily to Bachmeier, and he will enroll this spring with the intention of competing for the Bulldogs’ starting quarterback job.

Isaiah Bagnah The Alberta, Canada native, Isaiah Bagnah, redshirted in 2019 and was part of the Broncos’ program for four seasons.

During his tenure as a Bronco, Bagnah played in 25 career games and tallied 58 tackles, 10 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss.

Before entering the transfer portal in October 2022, he played in six games

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during the 2022 season.

He has two years of eligibility remaining and will be playing under current BYU assistant Kelly Poppinga, who was on the Boise State staff last season (EDGE coordinator).

Jackson Cravens Brigham Young University (BYU) added another defender to their team from the transfer portal. Former Boise State defensive tackle Jackson Cravens announced on Dec. 27 that he signed to the program’s 2023 recruiting class.

Cravens, a graduate transfer, joins edge rusher Isaiah Bagnah as the second defensive transfer from Boise State headed to BYU this offseason.

As a Bronco, Cravens played in 26 games with 13 starts after sitting out the 2019 season due to NCAA transfer rules.

During his tenure in Boise, he notched 69 total tackles, with five tackles for loss, three sacks, a pass deflection and a forced fumble.

Cravens’ most productive season at Boise State came in 2021, when he started 11 games and had 36 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack, two QB hurries and a forced fumble.

Tyneil Hopper Georgia native and former Boise State tight end Tyneil Hopper signed with Michigan State on Dec. 15.

Hopper entered the portal as a graduate transfer in early December with one year of eligibility left.

The former three-star recruit from Georgia had 22 catches for 259 yards and two touchdowns in 45 career games with 11 starts at Boise State.

Deven Wright Despite having his first season in Division I football as a Boise State Bronco,

ARBITERONLINE.COM

The Boise State football team is saying goodbye to a number of players as transfer season comes to a close.

Taya Thornton | The Arbiter Deven Wright entered the transfer portal in early December.

Wright came to Boise from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and now is on the Texas State roster.

Sam Vidlak Former Boise State backup quarterback Sam Vidlak is transferring for the second time after just one season as a Bronco.

The Grants Pass, Oregon native, who originally committed to Montana and decommitted to attend Oregon State for the 2021 season, transferred to Boise State for the 2022 season.

Vidlack joins the Grizzlies with three years of eligibility remaining and will be competing for the starting quarterback position amongst five other players.

Casey Kline The No. 19 linebacker prospect according to ESPN, Casey Kline appeared in 14 games across his two seasons at Boise State and entered the transfer portal in August of 2022.

Out of high school, Kline received offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Boise State, Notre Dame, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington State and more, per 247Sports.

Kline decided on transferring to University of Central Oklahoma, a Division II level team. The Bronchos compete in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association.

Jacob Golden Former Boise State offensive lineman Jacob Golden announced his commitment to New Mexico State on Oct. 19.

Golden began his Bronco career in 2020 as a redshirt freshman. The Arizona native went on to play in three games in 2020. Golden appeared in nine games for the 2022 season.

GAMING TO GREATNESS

SPORTS & REC

Boise State’s Esports program among the best in the nation Br ydon Black | News Editor | spor ts@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Boise State’s Esports program boasted a $500,000 budget for 2022 despite not receiving funding from the university.

Elise Ledesma | The Arbiter

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oise State’s Esports team is coming off the heels of a record-breaking 1,000 wins for a Division I program, multiple championships and a brand new renovated arena — making the program one of the most prestigious in the nation.

Both teams faced each other in 2014, 2017 and 2018. What happened in those matchups?

Starting in 2017, the Bronco’s Esports team crushed any expectations that could have been conceived at the time. According to Dr. Chris “Doc” Haskell, head coach of Boise State Esports, the program has won four national championships and brought in over 1,100 wins during its short history.

Back in November, the team was voted the collegiate program of the year at the 2022 Tempest Awards.

Haskell was one of the program’s founders, which started in the College of Education before eventually moving over to the College of Innovation and Design.

Haskel is hopeful that they’ll land with athletics in the future.

“If you think about it, we’re a televi-

sion station with an Esports team. We have a lot of assets that organizations like athletics need,” Haskell said. “They need to sell broadcast time. We have between 3 and 5 million unique households a month watching our content, both with Twitch distribution and essentially new cable distribution.”

By new cable distribution, Haskell is referring to their airtime on ESTV, where he says Boise State’s Esports team represents about a sixth of ESTV’s overall content.

“That’s in half a billion homes, people tuning into esports. Hundreds of thousand of people tuning into one broadcast,” Haskell said.

Regular broadcasts are one of the ways the program is able to be fully self-supported, as they don’t receive any budget dollars from the university. Their largest donors include ICCU and the Army National Guard. They raise everything they spend, including salaries, travel, equipment upkeep and scholarships. The budget this past year was around $500,000, according to Haskell.

Boise State Esports Information Direc-

tor Jacob Palmer graduated from Boise State in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts in Media Arts. He took a class with Dr. Haskel, where he cultivated a relationship with the current head coach. Palmer has been with the program since it started in 2017, eventually working his way to his current position.

Palmer said that the first priority of the program is to help students in their education and in getting their degrees. In addition to exceptional play, students are required to obtain their degree in order to be added to the wall of fame located in the arena.

Palmer credits the program’s enormous success to their team culture and Boise State being one of the first universities to start an official Esports varsity program where students can earn scholarships.

“Starting early in the scene allowed us to really make a name for ourselves. We could get to a lot of tournaments now that we have six years of competition behind us,” Palmer said. “We’re very big on maintaining a good team culture here. We don’t want to blame others, we don’t want to complain, we don’t want to deflect.”

The program’s team culture has helped create a winning one, with the program becoming a force in the Mountain West and in national tournaments.

Last spring, Boise State won the Mountain West Championship in Valerant, Rocket League and Overwatch. In December 2022, they won the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) national championship in Overwatch, 3-0, against the UT Dallas Comets in Philadelphia.

Another prestigious tournament the Broncos have qualified for throughout the last two semesters is the Collegiate Rocket League (CRL) tournament, put on by the game developer Psyonix.

“It’s very high competition. You have to qualify for it every year,” Palmer said.

“Only the top teams are usually allowed

in, so to just qualify for the event is considered an honor in and of itself.”

Gabriel “Gil” Reynolds is a sophomore studying computer science at Boise State who was recruited from Minnesota and plays for the varsity Rocket League team.

Last semester, Reynolds helped lead the Broncos to a perfect 15-0 record in the Mountain West tournament, capping the season off with a 4-0 sweep in their second straight Rocket League Mountain West Championship.

“This is my fourth semester. I made it [to the CRL national tournament] for the first time my second semester, we qualified again this and last semester, so being able to go three out of four. It’s always a privilege to be able to play in big leagues like that,” Reynolds said. “I’m a big grinder, play a lot, so it’s nice to see the work pay off in that way.”

This fall semester, Reynolds and the Broncos’ Rocket League team finished the regular season 13-2, currently ranking third in the CRL western division. Maintaining that position by the end of the Spring semester could help them qualify for the 2023 international CRL tournament this summer.

If students want to get involved with the Boise State Esports community, Palmer said the first step would be for students to realize there’s a downtown facility open to all students to arrange community events or simply play whatever game their systems have.

“This is as much a part of the university as the library would be,” Palmer said.

“Just students knowing they can hop on the orange shuttle here downtown, come here during weekdays and play anytime they want. That’s just a great resource for students to take advantage of.”

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SPORTS & REC

DID BACHMEIER OR GREEN HAVE A BETTER FIRST SEASON?

Comparing the stats between freshman quarterback Taylen Green and former quarterback Hank Bachmeier Adam Bridges | Spor ts & Rec Editor | spor ts@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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oth Taylen Green and Hank Bachmeier had great first seasons with the Boise State football team, but which quarterback left a better first impression?

Both Taylen Green and Hank Bachmeier had great first seasons with the Boise State football team, but which quarterback left a better first impression?

Although freshman quarterback Green is gaining a lot of popularity and publicity in the Boise area for his performance throughout the 2022 season, Bachmeier received similar attention during his first year at Boise State in 2019.

“The legend of Hank Bachmeier continues to grow,” Idaho Statesman reporter Michael Lycklama said in the first line of his Florida State game review in 2019.

“And it’s only getting started.”

“Quarterback Hank Bachmeier has been one of the bright young stars of the 2019 season so far.

He’s fearless in the passing attack.”

- J.P. Scott, three-time Football

Writers Association of America award winner

When comparing their first-year stats, Bachmeier played three fewer games, yet only has 163 fewer passing yards and five fewer passing touchdowns than Green.

Bachmeier also led the 2019 Broncos to a No. 14 ranking in the NCAA Top 25 and a 6-1 record in the seven full games he played.

He was considered a key piece to his team’s success throughout the season and was named one of the nation’s top true freshman players and top six pro-style

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Hank Bachmeier received many accolades during his tenure as quarterback, though Taylen Green surpassed in rushing yards, touchdowns and rushing attempts.

Elise Ledesma | The Arbiter passers in the 2019 recruiting class by 247Sports.

“Quarterback Hank Bachmeier has been one of the bright young stars of the 2019 season so far,” three-time Football Writers Association of America award winner J.P. Scott said. “He’s fearless in the passing attack and is going to keep the Air Force defensive backfield busy and on its heels most of the day.”

While the Boise State Broncos did not receive any Top 25 honors in 2022, Green did lead his team to the Mountain West championship and was 7-2 in the nine full games he played — not including the Oregon State or San Diego State games.

Green also received recognition for his plays throughout the season, being named Mountain West Offensive Player of the week twice, Mountain West Freshman

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of the Week award four times, Mountain West Freshman of the Year and College Football News Freshman All-America Second Team.

“Taylen is nice,” NFL Buffalo Bills receiver Khalil Shakir said at Boise State’s 2021 Pro Day. “He’s a young cat who I think is going to have a very, very huge impact here.”

While the accolades and passing stats are similar between the two quarterbacks in their first year, their rushing statistics set them apart.

Bachmeier only ran the ball 41 times for 69 yards and a touchdown during his first year. Green ran the ball twice as much as Bachmeier, but had eight times more rushing yards. Green finished his first season with 586 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on 81 rushing attempts.

Comparing Bachmeier and Green’s first season is difficult because both made a significant impact for Boise State while playing with two completely different play styles.

“Taylen is nice. He’s a young cat who I think is going to have a very, very huge impact here.”

- Khalil Shakir, NFL Buffalo Bills

receiver and former wide receiver for Boise State

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