The Arbiter 4.30.2015

april 30, 2015 Vol. 27 Issue 63

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The risk is getting New studies show marijuana may negatively affect those with depression, mental illness, p.10

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Hoots & Giggles “You can’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get.” -Michael Phelps

Comic Strip

crossword puzzle FOR RELEASE APRIL 30, 2015

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

sudoku

ACROSS 1 Bit of plankton 5 Venus and Mars 9 Actress Thompson of “Veronica Mars” 14 Small deer 15 Roman numerals may be seen on one 16 Coveted annual honor 17 Very aware of 19 Caroler’s wear, often 20 [sniff] 22 Sun. speech 23 Expressive music genre 24 Sport fishing quarry 26 Way around London 28 Debatable skill 30 Manner of speaking 31 Rueful 36 Shepherd’s __ 37 [sniff] 41 “Jingle Bells” contraction 42 Some road signals 43 Desertlike 45 Otoscope user, for short 46 Hurricane __ 50 Knock it off 52 Inflation meas.

55 “Alice in Wonderland” (2010) star Wasikowska 56 [sniff] 60 Botch 61 Cockpit option 62 Expensive 63 Not at all pleasant 64 NYC-to-Montauk system 65 Frauds 66 Barnyard meal 67 Cocker spaniel of film DOWN 1 Recording __ 2 Vent opening 3 Canis and Felis 4 “Give me __”

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4/30/15

By Jeffrey Wechsler

5 Disgust 6 “Don’t Pass Me By” songwriter 7 Bad thing to take in Vegas?

8 Pinball machine feature 9 1900 Teatro Costanzi premiere 10 Go with 11 Food often served seared 12 Autonomous region of Italy 13 Dog’s declaration 18 Actor Daniel __ Kim 21 Pharmaceutical container 25 Grant factor 27 Classic twoseated roadster 28 It happens 29 Overcharge 32 Barbecue morsel 33 The Skerries in the 39-Down, e.g.

34 Yeats’ home 35 Camera shop offering, briefly

Wednesday’s Puzzle Solved

©2015 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

37 “The Wind in the Willows” figure 38 Legalese adverb 39 View from Liverpool 40 Fashion monogram 44 Crown jewels item 47 First name in aviation history 48 Upper-class address

4/30/15

49 Insignificant 51 Conductor’s calls 52 Cookout site 53 Tread heavily 54 NetZero, e.g.: Abbr.

57 Puts (out) 58 Throw hard 59 Paper or pepper source 60 Ed.’s pile

04/30/2015

IN THIS

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Emily Pehrson

editor@ arbiteronline.com Justin Kirkham

managingeditor@ arbiteronline.com

NEWS EDITOR

Alx Stickel news@ arbiteronline.com

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Eryn-Shay Johnson & Sean Bunce news@ arbiteronline.com

SPORTS EDITOR

Nate Lowery sports@ arbiteronline.com

ISSUE

lezlie sterling/tribune news service

MANAGING EDITOR

7

campuses shift focus to health professions john costello/tribune news service

4

8 leslie boston-hyde/THE ARBITER

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR Brandon Walton sports@ arbiteronline.com

CULTURE EDITOR Patty Bowen arts@ arbiteronline.com

ASSISTANT CULTURE EDITOR August McKernan arts@ arbiteronline.com

Mold clay, creativity into characters Boise state media relations

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Tyler Paget photo@ arbiteronline.com

COPY EDITORS

Brenna Brumfield Leslie Boston-Hyde

Multidisciplining student schedules

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GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Ted Atwell Jared Lewis

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NEWS

Multidisciplinary studies attempts to benefit students, state Stephanie Labastida Richard Turner is a student in the multidisciplinary studies program as of last year, minoring in computer science. Though he began as a computer science major, a few personal and academic setbacks caused him to delay his studies. Because of those, he looked to the General Studies Program—the former name for the Multidisciplinary Studies Program.

“I’ve always wanted to graduate. My dad always wanted me to graduate,” Turner said. “It doesn’t matter how old you are. You can still do this.”

Turner began college right out of high school. Although he loves learning now, learning was not his main goal when he graduated. Deciding that school wasn’t for him, he undertook a number of jobs: grocery stores, gas stations, the Navy and the federal prison. He also opened his own tie-dyeing business.

Over time, he became interested in working with computers.

He sees himself using his knowledge to help others.

He primarily just wants to help others and pass on his knowledge.

What is the program?

The multidisciplinary studies program is for nontraditional students who began but ended up ceasing their college education. It requires 5 years of life-experience (i.e. military service, work), 58 credits and at least a 2.25 GPA. “It means not having just one field of study, or having one major field of study

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Rebecca morgan/multidisciplinary studies

Staff Writer

Vicki Budd (left) and staff support multidisciplinary studies and being able to branch off and take extras,” Turner said, regarding the program’s significance for him. “I can customize it to what I want to learn.”

According to Vicki Budd, program director, the life experience requirement proves students have accrued more life experience than the average traditional student. This helps students know what they want in terms of developing their individual education plan.

Established in 2008, the program is still relatively new. According to Budd, in the first four years of the

program, 86 percent of the students have graduated.

This contrasted with the 44 percent completion rate of students nationally. There are currently 227 students in the program.

“It’s one thing to get students in the door, but another to see to the end of graduation,” Budd said.

Students must set goals through individual degree plans, and, based on those goals, select classes that will help prove the retention of skills needed to succeed in the workplace.

Online availability for some of the program’s class-

es helps students who can’t physically get to class. The goal is to facilitate the process of acquiring a degree.

This requires students to work hard and constantly work toward a focused objective.

The implications of education

According to the U.S. Census Bureau quickfacts statistics from 2009-2013, only 25.1 percent of the population of Idaho has a bachelor’s degree or higher.

According to the 2015 Idaho Board of Education fact sheet, it is estimated

that the number of jobs in Idaho will grow by more than 22 percent from 2010 to 2020.

Georgetown has also estimated that more than 60 percent of all jobs in Idaho will require some postsecondary training beyond high school by 2020.

The increase of jobs requiring higher education will likley result in an increase in the demand for higher education. This fact is what has inspired Idaho to create plans such as Complete College Idaho, as a part of Complete College America.

According to the BOE, both programs seek “to help prepare the workforce for higher skilled, higher paying jobs to grow Idaho’s economy.”

Go On Idaho is an example of the state attempting to encourage students out of high school to go straight into college.

“It can be overwhelming,” Turner said. “But it’s important to stick to it. We’ve done it. We’ve been out there in the world. We can do this.”

More information on the program is available on the multidisciplinary studies website.

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Consider the subjects that you need to tackle and the grades you need to achieve.

Start prioritizing what you are going to study and how long you are going to commit to each subject.

Some quick study tech-

niques include reviewing your notes, especially topics that were emphasized in class; answer the chapter questions and reviews in your books; go through study guides and take any practice exams you can; etc.

These ideas can all be used in conjunction with your regular study methods such as flashcards or study groups.

Some other important things that can sometimes fall off the radar include making sure that you eat healthy food, drink lots of water and make sure to get plenty of sleep before the test.

Also don’t forget to reward

yourself once the exam is finally done; you’ve worked really hard this semester and deserve a treat.

Good luck on your final exams!

What’s been your favorite study tip from the year?

Let us on know on Twitter at @arbiteronline.

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NEWS

Liberal arts branch out with health industry programs Orlando Sentinel Tribune News Service

The assignment was simple: Think back to those hours stuck in the emergency waiting room or about the physician who put you at ease when you received treatment, Dr. Chet Evans told his Rollins College students.

The essay is part of a new class, as the private college is offering a health care management bachelor’s degree for the first time.

Evans, a medical educator and surgeon, wanted his students to reflect on their past experiences as he trains them to be future hospital administrators or run a nursing home someday.

Rollins is following the national trend of more small liberal arts schools

“

offering degrees in the health industry, one expert said. By 2016, the Winter Park school expects to offer three master’s-level health degrees as well.

“A lot of time people think liberal arts education means religion and history and philosophy,” said Georgia Nugent, a senior fellow on the Council of Independent Colleges.

Not so, she said, as many schools now teach about health care just as they added degrees in business and environmental studies in past years.

“What remains really crucial for a college like Rollins, you remain faithful to your core mission,” Nugent said.

Rollins can do both: be a liberal arts school and offer professional training, said David Richard, dean of the Hamilton Holt School,

“

By Gabrielle Russon

A lot of time people think liberal arts education means religion and history and philosophy ... What remains crucial for a college like Rollins, you remain faithful to your core mission.

—Georgia Nugent

which runs the evening health classes.

“This is part of a bigger issue going on at Rollins.

What does a 21st-century liberal arts institution look like?” Richard said.

Rollins professors are supportive but asked questions to understand the rationale behind the changes, said faculty President James McLaughlin.

“I think the reactions would be what you expect from a small liberal arts school,” Richard said.

Throughout her life, Katrina Ray has painted nails, called insurance companies at a surgeon’s office, produced prints for engineers.

And after she lost her job coordinating volunteers at a local hospital, she decided to start over again. She thought often of getting her bachelor’s degree.

“I always wanted to do it, but I never took the leap,” said Ray, who has her associate degree.

She chose Rollins because she liked its small classes, its respected reputation and the Winter Park location. She missed working in a hospital. She wanted the

credentials to be a leader.

Now, deeper into her bachelor’s degree, Ray, 53, sits in a classroom with a yellowish light. Outside, students are laughing during a cookout, a reminder that it’s a beautiful Wednesday at 7 p.m. and most of the work for the day has stopped, except in this classroom.

Ray and her classmates learn about basic vocabulary, the terms they will be expected to know once they are working as health care administrators.

The textbook material isn’t particularly tantalizing. But Evans shares stories from the field to make

it more lively. His students seem excited, chiming in to ask questions or debate issues.

In one story, Evans tells them what happened when he asked a friend who works at a local hospital about the youngest patient he had seen for Type 2 diabetes, which is commonly linked to obesity.

“Eight years old,” Evans says. “Can you imagine that?”

Richard, the Rollins dean, said health students take general education courses, learning about the humanities and the arts, to stay well-rounded.

To graduate, they will need a one-month internship shadowing health care administrators, and Richard wants them to learn about ethics and other issues in the field.

He pointed to the rising number of baby boomers.

Eventually, he hoped the bachelor’s degrees would grow from fewer than 10 students enrolled this semester to about 100 at Rollins, which has 3,130 total students.

“You need to diversify to stay in the game,” added Evans who calls jobs in the health care industry “recession-proof.”

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feature

Brenda Sinclair Zoey Nguyen Staff Writers

When he was young, Phillip Barrera, freshman communication major, could not find a Sonic the Hedgehog toy anywhere. His mother bought him some clay and a few tools, and he taught himself how to make his own toys.

He has been sculpting toys ever since.

Some call what he has a skill, others call it a gift, but for Barrera it is the beginning of his dream.

Sculpting personal growth

Barrera has a mild form of Asperger syndrome, which has created some challenges for him throughout his life.

He made eye contact just a few times and only briefly as he shared his story.

“People saw that I was vulnerable,” Barrera said. “They called me ‘Sonic boy.’ I was called ‘Creeper.’ That had to be the worst thing I was called.”

The teasing became part of his inspiration and his drive to succeed.

“If they could see me now, I’d be like, ‘I made it through, man,’” Barrera said, waving his hand over the many clay sculptures in front of him. “Whoever thought my main form of income would be from playing with clay dough?”

Through Barrera’s business Living Clay Workshop, he has strengthened his ability to relate to people.

Every sculpture Barrera shares, every sculpture he sells and every custom order he takes, builds his overall

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confidence.

“The more I am in my own space, even with this,” Barrera said, referring to the cases he uses to transport sculptures and setup equipment.

“I can take that confidence elsewhere.”

Rendering the dream: clay to animation

Barrera spends hours on his sculptures, sometimes even days. The process starts with basic shaping and coloring. It takes a while for the clay to take the desired shape and, even then, details, like eyes, facial features and accessories, require a lot of patience and meticulousness.

Barrera has many clay figures, from “Calvin and Hobbes” and Optimus Prime to “Edward Scissorhands,” The Joker and figures from “South Park” and “Family Guy.” He will make anything he is asked.

The sculptures take a minimum of six hours. The larger, more intricate sculptures can take days.

“If he is good enough for other people willing to pay for it, then I say it’s really good for him,” said Anastasia Massera, advisor for the International Business Council. “It’s pretty difficult to make a living out of it nowadays. With the right timing, planning and strategy, it’s definitely a feasible thing.”

Most Tuesdays, around 10:30 a.m. students can find Barrera setting up clay sculptures in the Student Union Building.

A local artist

Barrera started selling his

clay sculptures his junior year of high school. His first pieces of art were sold for 50 cents average, since his clientele consisted mostly of high school students.

However, his skills improved as he gained experience. The average amount he would sell a clay figurine for increased to about $5 to $10 and can now go as high as $100 or more.

According to Barrera, not all people agree with the prices he sets.

One day he was selling his clay figures at his stand, and someone walked up to him and said, “I don’t understand how would anyone pay money for this.”

“I spend so much time and (put so much) effort into this,” Barrera said. “I buy good clay so that my figures come out well, and I’ve been doing this for a year.

Hearing her say something like that was just upsetting.”

Massera thinks the biggest challenge for artists is that people don’t want to pay a lot of money for the art.

“If you can buy cheap mass production art like in Walmart, people don’t want to pay for art that was handmade,” Massera said. “And there are a lot of artists too, so there is definitely a lot of competition.”

Barrera currently sells his sculptures on his Facebook page “Living Clay Workshop” and on Ebay. He plans to expand his business in the future, but is focused on having a stable amount of orders right now. “If the world can’t make it for you, then I can,” Barrera said.

Leslie Boston-Hyde/The Arbiter

Student Phillip Barrera creates artistic success

Design by Ted Atwell/ The ARbiter

04/30/2015

opinion

Why I believe in God but am not religious Leslie Boston-Hyde Copy Editor

According to a 2012 survey from the Pew Research Center, “nones” are on the rise.

A third of adults under 30 are religiously unaffiliated.

In the past five years, the unaffiliated increased just under 5 percent.

However, the survey showed that 68 percent of the 46 million unaffiliated Americans believe in God. These numbers speak to the hypocrisy of religion.

Many times, spirituality and religion are seen as a couple—you can’t have one without the other. While they can intertwine and coexist in someone’s life, they can also be separate.

In the article “Spiritual issues in psychiatric care,” WK Mohr defines spirituality as “a person’s experience of, or a belief in, a power apart from his or her own existence.”

Religion, on the other hand is “an organized system of practices and beliefs in which people engage … a platform for the expression of spirituality.”

This difference in definitions points out one of the biggest flaws within religion.

Everyone’s spiritually is unique with a plethora of reasons and experiences as to why one does or doesn’t believe in a higher being(s).

This is an individual journey between a person and a higher entity(s).

04/30/2015

Religion is defined and controlled by man. It creates a universal platform, “an organized system of practices” that places each individual into a mold with little consideration of their spiritual needs.

As Camerlengo Carlo Ventresca said in Dan Brown’s novel “Angels and Demons,” “Religion is flawed, but only because man is flawed.”

Because of this man-made system of spirituality, I believe in God, but I am not religious. My personal experiences have shown me the importance of putting spirituality in the center of my life, not religion.

When I lived in Arizona until age seven, my mom and I went to church nearly every Sunday. I participated in a youth group for many years and attended a private elementary school. I loved my church. The congregation was like a family, a group of people who cared about one another and supported each other through the good times and bad.

The congregation frequently went out into the community helping those in need, whether they were Christian or not. This taught me the importance of serving others even if they were different and showed me that there are congregations and churches who live the teachings of the faith.

However, when I moved to Idaho Falls, I saw a completely different side of religion.

There is a dominate reDesign by Ted Atwell/ The ARbiter

ligion in the region, one that is unafraid to exclude those who are not from that church. I lost countless friends in middle school and high school in the name of religion. It wasn’t an argument that ended the friendships; it was because I refused to convert.

In my last few years of high school, I became even more aware of the flaws within religion.

I’ve seen the cliques that form within a congregation. I’ve seen numerous church members act one way on Sunday and the opposite way for the rest of the week. I’ve seen groups, such as the LGBT community, persecuted and belittled in Sunday service. I’ve seen a pastor lose his job because of church politics despite the fact that he was a strong, spiritual man. I’ve seen the judgement, hierarchy and greed that can come from religion, and it is because religion is created and controlled by man.

In John 13:34-35, Jesus says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciple, if you have love for one another.”

Many congregations preach it, but they cannot seem to live by this philosophy.

With this, I have put my faith in spirituality and not hypocritical religion.

Do you practice a religion?

Perry Colton Freshman Health science major “I do. I grew up that way, and I gained a faith in that belief so now it’s just what I believe in. It gives me purpose. It helps me understand a lot more things. I feel better when I am able to help other people gain a belief in something else, even if it is not the same believe.”

Sarah Keller Sophomore Biology major “I don’t. I just really don’t see any solid evidence for it. I used to practice a religion but then I got out of it.”

Darick McColl Freshman Molecular biology “Yes. I was kind of raised into the religion, but I don’t really practice it a lot. (There’s) school and I live far from home. I’m focusing more on my grades.”

Marie Voth Sophomore Psychology major “I do practice a religion. I grew up in a church so I guess a lot of it comes from what I’ve grown up with, with my family. But even as I’ve grown out of my specific family group it’s just been a great support for me in the community.”

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Culture

Marijuana use affects mental health August McKernan Asst. Culture Editor

Former Boise State student, Paul Jackson, whose name has been changed to protect his identity, was diagnosed with depression at age 13. Years later, after many hours of counseling and frustration over his state of mind, Jackson smoked marijuana for the first time in hopes of selfmedicating.

“I think it helped drastically,” he said. “It was a lot easier to find happiness in day-to-day life. It was so much easier to laugh.”

This type of marijuana use by individuals with mental illness has spurred an outcry from mental health professionals. They have expressed concern over the negative impact marijuana has on people with mental illness.

Most in the medical and scientific communities agree that marijuana has been proven to increase the risk for and development of certain mental illnesses, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and psychotic symptoms and disorders.

Jackson’s positive experience seems to be the exception. A recent review from researcher Wayne Hall, published in “Addiction,” summarized what researchers have learned about the drug’s effects on human health over the past two decades.

Hall found some startling statistics.

Regular smokers double

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their risk of experiencing psychotics, like disordered thinking, hallucinations and delusions from about seven in 1,000 cases among nonusers to 14 in 1,000 among regular marijuana users.

Mental health advocate Liza Long is not necessarily opposed to legalization of marijuana for adults but is concerned about the drug’s long—term effects for those with mental illness and for young users.

“Studies link marijuana to a pretty significant risk of psychosis in adolescent users, and this concerns me,” she said. “As a mom, I’m also concerned about the long-term effects of the drug on memory and brain development.”

The study “Considering Cannabis: The Effects of Regular Cannabis Use on Neurocognition in Adolescents and Young Adults,” published in “Current Addiction Reports,” found that “regular cannabis use during the adolescent and emerging adult years may disrupt brain function and result in poor cognitive functioning.”

During her travels as an active mental health activist, Long spoke about this issue with one of the top psychiatrists in the nation. “(He) told me that he feared legalization would lead to a significant uprise in serious mental health issues among the adolescent population, which the current fragmented infrastructure would not be able to support,” she said.

“Like me, he was opposed

State medical marijuana laws Twenty states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws that allow the medical use of marijuana.

Legal for medical use

Legal for recreational use by adults

R.I. Conn.

Del. D.C.

NOTE: Alaska and Hawaii are not to scale © 2014 MCT Source: Marijuana Policy Project to making marijuana use a crime, but he stressed that legalization without education or age limits could potentially create a public health crisis.”

Though Jackson only experienced positive changes, he figured he should consult with his counselors about this recent change.

“They were talking about it and said they’ve seen smoking actually make depression worse.”

But this information did not deter him. After smoking marijuana for several months, he was experiencing fewer issues related to his depression.

“So, I just kind of told

them, ‘No, I’m not going to stop,’” he said, shrugging.

For Jackson, marijuana seemed to alleviate his depression, but for many others, smoking the drug only seems to worsen the symptoms.

Research exploring marijuana’s possible beneficial mental health effects has

found that it might assist in battling post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and stress.

Though a consensus about the effect marijuana has on the human brain is still being formed, one thing is clear—the effects vary from individual to individual.

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Culture

Rainbow Graduation celebrates LGBTQIA students Culture Editor

Rainbow colored tassels and a room full of loving peers greet seniors who are graduating at this year’s Rainbow Graduation.

For its fourth year, the Women’s Center will be hosting the Rainbow Graduation, a celebration of the graduation tailored toward the success of LGBTQIA students at Boise State.

“Rainbow Graduation promotes visibility of LGBTQIA students throughout campus,” said Kate Steven, program coordinator at the Women’s Center. “(This shows that) the contributions of LGBTQIA staff members, faculty members and students really matter here.”

At the Rainbow Gradu-

ation, graduating LGBTQIA students are given rainbow chords. According to Steven, roughly 25 students were a part of last year’s ceremony, and another 25 came by the Women’s Center later to pick up their chords. This year, the Women’s Center is expecting a similar turnout.

“Students are recognized for their accomplishments, what students groups they are involved in, if they received any awards or scholarships and what they’re doing next,” Steven said. “Providing these people the ability to act as role models for current students and maybe even prospective LGBTQIA students shows that the work of LGBTQIA is valued and important within our society.”

According to Steven, The Campus Climate Survey, completed in 2010, showed that LGBTQIA individuals on college campuses showed a higher level of uncomfortability and lack of safety on their college campuses. Steven feels this shows students the added challenges of being an LGBTQIA student in the United States.

“It’s with that added challenged that it becomes important that we recognize that these people may have overcome significant challenges because of how people regard their identity to achieve this education,” Stevens said. “That is worth celebrating.”

The Rainbow Graduation is open to everyone.

Steven explained the Rainbow Graduation provides a space where students or

community members can celebrate being part of the LGBTQIA community. “(Rainbow Graduation) sets the standard that at Boise State, we value all types of diversity, including LGBTQIA folks,” Steven said.

Rainbow Graduation will take place Thursday, April 30 from 6-8 p.m in the Lookout room in the SUB. Everyone is welcome.

Appetizers will be served.

Tyler paget/THE ARBITER

Patty Bowen

Russian meme court case brings up censorship laws Patty Bowen Culture Editor

In Soviet Russia citizens restrict expression of government.

On April 10 a court case in Russia cemented the possibility to change the way that political and cultural satire are perceived in Russia.

According to Global Voices, the court case established that a celebrity’s photo cannot be used in a meme “when the image has nothing to do with the celebrity’s personality.”

Ross Burkhart, professor in the Political Science De-

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partment, explained that, although this court case happened on the other side of the globe, it is still important that students take note of how censorship can intrude on their rights, especially when these instances of censorship circle something as commonplace and accepted as social media memes.

“Laws can be interpreted towards censoring expression,” Burkhart said. “Students always need to be aware that expression is not guaranteed. Governments sometimes define their own interest in regulating speech. Students can always

be aware that a historical tendency by governments to regulate laws.”

According Burkhart, the increased censorship isn’t anything new for Russia.

“The general trend of the past 15 or 20 years has been towards an increase power in the (Russian) state and increase in fear,” Burkhart said. “Whether or not you can use a person’s image in a meme is just one example of expression is being tightened in (Russia).”

Burkhart explained that as this censorship law excalates, it will be difficult for Russian authorities to properly censor it because of the

freedom and fluidity of the internet.

“How do you really regulate that type of speech? The thing about social media is that things go viral and kind of blossom through social media,” Burkhart said. “It would be very hard for even the Russian state to regulate that.”

This court case originated with the creation of a vulgar meme painting the Russian singer Valeri Syutkin as a womanizer.

Although the implications of the Russian court case can’t be known so quickly after its ruling, students can feel solid in know-

ing that this court case will be drawing Russia’s line of censorship in an area where it will be impeding the lives of more Russians than it should.

According to Kevin Rothrock, a journalist at Global Voices, this court case has the potential to bleed into a lot of aspects of Russian politics and pop culture.

“Well, right now in practice and in theory, the only thing that is illegal is the single meme that affects this one musician,” Rothrock said in an interview with NPR. “But given Russia’s track record for taking laws, taking court decisions, out

of context or applying them more broadly than it was initially intended, I think it’s fair to speculate that politicians could eventually become affected by this, or memes about politicians could become fair game.”

To put Rothrock’s words into context, currently there are tons of photoshopped images of Putin doing silly, uncharacteristic things. This law could be interpreted to include these images of Putin as well as images of a similar nature of other Russian politicians, in effect banning the viewing and creation of political satire memes.

04/30/2015

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Sports & Rec

Brandon Walton

Asst. Sports & Rec Editor

There were 200 athletes vying for the opportunity to make the USA Volleyball Collegiate National Team.

One of those athletes was Boise State redshirt freshman volleyball player Kaitlyn Oliver.

After waiting nearly two agonizing months, Oliver finally learned her fate.

She became the first Bronco in school history to be named to the USA Collegiate National Team.

“It really is a surreal experience for me. Knowing that I am the first Bronco

to ever do this is such an amazing feeling,” Oliver said. “The fact that I get to represent this school is a true accomplishment.”

If she does well at the tryout, she could be selected for the USA National Team, while still being a part of the Boise State volleyball team.

Accolades like this are something that Oliver has become accustomed too this season.

She was named the MW Newcomer of the Year for the indoor season and had a solid sand volleyball season, making an all-tournament team this season.

Her success this year

comes as no surprise to head coach Shawn Garus.

“We redshirted her for her potential down the road,” Garus said. “She could have played as true freshman, but the talent she potentially could have as a senior was way more exciting. This is just validating that.”

According to Oliver, the redshirt year made her into the player she is today.

“I went through a lot that year and felt it was a hard transition for me. The pace of going from high school volleyball to college was difficult,” Oliver said.

“That is what drove me to become a better player and

compete at this level.”

Oliver will also be playing overseas as part of the MW All-Star team in the Annual European Global Challenge, consisting of teams from around the world, playing against one another.

“My whole summer is practically going to be volleyball, which I am super excited for,” Oliver said. “I will only come back from it with more experience.”

With all of the early success, Oliver doesn’t plan on settling anytime soon.

“This drives me more to be better in these next years, and accomplish even bigger things,” Oliver said.

Boise state media relations

Oliver finds success early on

Oliver awaits a serve.

Elliott finds his stride in third season Leslie Boston-Hyde

scott elliott/courtesy

Copy Editor

Elliott winning his heat at stanford.

Pg 14

When David Elliott first started at Boise State in 2011 for cross country and track and field, his goal was to break 15:00 in the 5K. “I wasn’t very good coming out of high school and Brad Wick, who used to be the distance coach here, he kind of took a gamble on me and gave me a spot on the team when I probably shouldn’t have had one,” Elliott said. “He developed me a lot and really took me under his wing.”

Within three outdoor track and field seasons, Elliott has improved to 13:50.10 in his favorite

race — ranking him eighth in the west region and 11th nationally.

He now holds the second spot for the 5K school record behind Forest Braden’s 13:45.44 from 2004.

Elliott has expanded his success to the 1500m this season as well, posting a 3:41.61 at the Bryan Clay Invitational. The school record time ranks fourth in the West and 10th nationally.

Elliott also won the individual MW cross country title in the fall.

“This year couldn’t be going better,” Elliott said. “Personally, I’ve just grown a lot, not just in my running but I’ve matured a

lot. I think it’s helped me develop into a better person.”

Assistant coach Travis Hartke has seen Elliott grow in his confidence and develop into a leader within the two years that Hartke has coached at Boise State.

“Physically, he hasn’t changed that much, but the psychological part is where he is really a different person than when we got here,” Hartke said.

“He’s a good example of how hard you have to work to be at the level he’s at.”

Even though Elliott is excited to run his first home meet at Border Clash this weekend, he has already

set his sights on bigger goals.

By the end of this season, he not only wants to qualify for nationals, but also place in the top eight to earn All-American First Team.

He already has plans to start training for the Olympic Trials next fall as well.

While his goal was to break 15:00 when he first started four years ago, Elliott will now aim for 13:30.

“I told (head coach Corey Ihmels) after fall that I wanted to make the Olympic Trials, and I’m not sure how crazy he thought that was,” Elliott said. “That’s probably a lot more realistic now than it was a couple of months ago.”

04/30/2015

Sports & rec Kyle Moeller Staff Writer

The Boise State men’s golf team heads into their biggest tournament of the year this weekend—the Mountain West Championship.

Head coach Dan Potter and the team understands the implications of this tournament—this is their last opportunity to leave a mark on the season.

“At the end of the day, there is some finality to this tournament,” Potter said. “This is the biggest tournament of our year. Every other tournament, we could say that we had another coming up. This

one we really do not.”

For some, it is an opportunity to play in the MW tournament. For the five Treasure Valley natives on the team— like sophomore Kyle Mitsunaga who graduated from Boise High School—it is a chance to represent the city they grew up in.

“You have people in the community that knew you personally way before you were thinking of playing college golf,” Mitsunaga said.

“Just to get that support, knowing that they are backing us up is pretty cool.”

David Elliott and Ty Travis, natives of Eagle, Idaho, also hope to represent their

hometown with pride in his last tournament as a Bronco.

“Growing up around here being a big Boise State fan, whether it was football, basketball or the golf team, just being able to wear the blue and orange and carry the bag is a pretty big deal,” Elliott said. “It is something that was important to us as kids—looking up to the guys on the team. Now we are able to carry the torch and do that on our own.”

The team has one goal left this weekend—to win.

“Seeing as how we have a conference this weekend, it would be to win,” Travis said.

“Going into the third round

with a shot to win individually and as a team—I would say that is our goal, to get ourselves into the hunt for the tournament.”

Potter hopes his team is able to rise to the occasion and end their season on a high note.

“When they get back this summer. They are going to ask them how they did in the Mountain West Conference Championship,” Potter said.

“It doesn’t change what they need to do on the course and how they need to prepare and what they need to do to be successful. It is a bigger deal and I want them to feel that and embrace it.”

Boise state media relations

Hometown roster hopes to bring pride at MW Championships

Ty Travis tracks his shot.

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04/30/2015

Pg 15

Hoots & Giggles

horoscopes Aries- Your chi is imbalanced and it is time for drastic action. Stop planning for the annual visit from Santa and give yourself to the dark lord Cthulhu this holiday season. Bring warm milk, cookies and the soul of your roommate. Hope that he finds you worthy.

Taurus- Warmth is for the weak. In order to pass your finals successfully, you must study on the roof of the library, wearing nothing but your ugly Christmas sweater.

Snow and rain? Just a cold, refreshing shower my friend.

Gemini- Studying for finals? You have more important things to do.

Dark elves are headed for the Boise State Christmas tree, fully intent on stealing the giant B. Defend the school’s honor with a pair of sharpened candy canes and do not let them pass.

CancerDespite loads of homework, a life of crime is calling. Buy a gallon of pure hot chocolate mix and carefully bag the entire bucket, remembering to wrap each bag in duct tape.

Distribute your wares to several freshman and loudly warn them against mixing the product with marshmallows.

Leo- Today you are

Pg 16

a god. As a divine being, your first assignment is to do battle with the rapper known as Kanye West. Engage in a duel of horrible rap lyrics and questionable media quotes. Beware of Kanye’s Kardashian power attack. Kim’s butt broke the internet and it can certainly break a god.

Virgo- The omens are negative today. In order to bring balance to your aura, you must end every sentence with izzle. Do not deviate from this command, especially when giving your final presentations.

Remember, the universe is watching (and probably President Obama as well).

Libra- In order to remain positive and not go insane during finals week, you must make one random act of kindness. Go up to the second floor of the library with a boombox, and play the entire 1989 album for three hours straight. Your sacrifice will be noted by the stars.

Scorpio- Attack your finals the same way Richard Sherman attacks wide receivers. At the end of every class, walk up to your professor and pronounce that you’re the best student in the game and that the

professor should never come at you with a sorry final like that again.

Sagittarius- Do you want to avoid becoming that crying mess that sits in bed all day avoiding finals? Travel to your nearest potion shop and buy eye of newt and toe of frog. Leave one of each at the door of all of your professors offices.

They’ll know what to do.

C a p r i c o r n - Every year, someone has to have a complete meltdown in the library because of finals. Don’t let it be you! Whenever you start to feel stressed out, go up to the first person you see and begin to antagonize them. They’ll have the embarrassing meltdown and you’ll be safe.

Aquarius- Hey girl, Ryan Gosling here. You’ll do great on your finals.

Want to know how I know that? Because you’re great. After this week is over, I’ll fly to you and whisper sweet nothings about pizza and Taco Bell into your ear.

Pisces- The stars have asked you to be bold this finals season. In all of your classes, show up to your final wearing only Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle boxers. Your over confident will reward you with an A.

tic tac toe 1. James Fixx, the man who popularized jogging in America died of a heart attack while running.

2. The FDA permits up to 5 whole insects per 100 grams of apple butter.

3. There are no naturally occurring blue foods, even blueberries are purple!

fun facts 04/30/2015