I n d ep en d en t
Issue no.
S tu d e n t
V o i c e
o f
B o is e
S tat e
Sin c e
1933
36
December 2012
Volume 25
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Boise, Idaho
17
First issue free
Top Stories
Best of 2012
Look back at some of the top stories of Fall 2012.
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CODY FINNEY/THE ARBITER
Tabby’s top “Try it with Tabby” experiences of the semester.
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USU takes home all of the potatoes Corey Morgan Staff Writer
Bleaux out
Men’s basketball defeated LSU 89-70 Friday night
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Freshman Ryan Gannon hands off to sophomore MVP of the game Dawalyn Harper during the Famous Potato Bowl Saturday night.
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Weather Today
Coming into Saturday’s second bowl game of the year, the match-up between the Utah State Aggies and the Toledo Rockets was projected to be one of the highest scoring games in the whole bowl season. But not everything goes as it’s planned, at least not right away. Instead of being a high-scoring shootout between these two games, it was nothing but an offensive struggle throughout the first three quarters of the game. In the first play of the game Toledo’s star senior linebacker, and the lead tackler in all of college football, Dan Molls was knocked out of the game with
Staff Writer
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35º high
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The Arbiter
and out of defenders. The very next play Keeton ran for a 62yard touchdown. To put it as simple as possible, Keeton has some real potential at the collegiate level and is extremely explosive. “Chuckie was very solid in his performance and in my opinion, Chuckie Keeton is an elite QB and he will be an elite QB in the nation next year and anytime anybody wants to talk about great quarterbacks here in the country, and there are some great ones, you better not make those conversations go too far without mentioning Chuckie Keeton’s name,” said Utah State Head Coach Gary Andersen. From the end of the first quarter till halfway through the fourth, there was a mass amount of field goals made
from both teams. Utah State contributed two field goals while Toledo made three field goals making the score 13-9. Enter Utah State senior running back Kerwy Williams. Williams went on to score three rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter, which included two long touchdown runs for 63-yards and 25-yards. Williams would go on to rush for 235 total yards. “The offensive line did a great job blocking up front, they opened up some creases for me and from there, it’s history,” Williams said. On the kickoff return after Williams 3rd touchdown, Toledo junior running back Bernard Reedy returned the ball all the way back for a 87-yard touchdown, making the game
34-15 with Utah State leading. After a failed 4th down conversion by the Rockets the Utah State Aggies went on to score once more, putting the exclamation mark and ending the game at 41-15. The Aggies were backed by their fans, as the close proximity from Logan, Utah made it easy for them to make the trek to Boise. And it showed through the official attendance at Bronco Stadium: 29,243, the highest ever for a non-Boise State football game. The Utah State Aggies finished the season with the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl trophy, a Western Athletic Conference title, an 11-2 record and will likely finish in the Top 25 for the first time since 1961.
Health care in America: before ObamaCare Mckenzie Perkins
44º high
a concussion on the Rockets’ kickoff return and was unable to return to the game. This left a huge gap in experience and leadership for the Rockets. The first play of Toledo’s offensive possession set-up for what looked to be the tempo of the game as the Rockets ran a trick play that went for 36-yards. But, the Toledo was only able to come up with a field goal. “When they got down in the red zone they scored touchdowns and when we got down in the redzone we had to kick field goals,” said Toledo Head Coach Matt Campbell. Later in the first quarter, Utah State redshirt sophomore quarterback Chuckie Keeton scrambled for a 15-yard 1st down run while weaving in
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The United States is playing a delicate balancing game. On the brink of a dangerous fiscal cliff that could remove billions of dollars from the economy and send unemployment soaring, the federal government must also monitor and enforce the universal health care program, the likes of which have never been implemented in the United States. “It’s got a challenge ahead of it,” said Richard Kinney, Ph.D., a political science professor. The opposition for the reform is derived from the controversial policies which are taking the place of the previous policies. As of November 2012, approximately 48 percent of Americans still opposed the health care bill while only 42 percent approved. “One of its biggest challenges will be dealing with this opposition,” Kinney said. Health care reform is a reformation rather than an entire reconstruction, so the basic health care structure is going to remain intact. However, a multitude of the policies within that structure are going to change drastically. Both political parties in the United States concede the chaotic and expensive health care system in the United States prior to 2010 was in desperate need of reform. Each year, health care expenditures exceeded $2 trillion, according to
the federal government’s National Health Statistics Group. Additionally, over 16 percent of the population was uninsured in 2009, totaling almost 50 million Americans. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, colloquially known as ObamaCare, passed through Congress in early 2010 and was validated by the Supreme Court in June 2012. It became the official medium for reform as soon as President Barack Obama was re-elected to office in November. The purpose of the Affordable Care Act was to reduce exorbitant health care expenditures and to ensure coverage for the majority of Americans. Before 2010, employed individuals whose jobs offered benefits could attain health insurance through an employer. Insurance was also available for private purchase for individuals or families. Elderly people and people with mental illnesses could access health insurance through Medicare, while low-income individuals (who fit into designated eligibility categories) could access insurance through Medicaid. This included coverage for children, pregnant women and people with disabilities. Insurance could be denied to individuals based on preexisting conditions such as asthma, cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure. Premiums, or the amount paid for the insurance coverage, could vary based on a number of factors, including age, health status, and
the location in which the person lives. Co-pay is the flat amount a person pays every time he or she has to get medication or see a doctor. A deductible is the amount a person has to pay in order for insurers to help pay for the medical expenses. While the Affordable Care Act will retain some of these policies, it will change a majority of them over the course of the next two years. According to a 2003 mandate by the Idaho State Board of Education, all full time, full-fee paying students are required to have the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) or an adequate alternative insurance plan. A student without insurance
will be given insurance, and the fees will be added to his or her tuition. Students with an adequate alternative insurance generally receive it through their parents or legal guardians. Because of this access to insurance, many young adults feel as though the Affordable Care Act will affect the older generations much more than the younger. However, the health care reform is more collaborative than that. “Health care, to me, seems very relevant to all of our generations,” Kinney said. Currently, the Affordable Care Act is rolling into its implementation; it is supposed to be completely functional by 2014. If the health care reform lasts through future political
administrations, gains more public approval, and proves to be economically sustainable, the current generation of college-aged students will invest money into a health care system to ensure medical assistance in their old age. If it cannot sustain itself or is repealed, college-aged students will be the generation to tackle the question of health care reform. However, all that can be done at this point is to speculate about the possible outcomes for the Affordable Care Act. “As the law begins to get implemented, the problems may change (and) the priorities may change. We are faced with an uncertain picture of the future,” Kinney said.
MCT CAMPUS
With large changes being made to health care many can now be insured. arbiteronline.com