The Arbiter 2.20.18 Vol. 30 Issue 23

Vol. 30 Issue 23

February 20, 2018

IN D EPEN D E NT

NEWS

04

Confusion over recycling in Sawtooth and Honors College

ST U D E NT

V O I CE

O F

B O I SE

STAT E

C U LT U R E

13

Fashion Week inspires young Boise State blogger

S I N C E

1 9 3 3

SPORTS & REC

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Former Boise State Linebacker prepares for NFL draft

EVENTS IDAHO STATE CAPITOL

TUE FEBRUARY 20 DAY AT THE CAPITOL

1 pm

Boise State students gather at the Idaho State Capitol to discuss and advocate for the research and activities here at the University. Students can ride the Orange shuttle line to the capitol for free with an ID card.

GENDER EQUITY CENTER

THUR FEBRUARY 22 MEN-TAL HEALTH

7 pm

This interactive workshop explores how mental health issues such as depression and suicide affect men and how to help those who are struggling.

BOISE RIVER CAFE

THUR FEBRUARY 22 BRONCO COOK OFF

6 pm

Up to eight pairs of students will battle it out to find out who can make the best dish in a “Top Chef ”-style contest. Students can be a part of the audience in the BRC during the event.

THE MORRISON CENTER

FRI FEBRUARY 23 BSU SYMPHONIC WINDS

7:30 pm

Boise State’s own Symphonic Winds ensemble combines with the best high school musicians in the Treasure Valley. Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for children and seniors. Boise State students get in free with a valid ID card.

WHAT YOU MISSED ONLINE PHOTO OF THE WEEK NEWS During the fourth week of the 2018 Idaho legislative session, a bill was read and rejected in the House calling for an Article V convention of the states. This is the second session in a row for such a bill.

SPORTS

News Reporter Ximena Bustillo news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Sports Editor Daniel Gardner sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Culture Reporter Logan Potter culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Sports Reporter Peter Huguenin sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu Digital Content Manager Axel Quartarone digitalcontent@stumedia.boisestate.edu Copy Editor Evan Fishburn Sophia Uhlenhoff Design Manager Selina Ceballos

Pg 10 -11

Brian Martin, instructional design consultant at Instructional Design and Educational Assessment (IDEA shop), facilitates workshops every semester that discuss using virtual reality, augmented reality and 360° video technologies in higher education– specifically here at Boise State.

@arbiteronline

News Editor Jordan Erb news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

NEWS

VISIT US ON SOCIAL MEDIA @arbiteronline

Opinion Editor Jacob Palmer opinion@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Culture Editor Shannon Brennan culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Students participate in bronze pour for casting sculptures at Boise State. Photo courtesy of @madelinelivelyart Instagram account.

@boisestatearbiter

Online Editor Taylor Munson onlineeditor@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Boise State defeated Air Force 76-52 in an early Saturday game in Taco Bell Arena, where they led for 39 minutes and 44 seconds of the game. This win breaks up a twogame losing streak for the Broncos.

Since the start of the 2018 legislative session, there has been a push to change Idaho’s human trafficking laws. On Jan. 19, two bills were introduced into the House Judiciary, Rules and Administration Committee.

ON THE COVER

Editor-In-Chief Brandon Rasmussen editor@stumedia.boisestate.edu

@arbiterbsu

arbiteronline.com

Graphic Designers Nabil Rahman Olivia Tocher Sierra Nobley Contact us The Arbiter is located at 1910 University Dr., Mail Stop 1340 Phone: (208) 426-6300 Website: www.arbiteronline.com Distributed Tuesdays during the academic school year.

The Arbiter is the official independent student newspaper of Boise State University and a designated public forum, 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

NEWS

SAWTOOTH AND HONORS COLLEGE BUILDING FACES RECYCLYING CHALLENGES Chutes labeled for recycling fall into trash bin, causing confusion and frustration among students Ximena Bustillo | News Reporter | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Within the Honors College and Sawtooth residential halls, there are two pairs of chutes running from the fifth floor to the first. One is labeled “recycling” and the other is labeled “rubbish.” Residents of the facility found themselves confused upon discovering that both chutes fell into the same large trash bin after months of believing that they were recycling.

A few days following the interview with The Arbiter, a recycling container has now been added to the trash rooms where the chutes are located on each floor, and small signs have been placed over the chute’s doors.

Recycling turned to trash: Jenn Landers, operations manager of the resident hall, explained that following the opening of the building, a few issues arose. The unprecedented problems caused the smaller trash and recycle bins at the bottom of the chutes to be removed and replaced by one large trash bin. The first problem was contamination.

“Consistency and communication are key with recycling.”

- Kat Davis, Sustainability Coordinator and Environmental Compliance Specialist.

“When we opened the building, it was designed to have a trash chute and a recycling chute, and what we found was that students were placing trash in both which led to contamination,” Landers said.

The second problem was an overflow of trash. The original bins were too small for the amount of debris being disposed of by the over 600 residents. The trash volume was far larger than the recycle volume at

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the time, according to Landers.

In order to create a temporary solution, the recycling bin was removed from below the chutes and multiple recycle bins were placed on each floor.

“There are separate trash and recycle bins in the common area of each floor,” Landers said. “Students are filling up the blue recycling bags, which we think is great.”

However, this has caused confusion regarding recycling among residents.

“I originally thought that both disposables were separated, but upon returning from winter break, we had a floor meeting where staff informed us that they were not and if we wanted to recycle we have to use the receptacles in the common areas,” said freshman music education major John Capone.

Capone said he is not sure if other students are aware of the change since not everyone was present at the floor meeting.

Freshman early and special education major Maya Davies is skeptical of the recycling programs both in the building and on campus.

“I heard about the recycling changes (in Sawtooth) mid fall semester, when I learned that other places in Boise don’t recycle when they claim to, and I started asking around about the recycling in my dorm,” Davies said. “This makes me feel pissed off and mistrustful of all recycling programs everywhere.”

Davies explained that she has resorted to taking her recycling to the recycling center itself and welcoming other students to pass on any recyclables to her.

Lack of education: Lander explained that there is perhaps a lack of education as to what to recycle and when.

“We have had instances where staff goes to throw out the blue recycling bags from the floor bins and they are full of food which is, again, contamination,” Landers

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Recycling bin and signs added to reduce confusion following interview. Photo by Taylor Humby.

said. “We would like to work better on an educational campaign with pictures or verbiage above the bins to show what is recyclable.”

With continuously changing recycling policies at both the campus, state and international level, being aware can be difficult, according to Sustainability Coordinator and Environmental Compliance Specialist Kat Davis.

Davis explained that everyday items that seem to be recyclable are not, such as cold drink cups, Starbucks cups, anything with grease on it, glass and plastics three through seven.

“I recycle plastics, cardboard boxes, paper and plastic bags,” said junior electrical engineering major Sangam Sapotka.

“However, I am unsure of what cannot specifically be recycled.”

The University and department staffs have not been successful in communicating what the policies are, according to Davis.

“My goal is to get this information out to students. It’s a very interesting communication challenge because people from all over the world, where there are different regulations, come to Boise, so it is a learning curve,” Davis said.

Davis explained that she is trying to facilitate conversation between departments on campus, including resident halls, Sawtooth, auxiliary buildings, landscaping and non-academic offices–all of which have their own separate staffs and methods for recycling.

The University has a policy that trash containers must be paired with recycling containers, according to Landers. Both Landers and Davis agree that this is a critical issue and efficient recycling is a continuous goal.

“Consistency and communication are key in recycling,” Davis said.

Landers explained that she would like to work with entities such as Hall Council to increase awareness of recycling policies.

BOISE STATE PROFESSORS BRING FUN TO KIDS’ SCIENCE EDUCATION

NEWS

“Dr. Picklestein” and “Lady Argentum” stay busy with both full-time work and frequent science experiment shows Blake Simony | Staff Writer | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Henry Charlier playing his character, “Dr. Picklestein.” Charlier is an associate professor of chemistry at Boise State. Photo by Taylor Humby.

There may only be one person to ever get Boise State President Bob Kustra to give CPR to a pickle: Henry Charlier, a Boise State associate professor of chemistry.

For the past 20 years, Charlier has presented educational science shows to K-12 and college audiences across Idaho. The shows contain a variety of experiments and demonstrations, one of which, bringing a pickle back to life, earned him his stage name “Dr. Picklestein.”

The experiment uses electricity to excite sodium ions in the pickle, which makes it glow yellow. It was Charlier’s signature move for so long that he doesn’t use it very often anymore because he feels audiences have already seen it. Still, it inspired his presentational style. The pickle will only

glow when it comes back to life, after getting CPR or other treatments from audience members.

“There’s an equal mixture of foolishness and education,” Charlier said. “It’s meant to engage kids.”

In 2008, Charlier’s popularity earned him more appearances, and his calendar got busier. He partnered with Karen Hammond, a student support manager and chemistry department advising coordinator. She assists with the experiments, manages the calendar and does some of her own presentations. The show is unscripted so that the two can read the audience and “adjust on the fly,” in Charlier’s words.

“I never know what to expect with Henry, but I adjust with him,” Hammond said.

“We have a cart with every chemical we need. Based on what Henry wants to do, I know what to grab.”

Hammond gives some of her own demonstrations, and her signature experiment is a chemical reaction that transforms the clear glass of old bottles into a silver, reflective color.

“Almost every time she does her experiment, she gets a standing ovation,” Charlier said. “Their mouths pop wide open, and they’re just stunned.”

The experiment has earned Hammond the stage name “Lady Argentum,” argentum being the Latin word for silver. She runs the entire show if Charlier is unavailable, and the two work as equal partners.

Although they both work full-time in the

chemistry department, they always keep up with managing the show.

“For about six years, my wife was going through some significant medical issues,” Charlier said. “A lot of things fell to the wayside, but (the show) never did. It was the one thing that brought me peace.”

Dr. Picklestein and Lady Argentum perform usually every week. They are currently adding a demonstration that shoots a flame through a long, curvy tube. Charlier said he recently came up with an idea of how to present it to audiences: “I decided that I’m going to say, ‘Here’s my newest invention. It has no purpose, it just makes me happy, and science can do that sometimes.’”

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NEWS

SPRING COMMENCEMENT CHANGES CAUSE FRUSTRATION Commencement to be held in Taco Bell Arena; Cap placed on tickets

Taylor Munson | Online Editor | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Boise State’s 100th commencement was held for the first time on the blue turf last Spring of 2017, so as to accommodate the growing amount of guests attending the ceremony. This spring, the commencement will return to its old tradition of being held in Taco Bell Arena.

Many students reacted strongly to this change, particularly due to the new limit in guest tickets to five per graduate, as well as the lack of communication to the graduates and their families. According to senior marketing major Hannah Hunter, graduating seniors didn’t receive an email notifying them about the new location.

“I heard from a friend in class yesterday—Monday night,” Hunter said. “She showed me the countdown page and it said Taco Bell Arena. I checked maybe a week ago and it still said Albertsons Stadium. So I had no idea. No one was notified.”

Hunter is originally from Seattle, Washington and said she has about 11 family members coming to see her graduate from all over.

“It’s pretty disappointing and seems irresponsible of the university to me to not notify anyone. They don’t seem like they care,” Hunter said.

According to Hunter, she and many other graduating seniors have emailed the provost regarding their concerns, and many received a similar response from the co-chair of the Commencement Committee, Marcy Harmer.

Harmer’s response cited the prospect of bad weather as the reason for the change back to Taco Bell Arena, explaining the possibility that it could negatively impact the experience, postpone the event or even cancel it. According to a Boise State news update, the Student Union Building (SUB) will be open for family and friends who are unable to obtain a guest ticket because of the new five ticket allotment for each graduate.

Senior English major Tiera Meadows planned to have around 12 family mem-

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Last year, commencement was held in Albertsons Stadium. For Spring 2018, it is slated for Taco Bell Arena. Photo courtsey of Boise State University facebook page.

bers from Mountain Home and southwest Oregon attend her graduation.

“It’s really frustrating,” Meadows said.

“I’m the first person in my family that’s going to be graduating college, so it’s a really big deal to my family members, and watching it from the SUB on a screen isn’t going to be the same thing.”

Another graduating senior, senior biol-

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ogy major Cassandra Fragoso, has about 12 family members who have made travel arrangements to come watch her graduate.

“I am very frustrated and upset about this change,” Fragoso wrote in an email.

“I have already put five years of hard work into earning my degree and have spent so much money. I, along with my fellow students, deserve to have our graduation cere-

mony done right, regardless of weather.”

Fragoso and other students hope the University will consider switching the location. A petition was also started to return the location back to the blue turf. According to Boise State, more information regarding commencement will be released when the event gets closer.

DISCUSSION BEGINS ON FUNDING INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT

NEWS

Local, state and federal government expected to share costs Patrick Kaufmann | Staff Writer | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Motorists traveling through the Treasure Valley are likely familiar with Interstate 84, or I-84, a highway that runs from Utah to Oregon and directly through the heart of Boise. With several exits depositing drivers onto various locales within the city, as well as the suburban areas of Meridian, Nampa and Caldwell, I-84 represents a vital artery for life here in southwest Idaho.

For students who live beyond the Boise city limits, I-84 is an artery that may be easily blocked when congested.

Erik Rickman, a junior communication major, commutes from Meridian three times a week.

“Meridian in particular is one of the fastest growing suburbs, and they don’t know how to handle the influx of people,” Rickman said.

Recent discussions in Washington, D.C. may provide some relief down the line.

President Donald Trump requested bipartisan legislation to modernize the nation’s transportation infrastructure in his first State of the Union address. His proposal would cost a projected $1.5 trillion generated from federal and state budgets along with private investors.

“Together, we can reclaim our building heritage,” Trump said in his speech. “We will build gleaming new roads, bridges, highways, railways and waterways across our land. And we will do it with American heart, American hands and American grit.”

The President also called for a sleeker approval process that would allow permits to be granted for projects within one-totwo years.

Funding this request may prove challenging in light of the recent tax cuts, and such an undertaking is likely to require a collaborative effort. Jurisdiction over federal monetary policies falls under the U.S. Senate Banking Committee, which is chaired by Idaho’s Senator Mike Crapo (R).

“To keep the nation moving forward, the President addressed the need to

According to a public information officer, Idaho’s budget falls $417 million short of the state’s infrastructure needs. Photo by Axel Quartarone.

expedite project delivery as we modernize American infrastructure,” Crapo said in a statement released by his press secretary Robert Sumner. “Transportation infrastructure has been a longstanding bipartisan issue, and I intend to continue that tradition and conversation about how we keep our nation moving.”

Crapo is expected to play a small part in those conversations, which will have to include concerns from the environment and public works, commerce and appropriations committees.

“The Senate Banking Committee, which has jurisdiction over mass transit, will certainly be part of the discussion as an infrastructure plan works its way through Congress,” Crapo said.

Idaho has yet to meet the required funds to keep up with its own infrastructure,

according to Jake Melder, the public information officer for the Idaho Department of Transportation (ITD).

“We are always looking for funding,” Melder said. “Our current budget falls $417 million short of Idaho’s current needs.”

Josh Jolley, a sophomore mechanical engineering major, would like to see improvements to infrastructure planning.

“I feel like they need to project, instead of just five years, but way out, because right now it’s terrible,” Jolley said.

Idaho Senator Bert Brackett (R), chairman of the Senate Transportation committee in the State Legislature, backed legislation in early 2017 that authorized $300 million to fund grants for highway improvements.

“It remains to be seen where all of that

$1.5 trillion would come from,” Brackett said. “Being realistic, it will come from money leveraged locally and private partnership, and there could be some federal money.”

Senator Brackett went on to say that the Idaho Transportation Board (ITD) makes decisions on resource allocation, keeping politics out of the process.

“Boise State students who are interested in affecting change should attend hearings to get informed on projects and find out what the legislature is doing, as well as the ITD, the Ada county highway district and the city of Boise so they can learn where the funding for all that comes from,” Brackett said.

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DUELING OPINION

DEMOCRATS GEARING UP AND READY FOR 2018 ELECTION

Democrats are looking to make gains in the upcoming midterm elections Joe Goode and Sara Dery | Guest Writers | Boise State Young Democrats

The previous presidential election left a very sour taste in many Democrats’ mouths. Our excitement and eagerness to elect the first woman president of the United States was crushed when our nation decided to elect Donald Trump.

A man who won the presidency by using fear, racism, misogyny, xenophobia and other offensive tactics that do not represent the values of the American people.

Though this was a harsh reality to grasp, it was also a blessing in disguise for Democrats. Since the election of Donald Trump, we have seen huge swings in victories for Democrats because of grassroots work volunteers have been doing throughout the country and right here in Idaho.

“Given the way the current administration is running the country... I felt like it was time to step up and get involved.”

Brady Garringer, Treasurer of Boise State Young Democrats What happened on November 8, 2016, has taught Democrats nothing can be taken for granted. The loss sparked a fire in the progressives and in those individuals who would typically be apathetic to politics, such as Brady Garringer, treasurer of the Boise State Young Democrats.

“I got involved because I believe too much in what we’re doing to sit idly.

Given the way the current administration is running the country and their disregard for the working class and social rights, I felt like it was my time to step up and get involved,” Garringer said.

It is going to take a lot more than

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just wanting or hoping for something, and Democrats are going to have to get involved if they want to make the necessary changes. For someone like our vice president, Sara Dery, she completely changed her desired career path following graduation to become more involved in the political system.

“With the transition from the Obama administration to the Trump administration, I felt an even deeper desire to become more active in the political scene and work to prevent negative changes being brought about from the current administration,” Dery said. “Here in Idaho, with midterm elections fast approaching, as well as governor races, house seats and congressional seats up for grabs, I hope to see a shift in power with the election of more Democratic individuals to our state offices.”

A.J. Balukoff and Paulette Jordan would bring fresh perspectives and progressive ideas to the Idaho Governor seat, as well as Aaron Swisher in the District 2 congressional seat and Jim Vandermaas for District 1 congressional seat. My hopes for the coming elections is to elect Democratic leaders who will work with and for the discriminated and over-looked majorities in Idaho”.

Many young progressives like Garringer and Dery are getting involved because they realize how much better our state can be with progressive values and ideas. Currently, we have seen this energy already brewing here in Idaho. For the first time in decades, we have a primary race for Governor, as well as primaries going on all over for state and local offices. We are in the process of an initiative to get medicaid expansion on the ballot for the November 8 election. Historically, ballot initiatives fail because the state legislature has made it so difficult to achieve, but with no outside money involved and volunteer run and coordinated, the Medicaid for Idaho campaign has been defying the odds

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With a mix of increased volunteer enthusiasm around various local issues, Democrats are right to be hopeful about their 2018 chances. Graphic by Sierra Nobley

with over 10,000 Idahoans in support and thousands more signatures still to be counted.

We hope this energy and activism from Democrats growing since the 2016 presidential election will translate into some deserved victories for us. Here in Idaho we especially need them. In our state legislature, Republicans control 89 of the 105 combined seats in the Senate and House. This is far too many, and Idahoans are desperate to have our progressive values heard and implemented. When Democrats win, everyone wins. Progressive grassroots campaigns are going on all around the state to fix the problems in all areas. Currently, Idaho ranks 48th in education and even lower when it comes to college readiness and national efficiency levels. Our state has also refused to acknowledge climate change as a problem, hurting our natural resources and forest

beauty that brings billions of dollars into our state annually. We have yet to add the words to protect our LGBTQ community from discrimination, and we have yet to bring back our Medicaid tax dollars to help 78,000 uninsured Idahoans receive coverage. Idaho still has a low minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, making it challenging for the average Idahoan to make ends meet. These are just some of the many problems we have to deal with and address as a state in order to protect all Idahoans and preserve our economy and state-wide beauty.

We hope energy from Democrats all around the state won’t just win us elections and motivate more activists, but that this energy and drive for change will continue so we can show our solid Idaho Republican legislature that Democrats should be taken seriously.

BLUE VIEW

DON’T BET ON A BLUE WAVE HITTING IDAHO

DUELING OPINION

Idaho is far too red for Democrats to gain much ground this election cycle Devin Ramey | Staff Writer | opinion@stumedia.boisestate.edu

The demographics of Idaho are far too red for Democrats to make any real progress in the upcoming elections. Graphic by Sierra Nobley

The stars are lining up for Democrats for the 2018 midterms. Trump’s approval ratings are some of the lowest seen by any president, hovering from 35 percent to 40 percent approval rating, compared to his current 53.6 percent disapproval. In generic congressional polling, Democrats are up by 7 percent. They even got a Democratic senator elected in Alabama a few months ago. On average, Democrats have done 14 points better in special elections in comparison to the 2016 election.

Back home in Idaho, there are currently seven statewide positions open for the 2018 election: governor, lieutenant governor, treasurer, attorney general, state controller, superintendent of public instruction and secretary of state, along with all the state House and Senate seats.

Yet with all the optimism from Democrats, conservative states like Idaho

will most likely continue the trend of Republican dominance. The entire state is so entrenched in the Republican Party, Democrats have little chance to gain ground in the statehouse, let alone the governor’s seat.

Even with all of this positive news for the left, don’t bet on any of this national blue wave influencing Idaho’s political landscape.

Let’s get some of the facts out of the way first. Fire is hot. Water is wet. Idaho is conservative, the second most conservative state in the country only behind Mississippi. To anyone that has spent time here, that is far from surprising, thanks to the mix the state’s demographics and how rural it is. The state’s population is homogeneous, with whites making up 93.3 percent of the state’s population. This creates the perfect playground for Republicans to

ORANGE VIEW

win. On top of that, Idaho is one of the 24 Republican trifectas in the country, with Republicans controlling the governor’s seat, state Senate and House. They have had the majority since 1993. The bad news for Democrats in Idaho doesn’t stop there. Democrats already had a small minority in the state House prior to the 2016 elections but made it even worse by losing three seats in the House and one in the Senate during the 2016 elections.

Democrats are now outnumbered 17 to 88 in the state’s government. In a previous Arbter article entitled, “Local parties discuss thoughts as Election Day draws near,” Democratic leadership in Idaho felt confident in gaining more ground in the state before the 2016 elections. But they instead lost seats in the State Legislature.

Democrats would need a tsunami or a huge miracle to even remotely catch up to Republicans.

With Idaho being so overwhelmingly conservative, Democrats need to focus on Ada County and the Idaho panhandle before hoping to gain control of either chamber of the Statehouse. Democrats in Idaho need to focus on local issues while leaving behind the national platform. Democrats may have unveiled a populist economic agenda as a rebuttal to the GOP’s platform, but in practice Democrats have instead been using an anti-Trump strategy for their political stances. That kind of rhetoric and political focus won’t do them any favors in this state. Ada County is the closest place that Democrats have to a stronghold, and still went for Trump by 9.2 percent. Ada County is the most populous and liberal county in the state, and if it can’t turn blue with Trump on the ballot, it’s hard to imagine it turning blue for the state wide elections due to personal attacks on Trump alone. Idaho Democrats need to focus on local issues and give Idahoans a reason to vote for them.

Finally, for the Democratic wave to hit

Idaho, the Idaho Democratic Party might want to contest more races and try to be competitive. In 2016, Democrats let 24 of 105 races go uncontested. With every governers race, it looks like the party is throwing a few sheep to be chewed up by the wolves just to put up the facade they are being competitive. While there will be a steady stream of positive news for Democrats heading into midterms, Idaho Democrats are still playing it safe, and neither will flip the script of Idaho Republicans dominating state politics.

For the IDP to reclaim any ground that they lost in 2016, they need to scrap their current strategy and be on the offensive by contesting more races throughout the state.

“Let’s get some facts out of the way first. Fire is hot. Water is wet. Idaho is conservative, the secon most conservative state in the country only behind Mississippi.”

While the national Democratic Party is in a good position for the 2018 elections, its extremely doubtful that this will have any impact on Idaho’s political landscape.

The state is overwhelmingly Republican, with the GOP having near complete control on every level of the state, and Democrats lost some of what little power they had in 2016. At best, Idaho might turn a few shades lighter red and definitely won’t become purple or blue after this year’s elections.

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F E AT U R E

BOISE STATE FACULTY USE VIRTUAL REALITY IN CLASSROOMS

With new technologies available, educators look to expand teaching tools with VR MaryAnn Fernandez | Staff Writer | editor@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Associate nursing professor Karen Breitkruez interacts with a sterily uninary catheter virtual reality game. Photo courtesy of Anthony Ellertson.

From the very first attempts at virtual reality in the 1930s—with stereoscopic photos and the “View-Master,” a popular handheld personal slide-show device—Americans have long been fascinated with the possibility of stepping into another world.

Now, with the abundance of virtual reality (VR) technology available, traveling to a different country, planet or even inside a human body is now possible without even having to stand up. A select few faculty at Boise State are hoping to merge this virtual technology with aspects of teaching to create a more engaging learning experience

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for students.

Brian Martin, instructional design consultant at Instructional Design and Educational Assessment (IDEA shop), facilitates workshops every semester that discuss using virtual reality, augmented reality and 360° video technologies in higher education– specifically here at Boise State.

Martin explained while the workshops are more targeted towards faculty, students are welcome to join as well.

“Virtual reality as well as augmented reality is something that has been in the works for a while, but it really hasn’t

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reached the tipping point where a lot of people are embracing or using it right now, but it’s almost there,” Martin said. “My goal with these workshops is to reach out to faculty and to let them know about things to be aware of and some of the opportunities for you to be able to bring them back to your students and maybe bring it into your classroom using these tools.”

Martin explained that with these workshops he is trying to educate and encourage faculty to embrace these technologies, try them and not be afraid to use them.

“It’s been a slow process so far, but every semester I get a little bit more interest,” Martin said. “It’s common across all universities right now because the technology is still fairly new and a lot of faculty don’t really know what to do with it, and they don’t know how it can apply to what they do.”

Martin went into further detail about how virtual reality can be applicable in higher education, even with the misconceptions around the technology.

“The virtual reality technology can apply in a lot of different ways, and that’s what

F E AT U R E is so great about it. It’s almost like the sky is the limit. It doesn’t replace any current technologies, although a lot of people think that virtual reality and augmented reality are going to take over the way we do things,” Martin said. “It’s not; it’s going to supplement and create another avenue to how we teach, engage and create.”

Karen Breitkreuz, associate professor in the School of Nursing, is currently testing out a virtual reality game that involves properly inserting a sterile urinary catheter.

Breitkreuz is able to do this with the help of the lab of Anthony Ellertson, program director of Gaming, Interactive Media and Mobile Technology (GIMM) in the College of Innovation and Design.

“The game we have developed so far would allow students the opportunity to practice an important skill with sterile urinary catheterization as much as the student desired until they reach a competent level of proficiency,” Breitkreuz said.

Breitkreuz explained that Ellertson’s lab develops these products in collabora-

“The simulation ability and freedom of exploration will make VR tools essential in higher education in the coming years.”

Mike Wilson, president of Bronco Tournament Gaming Club tion with researchers from the School of Nursing, but in order to implement the game into classrooms, additional funding is needed.

“Dr. Suzan Kardong-Edgren and Dr. Ann Butt were initially involved in the development of this product and continue to collaborate with myself and Dr. Ellertson as we refine and finalize the product,” Breitkreuz said. “Dr. Ellertson’s

student interns are paid for their work, and so funding is needed for two reasons: to pay our student interns and to continue to research the best educational uses for this and similar products.”

Currently, the School of Nursing has simulation labs with full patient hospital rooms where they will occasionally have ‘standardized patients,’ which are paid actors. In one simulation they will have students start an IV on a patient where a piece of plastic is placed over their arm, and students can practice inserting an IV into the patient without actually poking the patient.

In another scenario in the simulation lab, they have a patient who has Alzheimer’s disease. The patient will be constantly trying to get out of bed by themselves, and will be at risk for slipping or falling.

Additionally, the simulation lab has immersive mannequins where the professors can talk as the mannequin and be the voice through a microphone. Everything they would use in a real hospital, including the oxygen equipments and IV pumps, are used in the simulation labs. However, the medications they use are fake and no real drugs exist in the lab.

The concern with these simulation labs is how expensive they are, whereas virtual reality games will be a more affordable option.

Mike Wilson, president of the Bronco Tournament Gaming Club and a junior at GIMM, explained virtual reality offers a hands-on education in a different way.

Wilson believes it offers a freedom of exploration that traditional teaching may lack.

“The simulation ability and freedom of exploration will make virtual reality tools essential in higher education in the coming years,” Wilson wrote in an email. “I think virtual reality will become a part of every department here on campus, from nursing to physics. It offers functions that professors can use to elevate their instruction.”

FEBRUARY 20, 2018

MOVIE SCREENINGS ON THE BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS

A FILM BY

ALTITUDE 100 ET LIAISON CINÉMATOGRAPHIQUE PRÉSENTENT HIAM ABBASS, DIAMAND ABOU ABBOUD, JULIETTE NAVIS, MOHSEN ABBAS, MOUSTAPHA AL KAR, ELIAS KHATTER, ALISSAR KAGHADOU, NINAR HALABI, MOHAMMAD JIHAD SLEIK « INSYRIATED » UN FILM DE PHILIPPE VAN LEEUW SCENARIO PHILIPPE VAN LEEUW PRODUIT PAR GUILLAUME MALANDRIN ET SERGE ZEITOUN MUSIQUE ORIGINALE JEAN-LUC FAFCHAMPS IMAGE VIRGINIE SURDEJ DECORS KATHY LEBRUN MONTAGE GLADYS JOUJOU SON CHADI ROUKOZ, PAUL HEYMANS, ALEK GOOSSE ASSISTANT-REALISATEUR JEAN-FRANCOIS RAVAGNAN DIRECTION DE PRODUCTION SOPHIE CASSE, MARIANNE KATRA COPRODUIT PAR TOMAS LEYERS ET PIERRE SARRAF PRODUCTEURS ASSOCIES PHILIPPE LOGIE, JACQUES-HENRI ET OLIVIER BRONCKART UNE COPRODUCTION ALTITUDE 100 PROD, LIAISON CINEMATOGRAPHIQUE, NÉ A BEYROUTH FILMS, MINDS MEET, VERSUS PRODUCTION, VOO ET BETV AVEC L’AIDE DU CENTRE DU CINÉMA ET DE L’AUDIOVISUEL DE LA FÉDERATION WALLONIE-BRUXELLES, DU FONDS AUDIOVISUEL DE FLANDRE (VAF) ET DE LA COOPÉRATION BELGE AU DÉVELOPPEMENT - DGD, SERVICE PUBLIC FÉDÉRAL AFFAIRES ÉTRANGÈRES, COMMERCE EXTÉRIEUR ET COOPÉRATION AU DÉVELOPPEMENT AVEC LE SOUTIEN DE EURIMAGES AVEC LA PARTICIPATION DE L’AIDE AUX CINÉMAS DU MONDE · CENTRE NATIONAL DU CINÉMA ET DE L’IMAGE ANIMÉE · MINISTÈRE DES AFFAIRES ÉTRANGÈRES ET DU DÉVELOPPEMENT INTERNATIONAL · INSTITUT FRANÇAIS AVEC L’AIDE DU TAX SHELTER DU GOUVERNEMENT FÉDÉRAL BELGE INVER TAX SHELTER VENTES INTERNATIONALES FILMS BOUTIQUE

Colonel Honorine “Mama” Munyole leads a special police unit in the Democratic Republic of Congo to serve and protect the women and children of her country when no one else will. Mama Colonel sheds light on a society scarred by war, but also offers a glimmer of hope for a more harmonious future.

FEBRUARY 27 6:30 P.M.

Morrison Center Recital Hall C200

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

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Locked inside an apartment with the door barricaded from the inside, a Syrian woman tries to protect her household from the raging war outside her covered windows. Filmed almost entirely inside an apartment building in Damascus, the household is forced to make incomprehensible moral decisions to keep each other alive.

FEBRUARY 28 6:30 P.M.

Morrison Center Recital Hall C200

C U LT U R E

FINDING A HOME FOR BOISE STATE ART STUDENTS

New art building attempts to pull art education out of the ‘50s David Collie | Staff Writer | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

If a visitor was to ask the average Boise State student where the Department of Art is located, chances are or she would not receive much of a response. There is a good reason for this general lack of knowledge: there isn’t just one location. The current Department of Art is scattered across campus in various buildings—many of which were not designed to meet the complex needs of the art processes. Because of this, the Department of Art has been attempting to construct a new building that will consolidate the facilities for nearly 30 years now. Construction for the building is finally underway and is estimated to be finished in August 2019.

“The main goal of the new building was to design facilities that are relevant to the processes that we teach,” said Richard Young, professor and former Department of Art Chair.

Young’s office is located in the Campus School building along with many art classes. This office is a repurposed nurse’s office from when the building was an elementary school in the 1950s. Inside this office is a separate room containing a sink which Young now uses for storage space.

More serious, however, are the difficulties faced in classrooms.

Graduate student Lisa Roggenbuck, predominantly an oil painter, is pursuing a visual arts degree, and explained the difficulties presented in the current spaces.

“A lot of times I was working with my stuff against the wall. I didn’t like easels; I felt they took up too much space,” Roggenbuck said. She spent much of her time as an undergrad in the Campus School’s largest classroom—a former cafeteria.

Classroom size aside, dealing with the air in the current classrooms itself has been difficult.

“They produce dust, and they produce fumes so the buildings themselves have never really been adequate for the processes that we teach,” said Young. “Photography in the Liberal Arts building is one of

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Concept for the Fine Arts Building dated Dec. 27, 1990. Photo courtesy of Lisa Roggenbuck.

the few that is actually really well designed for its function.”

Limited ventilation means a limit on what processes can be used.

“In the Campus School, you can’t use any spray-paint or aerosols,” said Shawn Edrington, a graduate student also pursuing a visual arts degree. Though not all of the art buildings are as old as the Campus School (such as the fine arts building which used to be an Office Max), they leave something to be desired.

So, can all of these shortcomings be solved with the new building?

Beginning with the most important issue of ventilation, Young explained how the new building will be an improvement.

“Air exchange is really a critical part for a lot of us. The building is going to enable an expanded offering of different types of processes as well as offering a safe, healthy, clean environment for the processes we teach,” Young said. Although Young has been involved with the creation of the new building since 2003, his enthusiasm is shared by students as well.

“I think it’s great. I will have graduated

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“The main goal of the new building was to design facilities that are relevant to the processes that we teach” Richard Young, Professor in the Department of Arts by then, but it’s really cool to see that it’s happening and realize how long it has been in the making,” said Edrington. Even though he might not benefit from using the building, Edrington explained this will still increase the prestige of the department.

“When our department does well, it has a residual effect,” Edrington said.

Unlike Edrington, Roggenbuck will be able to use the building. “It will allow me to take bigger risks in my work that I couldn’t do in a confined space. It will

allow a higher quality of work to come out of the school, and help put Boise State on the map.” Edrington said, “I’m just really excited that Boise State is taking pride in their Department of Art. It makes me feel like I made the right choice in picking my major.”

The new building is important to more than just the Department of Art, as it will impact the whole campus. Firstly, the consolidation of the Department of Art will free up a considerable amount of space as they leave the buildings they currently reside in. Also, the numerous art displays around campus—not including those in the Student Union Building and Yanke Center— will be moved to a new gallery.

The new building aims to not only consolidate the physical space that is currently divided throughout campus, but also to establish a unified location where art students can aggregate and build community.

If the building is successful, it will give students a safe and productive environment to create art, and it will provide the community a centralized location to enjoy it.

C U LT U R E

BLOGGING HER WAY DOWN THE CATWALK

One Boise State student explains how New York Fashion Week inspired her lifestyle blog Logan Potter | Culture Reporter | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Boise—and Idaho in general—isn’t exactly the fashion capital of the world, but freshman Kennedy Sandau makes the most of what the state has to offer. An international business major, Sandau has dreams of going into fashion merchandising and retail, one day opening her own clothing store. Meanwhile, she spends her free time running her fashion and lifestyle blog “Kennspiration,” where she curates outfits from her favorite budget-friendly designers.

The blog was created out of Sandau’s desire to find something she really loved; she never really “found something (she) excelled at” until she found fashion. In her freshman year of high school, Sandau and her friend created the first version of the blog during a regular school day, and after only a single post, Sandau forgot about the website entirely. It wasn’t until her junior year that she really began to invest herself into the fashion world, thus the blog was born.

“The basis behind the blog and its name is knowing that my viewers aren’t going to buy everything that I’m showing them,” Sandau said. “I want to make the blog an inspiration to people; that’s where the name comes from.”

Originally from Twin Falls, Idaho, Sandau cites her family and friends as her biggest supporters, but her mom has always had a special place in her pursuit of her passion for fashion. Between cheering her on and taking her blog photos, she has been Sandau’s “biggest supporter.”

While Sandau has yet to find anyone as like-minded as she is regarding fashion here at the university, she did find one person at Boise State who is just as helpful.

Her roommate, freshman Madison Park, is a photographer who now takes photos of Sandau’s curated outfits for her blog around campus and downtown Boise.

“I think Kennedy’s blog is so amazing,” Park said. “She puts a lot of effort into it because she’s passionate about fashion, not

fame or attention. I have a photography business, so I love taking photos for her and getting some for my portfolio as well.

I’ve never been great at fashion, so she always puts together outfits for me, as well.”

These photos are the channel by which Sandau showcases her outfit curation skills to the world of fashion viewers, and they’re inspired by some of the biggest names in fashion. Whether it be fashion bloggers like Amber Fillerup, Jenny Cipoletti (owner of the Margo and Me blog) or household name designers, Sandau gets her inspiration from the runway and what lies beyond the models in presentation.

New York Fashion Week, this year’s show concluding just last week, has been an inspiration for Sandau as well, with some designers making it to the top of her list.

“I try to stalk all the shows during New York Fashion Week just because I’ve always dreamed of going. Alice + Olivia (by Stacey Bendet) and Tadashi Shoji always put on great presentations, and they were (my favorites) during this year’s show,” Sandau said.

During her time at Boise State, Sandau hopes to study abroad in France, and eventually get her Master’s degree in international business for fashion merchandising. She also hopes to stay close to Idaho where her family resides. According to Sandau, she wants to travel everywhere, and Boise State is giving her just the stepping stone she needs to achieve her goals in fashion, as well as with her “Kennspiration.” When it comes down to it, however, Sandau chose the blog for the inspiration of others. For other young people in her position, she advises an approach that is just as inspirational.

“If you’re blogging, just go for it and don’t care what people think. Pursue it anyway; it isn’t a joke, it’s an art form,” Sandau said.

Kendall Sandau’s most recent retro-inspired outfit creation features gingham. Photo courtesy of the Kennspiration website (kennspiration.com).

Sandau brings bright colors and bold prints to the autumn table on her blog. Photo courtesy of Kennspiration.

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C U LT U R E HIKING AND BIKING AND SNOWSHOEING, OH MY

Activities for the outdoor-savvy Boise State student Ari Creteau | Staff Writer | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Students find ways to get outside despite the lack of snow. Photo by Axel Quartarone.

Boise’s lavish landscape has a lot to offer anyone seeking adventure. Compared to last year’s snowmageddon with temperatures averaging 37 degrees in February, the city has been experiencing record high temperatures since the new year, coming close to 60 degrees.

Instead of hitting the slopes, students are exploring other outdoor options around them that are close to home.

Employees at Boise State’s Outdoor Program explained that there is a lot to do outside despite the lack of snow.

“Any sort of trail running in the foothills, just right around Boise, is super accessible,” junior entrepreneurial management major Sydney Chandler said. “And since there’s no snow right now, it’s pretty good.”

Grant Breidenbach, a Boise local and first-year student, has found himself mountain biking in the Boise Foothills to

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make up for time that would otherwise be spent skiing. There are over 190 miles of multi-use trails available, allowing access for walkers, runners, bikes, pets and even horses.

Breidenbach explained the current trail conditions have been exceptional.

“Usually they would be muddy and you would be worried about damaging them, but right now they are in fantastic shape,” Breidenbach said.

The Cycle Learning Center hosts an almost two hour ride for all levels of mountain bike riders every Monday at 5:30 p.m. It’s a great time for riders to go outside and get more familiar with what the Boise Foothills have to offer.

Biking aside, Boise has a lot for hikers as well. Some local hikes include Banner Ridge, Mores Creek Summit, Hull’s Gulch Interpretive Trail, Rock Garden, Stack Rock and the classic Table Rock hike. For

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students up for a longer drive and longer trails, the Sawtooth Mountains provide a wide variety of day and overnight hikes.

Chandler and Ashlyn Molino from Boise State’s Outdoor Program both agree that right now is a great time to get out and hike.

Idaho also has over 130 hot springs for those not in the mood for running or biking. These hot springs can still provide a bit of an adventure.

“I’ve heard that any hot spring that you have to hike to is better than one that’s just off the road,” said Molino.

Some recommended hot springs include Kirkham Hot Springs, Gold Bug Hot Springs, Burgdorf Hot Springs and Boat Box Hot Springs. Kirkham is easy to spot by Highway 21 near Idaho City and at times can be a bit crowded. For a more unique experience, sources suggest trying a short hike to Goldbug for a breathtaking

view or snap an Instagram-worthy pic at Boat Box in Stanley.

These activities may not be every student’s scene, but in the right spot on the perfect day, one can also try snowshoeing.

Some fun trails are Stargaze Point, Bear Basin Nordic Center, Bogus Basin and the Activity Barn, to name a few. The Outdoor Program is also hosting a snowshoeing trip Feb. 25 to Mores Creek Summit and has space available for anyone interested.

Hit up downtown Boise for another way to explore locally. Just across the river, students can coffee shop hop, enjoy a fine meal, shop from small businesses, take a look at museums and more.

Boise has a lot to offer, and just in case students still finds themselves wondering what to do this weekend, remember that the best people to ask are the locals.

CO LU M N

AN OPEN LETTER TO KRISTEN STEWART

An ode to “Twilight”’s second-most prominent victim

Logan Potter and Shannon Brennan | Culture Section | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Dear K-Stew, It’s 2018, and you are no longer sparkling like the pop culture shadow-lurker you once were. Since your “Twilight” days, you’ve chosen to stay behind the scenes, especially with married “Snow White and the Huntsman” director Rupert Sanders, right? If we’ve learned anything from you, Kristen, it’s that you shouldn’t have an affair in front of the paparazzi. You know you’ve made some enemies in the industry, and you didn’t even end up with the guy; yet, even with such a drastic career change, your face has still stayed the same.

Like literally, can your facial muscles even sustain a smile?

Speaking of affairs, what’s it like to date almost every single one of your successful costars? Whether it be Michael Angarano, Robert Pattinson or Liberty Ross’s now ex-husband, you just can’t seem to stay away from the romance dramas. I mean, who knew your “Twilight” love triangles would make it off the big screen? No judgment—we all have our moments. In fact, we kind of praise you. You have always been fearless, especially in love—so, congratulations on keeping your career afloat amidst your sinking relationships.

Now that we know how much you love directors, we are struggling to understand why you didn’t just become one. In about every recorded interview that you have been asked about your acting career, you seem to move the conversation to speaking about how much you actually didn’t want to act. You weren’t fooling us. We could see your distaste for “Twilight” in your eyes (and the lack of light in them).

Your first directorial debut was a short film called “Come Swim,” and it made us so uneasy that we certainly will not be swimming with you anytime soon. We’re excited you finally released something you’re proud of, but while your taste is

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dark, you have some strangely dim sparkle that only appeals to film festival attendees (barely, we saw the reviews), and that’s OK. In summary: We all fantasize about being with our favorite married celebrity (Channing Tatum, we’re looking at you), but you one-upped us all by actually doing it. We commend you for your bravery, but we recommend sticking with your current boo Stella Maxwell for awhile—you do you, but a breather is good for the soul.

We want you to succeed in directing, and as long as you keep your head on straight, your debut shows you might just be one of the best one day. Sundance seems to bring out the best in you. And hey, if you don’t act, there’s no more co-stars’ hearts to break, right?

With love, Logan and Shannon

FEBRUARY 20, 2018

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SPORTS & REC

A DAY IN THE LIFE: ANN STOCKWELL

An hour-by-hour detail of a Boise State student gymnast Sydnee Boley | Staff Writer | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Senior Ann Stockwell is a member of the gymnastics team at Boise State University.

She spends most of her day preparing for competition and focusing on keeping her body healthy. The three-time Mountain Rim Conference champion gives a detailed picture of what a typical weekday looks like.

8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. “I’ll get ready for school, then eat a good breakfast and then usually go to about two classes a day,” Stockwell said. “For breakfast, I like to eat avocado toast with an egg.”

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. She gave herself a lighter schedule to really enjoy her last semester.

Stockwell said she is completing a major in kinesiology. In the fall of 2018, she will be going to school in either California or Washington to get her doctorate for physical therapy.

12:15 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. Around noon, Stockwell goes to the training room for treatment with the gymnastics athletic trainer.

“Treatment time really varies depending on our injuries or how our bodies are feeling each day. It can consist of rehab, icing, heating, stretching, laser or ultrasound treatment, or a combination of some of these,” Stockwell said.

12:45 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Before practice, Stockwell makes sure to eat a healthy snack to get ready for the next few hours.

“Lunch is usually pretty light because it’s right before practice, so I like to have a banana and some trail mix,” Stockwell said.

1:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. The team spends time together to prepare their bodies for practice, being certain they are stretched and ready for the gym.

“That usually includes heating up and

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Ann Stockwell leaps through the air. Photo by Boise State Photography.

rolling out,” Stockwell said. This is treatment that prepares muscles for a workout by improving mobility and flexibility.

1:45 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. The team practices anywhere from three to four hours based on the assignments they are given. This can be working on individual stunts or performing whole routines. As an all-around gymnast, Stockwell trains at all four events: balance beam, floor exercise, vault and uneven bars.

4:15 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. “We end with conditioning and stretching,” said Stockwell. After practice, the team works on exercises that focus on arms, legs and stomach, or they will go to the weight room. Following that, they typically do a running workout. The team then heads

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back to treatment, and Stockwell will take an ice bath for recovery.

5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Stockwell goes home to shower and then makes herself dinner.

“I love Mexican food, so for dinner I love to make a chicken quesadilla that’s loaded with veggies,” Stockwell said.

7:30 p.m. – 9: 30 p.m. The next few hours are spent working on her homework. “On a light week, I probably spend about one to two hours a night doing homework or studying, but during heavy exam weeks, I probably spend three to four hours studying each night,” said Stockwell.

10:30 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. The committed gymnast stretches again before going

to bed.

“I feel like it really contributes to my overall flexibility, which makes me less likely to suffer a muscular injury in practice and competition,” Stockwell said.

11:00 p.m. To make sure she gets enough sleep, Stockwell will try and be in bed by eleven each night.

Even with the busy schedule, Stockwell knew she wanted to continue with gymnastics throughout college, “It was definitely not a debate in my mind. I wasn’t ready to stop for sure. I’m still not ready,” Stockwell said. “It’s always been a dream of mine to at least do gymnastics through my early adult life.”

DUSTY FISHER: NOT YOUR AVERAGE TRACK STAR

SPORTS & REC

From football to track, Dusty Fisher can do it all Joshua Arace | Staff Writer | sports@stumediaboisestate.edu

Dusty Fisher stands with parents. Photo by Boise State Photography.

Being an athlete at the collegiate level was not something that factored into Dusty Fisher’s decision to attend Boise State. At Douglas High School in Douglas, Nevada, Fisher was a two-sport athlete being a member of both the school’s football and baseball teams. Despite being an all-state wide receiver in football and an all-region center fielder in baseball, recruiting calls didn’t come often for Fisher a graduate this spring from the College of Health Sciences with a degree in health and physical education, aside from a few very small programs. With little interest in playing for small schools, he hung up his cleats when he became a Bronco.

“There were some small schools that showed slight interest but nothing that was big enough in terms of a scholarship that really led me anywhere,” Fisher said.

“I wanted to come to Boise regardless whether I played sports or not, and I didn’t want to miss out on Boise.”

After watching the Broncos as a fan in fall of his first semester, Fisher decided that he missed the game too much and walked onto the team as a wide receiver during the spring. He spent the rest of 2014 offseason with the team as a redshirt and prepared for the season. His first season with the team didn’t go as planned, however, as he appeared mostly on special teams, rather than at wide receiver. Fisher appeared in 10 games for the Broncos during their 2014 season, recording five tackles.

During the offseason, Fisher fractured a vertebra, which forced him to miss most of the offseason. While at an indoor track meet, he decided to participate in the event himself, paying $15 to run unattached, meaning he had no affiliation with the Boise State team or any school’s team.

Fisher won both races he participated in, changing the course of his athletic career.

“I knew as soon as I ran that race,” Fisher said. “I ran a 60 meter and a 200 meter and I won them, and I was like oh my gosh … Right after that race I knew I could be decent.”

Following the race, he met with the track team and was given the go ahead to join the team as a walk-on. Down on himself after playing primarily on special

teams in football, the track team was attractive to Fisher based on the fact that he would get to go out and compete. Financial reasons were also a big part of the switch. Not knowing whether his future in football would lead to a scholarship, he felt that he could earn a scholarship quicker through track.

“My parents promised they were going to help out in the beginning, and I told them I’d eventually find a way to get a scholarship,” Fisher said. “I don’t care if it was ping pong, if I could do anything to get a scholarship.”

Fisher left the football team and officially joined the track team in the spring of 2015. Despite his strong finish at his first race, he still had a lot of work when it came to track technique because he had no experience in track from high school or college, his coaches had a lot of work ahead of them.

“The biggest thing was just teaching him how to actually run correctly. The technique for running in track and field is very different than football,” said Boise State sprints coach Gavin O’Neal. “In football they shuffle a little bit, they have to be prepared to move right to left, but in track we are just moving forward.”

Now in his fourth season with the track team, Fisher has made tremendous strides since he first joined. He has been named to the Track and Field All-Mountain West

team nine times (indoor and outdoor) earning the award three times in each the 200 meter, 400 meter, and 4x400 meter relay. In 2016-2017, he landed a spot at the NCAA West Preliminary Championships in two events during the outdoor season, while coming in second in the 200 meter at the Mountain West Indoor Track and Field Championships during the indoor season.

“He’s a great leader, he gets along with everybody, and he’s got a fun personality,” O’Neal said. “He’s kind of the glue that keeps our group together and why we’ve been successful.”

As a senior, Fisher is currently running his final races as a Bronco. His current plans post-graduation are to become a fitness trainer, while moving on to teaching and coaching in the future. If he remains in Boise, he would also like to help with the track team in any way he can. While he misses the team atmosphere and playfulness football brought, Fisher is grateful to track for allowing him to compete with some of the best athletes in the world and end his 20-year athletic career strong.

“I got to compete with some of the best athletes in the world, which was a dream that I had my entire life, regardless of what sport it was,” Fisher said. “I never expected it would be track, but this sport now has a very special place in my heart.”

BRONCO SCOREBOARD MEN’S BASKETBALL AIRFORCE

BOISE

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL BOISE

AIRFORCE

52 76

58 47

2/17/2018

2/17/2018

MEN’S TENNIS

WOMEN’S TENNIS

BOISE

UTAH

BOISE

UTAH

0

4

3

4

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SPORTS & REC

LEIGHTON VANDER ESCH PREPARES FOR THE NFL DRAFT

Boise State’s defensive player of the year trains for the combine Peter Huguenin| Sports Reporter | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Vander Esch tackles a Fresno State player during Mountain West championships. Photo by Axel Quartarone.

Former Boise State linebacker Leighton Vander Esch is preparing for the NFL Draft. Born and raised in Riggins, Idaho, Vander Esch was a three-sport athlete at Salmon River High School, where he played football, basketball and track.

Vander Esch walked on to Boise State’s football team in 2014 but has chosen to forgo his senior year to pursue a career in the NFL. The 2018 NFL Draft will start on April 26, and some experts predict Vander Esch will be drafted as early as the first round.

Since leaving Boise State after football season ended, Vander Esch has been

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training to get ready for the NFL Scouting Combine. Right now, he said that he trains five or six hours a day, and when he is not training, he tries to relax.

“Mostly what I’m doing is resting,” Vander Esch said. “Just rest up. Not trying to do too much, (and) staying off my legs.

I eat the food that they give me, take a nap, watch TV, just kind of hang out and try to not do too much.”

The program that he is training with gives its athletes a lot of food so they are able to train at peak condition.

“I’m probably eating right around 4,000 calories a day with the training we’re

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doing,” Vander Esch said. “We obviously get a big breakfast, then we work out, then we get a big shake after we work out in the morning, then we have lunch, then we have our afternoon session, then we have another big shake after we work out in our afternoon section, then we have dinner.

We’re constantly getting what we need to put into our bodies.”

He said his favorite meal they provided was the Mahi Mahi.

Vander Esch received an invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine on January 30. The combine is a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of NFL coaches, general managers and scouts.

With increasing interest in the NFL Draft, the scouting combine has grown in scope and significance, allowing personnel directors to evaluate upcoming prospects in a standardized setting.

“I thought (getting an invitation to the combine) was awesome,” Vander Esch said.

“It’s a chance for me to get to go out there and showcase what my ability is. My athletic ability, speed, change of direction and everything that I’ve been training for, for a couple months. Given the chance to go out there and put that out there in front of everyone is going to be a total blast. I’m looking forward to every single bit of it.

I’ve always dreamed of it ever since I was little. It’s a really big honor to get an invite there.”

The 2018 NFL combine will start on Feb. 27 and conclude on March 5.

Despite making his transition to the NFL, Vander Esch acknowledges the help Boise State provided in his transition. “(Boise State) is always striving to make you the best person you can be, on and off the field,” Vander Esch said. “Just trying the be the best version of yourself all the time. They’ve really helped me prepare for that. I’ve enjoyed every single bit of being

at Boise State. It’s close to home, and the atmosphere (at Boise State) is just another amazing thing.”

Nathan Carroll, who is the president of the Corral—Boise State’s student section—believes Vander Esch will be successful in the NFL. “I think Leighton is going to do very well in the NFL,” Carroll said. “He’s going to have an outstanding combine; probably run in the 4.5’s (for his 40 yard dash) and broad jump 10 plus feet. He has the athleticism to make it at the next level, and from all accounts he has the mental presence to succeed. I don’t know to what extent he will succeed, but there is definitely success in the NFL for Leighton Vander Esch.”

Carroll isn’t the only fan who believes that Vander Esch will succeed. Boise State alumnus and fan Nick Carannante also believes he will do well in the NFL. “He’s a hard working kid and has showed his versatility,” Carannante said. “(That) can allow him to succeed in a multitude of ways, and that will help him transition nicely at the next level.”

Vander Esch said he has always been focused on making the NFL. “I’m always going to do my best in everything I do,” Vander Esch said. “Trying to be the best athlete I could possibly be.

It’s always been my biggest dream to play in the NFL. I’m not going to let anything get in the way of that, and I’m not going to let anything hold me back.”

Even though he is beginning his path in the NFL, Vander Esch had some advice for football players making the transition to the NFL. “Don’t hold back anything,” Vander Esch said. “If you’re going to do it, just make sure you pour your heart into it.

Make sure you give every single bit of effort you have, 110% every single day, to develop yourself and get better every single day.”

FUN & GAMES

Puzzle 1 (Very hard, difficulty rating 0.88)

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1

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Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/sudoku on Sun Aug 20 18:22:41 2017 GMT. Enjoy!

Your morning cup. Our life’s purpose. Our family has been crafting premium coffee for over 143 years. And Don Francisco’s® Coffee is the result of four generations of refining our craft. We invite you to blend our traditions with yours. Find us at your local grocer.

FEBRUARY 20, 2018

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ARBITERONLINE.COM

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