The Arbiter Vol. 36 Issue 10 | 2.1.24

The number of reported hate crimes in Idaho has increased in recent years, yet the state is pushing for more anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. This has resulted in members of the community feeling unsafe and underrepresented throughout the state.

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

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New proposes to remove all “obscene materials” in Idaho public libraries

Public testimony argues mainly in opposition of HB 384

Kaylie Hilliker | News Reporter | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Public testimony was held at 9 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 15 in the State Affairs Committee for HB 384.

The bill, presented by Chairman Jaron Crane from District 12, restricts “obscene content” from public and school library collections.

Residents from Coeur d’Alene to Nampa were at the hearing, and two rooms accommodated overflow for viewing the hearings on a live recording.

HB 384 line 14 section 18-1514 defines “obscene materials” under categories of nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, sado-machistic abuse and material that may be harmful to minors. If the bill is passed, minors, (those under 18 years) would not be given, promoted or allowed to read any library material the bill declares obscene, including writing or pictures of acts of masturbation, homosexuality or sexual intercourse as outlined in the bill. The bill is called the “Children’s School

and Library Protection Act”.

The bill gives the parent or guardian of any child legal authority to file a cause of action against a library or educational institution that provides their child with obscene materials. The library or educational institution at fault has thirty days to relocate the material to another section of the library for adults. If any obscene material is not moved to the adult section in thirty days, a parent or guardian can sue for $250 in statutory damages.

This bill is not the first case of book banning in the Treasure Valley. Last year, the West Ada School District removed 10 books from their library, the Kuna School District prohibited 23 books from minors, and in 2022 the Nampa School District banned 24 books from their library.

The Treasure Valley has clashed with public libraries and the local government about what material should be allowed for minors for several years now. In 2022, HB

666 dealt with restricting library material “harmful to minors,” and so did HB 314 in 2023.

Pen America stated for 2023 that 56% of books banned across the nation were in the young adult section of the library.

Testimonials on Monday called into attention the various concerns of the public.

Mary Ruch, former president of the Idaho chapter of The National Reading Association repeated a point several other testimonies opposed to the bill pointed out about parents or guardians being the ultimate decision-makers of what a child should read, not legislative laws.

“This is not a library problem. It’s a parent problem,” Ruch said. “If a parent does not want their child to read a book, they can take that away from them. You don’t put it in a special room and take it away from everybody else.”

Haley Robbins, a teacher from Rigby Idaho said, “I don’t think any library is trying to get harmful materials to any student, but I think that there’s a fear that if this is passed, it’s going to be taken to an extreme and libraries are going to be so scared that we’re not able to get those books out there that are not graphic, they just have an LGTBQ person in them.”

The majority of testimonies spoke in opposition to the bill, and asked the committee to not pass HB 384.

Through numerous testimonies Vice Chairman Young asked the question, “Do you believe graphic sexual content is harmful to minors?” to several people who opposed HB 384.

Resident Jackie Davidson in favor of the bill presented the book, “Red Hood” by Elana K. Arnold during her testimony, that she checked out from the public library ! at Cole and Ustick.

“Red Hood” is a a YA novel that re-tells the story of little red riding hood. The book contains themes of sexual assault and “threats to female power”.

“They’re grooming books and promoting homosexuality and gender dysphoria … this book contains obscene sexual activity and violence and profanity,” she said.

Michelle Addison from District 3 in favor of the bill, Idaho librarian and board trustee said, “I support this bill because children are frequently being harmed and corrupted, sometimes permanently by materials in our schools and libraries… regarding libraries promoting prostitution, pedophilia and bestiality to children.”

Idaho Public Libraries rely on internal systems of choosing collections and materials. The Ninth Annual Idaho Public Policy Survey for 2024 found that 69% of Idahoans trust their public libraries to choose the books made available to them.

Both of these testimonies were in favor of HB 384.

More testimonies described the work it would take to relocate “obscene” books into the adult section, how library budgets cannot handle lawsuits and the fact that the bill classifies homosexuality as obscene.

Multiple testimonials also claimed the harm sexual topics can do to children through stealing away innocence, sending the wrong messages to teens and promoting dangerous ideas.

The committee republicans voted the bill for a due pass, but whether or not the bill passes and is signed into law, Idaho’s public remains divided.

The bill has been filed for a third reading, and has been sent back to the state affairs committee.

Photo of the Boise Public Library located on South Capitol Boulevard.

Photo by Niamh Brennan

Idaho women march at the capitol for more than just abortion rights

Hundreds of women marched in Boise to protect women’s health

Kiryn Willett | News Editor | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

For the first time in years, the Idaho Women’s march actually marched down the streets of downtown Boise, where hundreds gathered in front of the Idaho State Capitol on Jan. 20.

Minority house leader Representative

Ilana Rubel gave a scathing indictment of the Idaho legislature on the steps of the capitol before the march began, calling Idaho one of the worst states when it comes to abortion laws.

Senate Bill 1229 was introduced on Jan. 20 to legislature, a bill that would remove

rape and incest exceptions to Idaho’s already restrictive abortion bans.

While abortion rights were a large part of the discussion, with participants holding signs that said “Paws off my uterus (pervert)” and “abortion rights forever”, Rubel also condemned the Idaho State Legislature for letting the maternal mortality review committee to expire, making Idaho the only state without one. The crowd booed at several points during the speech, booing bills and the Idaho legislature as a whole.

“These perverse laws are likely to lead to the deaths of more pregnant women and maybe they didn’t want the committee collecting that data and publicizing it,” Rubel said during her speech. “We are also the only version in the state in the country that does not provide a year of postpartum medical coverage.”

For Rubel, and many others, Idaho’s failure to protect women’s health extends beyond the abortion laws. Rubel cited HB 381, a bill that would replace the word “fetus” with “pre born child” in Idaho law. “That this is likely to end up blocking in vitro fertilization. Because apparently even if you want to be pregnant, the state and not you is the decider,” Reubel said in her speech.

High school student speakers at the event, Yvonne Shen from Boise High, and Yuxuan Cheng from Renaissance High, said that access to birth control is another women’s health issue that needs to be addressed.

“One thing I’m very passionate about is access to contraceptives. Because I feel like that is kind of the reason why we have abortion, is the lack of sex education and contraceptives available to especially lower income women,” Cheng said in an interview with The Arbiter. “And so I feel like because abortion is such a hotly contested issue, we kind of disregard the main causes of them. It’s like we do need better sex education and access to those resources so

that women can have control over family planning.”

Both young women spoke at the march about their experiences as young women from immigrant families and how race intersects with women’s issues.

“A lot of issues that we talked about, you know, race, environmental, like social justice a lot of these things are all sort of tied in a way. For example, when we talk about abortion rights, we know that disproportionately low income women receive abortions because they don’t have the financial support to raise a child,” Shen said in an interview with The Arbiter. “And we also know that certain races tend to be more low income, black and brown people have been disproportionately disenfranchised throughout the history of our country. And so these gender issues are also in ways race issues.”

For Nancy Harris, the President of the Idaho Women’s March, intersectionality was also an important theme.

“We have this overriding fear of our government, our state government, which is doing a horrible thing to the women in our state, [we have] the most draconian laws in the nation,” Harris said. “The most draconian laws to trans kids not being able to get hormonal therapy, the most draconian laws towards our LGBTQ community. There’s not one layer.”

Hundreds walked down 8th St. and circled back to the capitol. Accompanied by a marching band, they marched while chanting “my body my choice” and “women’s rights are human rights”. Some brought pots and spoons to bang as they marched, and others wore outfits or held signs stylized after Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie.

“The message [is] that we won’t be swept under the rug, like our history matters,” Cheng said. “It’s something that you as legislators need to address and we won’t be silenced.”

Photo of a group of Women’s March participants in pink hats.

Photo by Taya Power-Thornton

Spreading Awareness: January serves as Human Trafficking Prevention Month

Idaho U.S. Attorney partners with local agencies and organizations to call attention to human trafficking

Joel Hroma | News Reporter | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Anew year means calling attention to an ongoing issue in our country and worldwide. January is human trafficking prevention month, a month dedicated to raising awareness about sex and labor trafficking.

According to the U.S. Department of State, human trafficking is just one of the umbrella terms to refer to “a crime whereby traffickers exploit and profit at the expense of adults or children by compelling them to perform labor or engage in commercial sex.”

“What it (human trafficking prevention month) tries to accomplish is raise awareness and talk about what human trafficking actually means and how to allow people to understand the signs of potential human trafficking and how to report potential crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit.

Human trafficking is a consistently under-reported crime despite the rise in awareness. The National Human Trafficking Hotline says this is due to the “covert nature, misconceptions about its definition, and a lack of awareness about its indicators.”

On Jan. 12, 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s office released a PSA highlighting Human Trafficking Prevention Month and the importance of being informed of the warning signs and red flags to watch out for.

One of the organizations in the state of Idaho is the Idaho Anti-Trafficking Coalition (IATC). Their stated mission is to “work alongside community members in providing awareness, education, services and safe housing for victims of human trafficking in Idaho.”

The IATC provides a wide range of resources available to the public that promotes education and understanding of the issue of human trafficking.

Something the U.S. Attorney’s office wanted to highlight is the many dif -

ferent forms of human trafficking that occur.

“People are brought into this country and forced into, essentially, servitude where they don’t have actual wages, they aren’t free to go about their day, they aren’t free to go find other employment. They’re being exploited and tied to a specific employer,” said Hurwitt.

An example of this is in 2022 when a Boise man was sentenced to 77 months in federal prison for transporting women for the purposes of prostitution and money laundering.

Attorney Hurwitt said it is an under-reported crime, which is why the raising of awareness is so crucial. There could be many reasons as to why these crimes go unreported.

This stems from the lack of awareness in what to look for or understanding what the red flags might be. There is also an underlying issue of a victim’s immigration status and the fear of reporting due to that.

People may not report human trafficking because they don’t understand what the signs of human trafficking look like. Undocumented victims may not report for fear of deportation or other punitive measures.

“If we have someone who is undocumented and is a victim of a crime, they’re obviously going to be concerned about reporting to law enforcement because they are worried about their immigration status,” said Hurwitt.

However, for cases of human trafficking, undocumented immigrants can obtain visas to help prosecute the perpetrator.

“We don’t look at that when we are dealing with a victim. In fact, there are programs for victims of crimes in this country, if they’re here without legal status, they can actually obtain visas

because we want them to be here to be able to help us be able to prosecute the

crimes and have justice,” Hurwitt said.

Graphic showcasing statistics from the National Human Trafficking Hotline.

Graphic by Sasha White

Towers Hall opens new gym for its residents

Residents now have the convenient option to stay home to workout

Caresse Basaraba | Staff Writer | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

What was once a one mile walk is now a convenient elevator ride for Towers residents.

Towers Hall, the seven-floor housing structure on campus, has opened its own gym — which is now open exclusively to Towers Hall residents.

Towers Hall is a co-ed living space that offers other amenities such as a sand volleyball court, a basketball court, a grill and a piano. This is the closest residential housing on campus to downtown Boise and in a prime location along the greenbelt, like many other Boise State dorms.

The new weight room is located on the first floor of the dormitory and features free weights, two pelotons, two treadmills, cable machines, leg machines and a Smith machine.

The executive director of Housing and Residence Life, Lynda Tieck, and Towers Hall resident director, Alex Call, presented the grand opening of the gym on Tuesday, Jan. 16.

“We wanted to encourage community and accessibility,” Tieck said. “We identified that if students are new to exercising, that they would feel comfortable here. I want these residents to feel special.”

Towers Hall is the furthest residential building from central campus, nearly a mile away from the Boise State Recreational Center (Rec) and approximately a 20 minute walk. When considering the winter and cold weather, this can be a burden for residents.

Shelby Hanson, a freshman Towers resident with an undeclared major and earning a certificate in Sport Coaching, expressed the simplicity the gym will bring to her daily routine.

“The Rec is 20 minutes away. Although it is a good warm up, if I want to get a good workout in, it’s going to take two hours of my day,” Hanson said. “As a busy student, I don’t have that time. The Towers gym will have a positive impact

on my mental and physical health.”

These restrictions have made it difficult for residents to develop a consistent routine.

“In the winter, it’s not light until 8 a.m. and it gets dark around 5 p.m.,” Tieck said. “It is a challenge for students to feel comfortable getting over to the other side of campus in workout clothes. Driving and parking at the Rec is not ideal either.”

The motivation behind the project came when Tieck met with Jason Hermes of Campus Recreation.

“The space is great for a weight room,” Tieck said. “It was previously a meeting space that was under-utilized.”

The best interest of the students was at the forefront of decision making when choosing the arrangement and choice of gym equipment. Pelotons and treadmills

are paired, making it possible to have a workout partner, if desired.

“We made a specific plan for this space,” Tieck said. “Gym Outfitters came to scope it out, we took measurements and residents can ultimately get a full body workout. The nice thing about gym equipment is that if it isn’t successful, we can move it somewhere else. It’s not a permanent change, so if it doesn’t work here we can try it in a different community.”

The weight room is now open from 9 a.m. to midnight every day of the week, and is open exclusively to Towers residents.

“I am looking forward to using the Peloton. I’ve never used one so it will be fun to try,” said Hanson. “I’m also really excited to squat, that’s my favorite exercise. Having the squat rack is a great addition.”

Despite its location on campus, residents of this hall are part of a close and welcoming community.

“We do surveys and consistently Towers end up being our highest level of satisfaction among residents. I think part of the unique fit of Towers is because people are kind of limited in their access initially,” Colton Manley, Boise State area coordinator said. “There ends up being a strong community that’s built there, which is really cool to see. A lot of people end up being satisfied and happy with the friends and the connections that they make on that front.”

The weight room is now open from 9 a.m. to midnight every day of the week.

Photo of the new gym room in Towers Hall. Photo by Niamh Brennan

OPINION

Why you never stick to your New Year’s resolutions

Understanding the psychology of building healthy habits increases the likelihood of sticking to them

Olivia Brandon | Culture Reporter | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

The new year is a great time to start fresh and establish healthy habits for the coming year. However, setting unrealistic goals that result in disappointment or feelings of inadequacy is a phenomenon far too many individuals associate with creating New Year’s resolutions.

You’ve lit a candle, a fresh notebook lays before you and you confidently write out your aspirations for the new year, but why aren’t you able to stick to that goal of running 10 miles every day?

Boise State psychology professor Mary Pritchard discussed the psychology behind unrealistic goal-setting, as well as some ways to remedy this behavior.

“We get so excited about turning a new leaf and starting a new year … and we have so much hope,” Pritchard said. “I don’t want people to abandon a sense of hope at all, we want them to be a little bit more realistic.”

Pritchard broke down the three main reasons she believes humans overcompensate with their goal setting.

“First, we tend to be overconfident in our own ability to do things, that’s not just New Year’s resolutions,” Pritchard said. “The second one: social comparison. Oftentimes, when we make these New Year’s goals we’re not doing it because it’s something we genuinely want, we’re doing it because we are being pressured to by somebody else or we feel like we should.”

Unrealistic expectations may be a prominent factor in unsuccessful resolutions, but failing to set yourself up for success can be just, if not more, damaging.

“The third is that we often fail to plan,” Pritchard said. “We get these lofty goals and are so excited, are so confident, and then we don’t think about okay, let’s say I’m going to work out five days a week, let’s say that that’s my New Year’s resolution, when am I going to do that? Again, you’re setting yourself up for failure when you fail to plan because if you don’t make a plan, it’s not happening.”

It’s no secret that everyone, especially college students, feels pressure to make

up for lost time after the pandemic years. Pritchard discussed the nature of students to overexert themselves, which could be contributing to setting unattainable goals.

“One thing I know about college students because I’ve been doing this for 30 years and it’s gotten worse over time, is that college students are overbooked,” Pritchard said. “Coming out of COVID, people feel like they have to make up for lost time and (students) want to do 50 things in 30 minutes, you have to be realistic about your schedule.”

The concept of SMART goals — smart, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely — is a valuable tool that Pritchard suggested keeping in mind when setting goals.

“When you’re going into the process of setting a goal, it really goes back to that pre-planning, you’ve got to get clear on your motivation. Is this the right time for you to do it?” Pritchard said. “For some people, [the] beginning of the semester is a great time because they’re super motivated, for some it’s not because they’re super stressed. The first thing I would do is stop, take a deep breath and really dive into ‘why do I want this?’ Because if your answer is for somebody else … this is not the goal for you.”

Feeling a sense of pressure to show up for yourself when creating a New Year’s resolution is one thing, but imagine having thousands of followers who are anticipating it as well.

Influencer Katie Williams, known as @ travelingspud on Instagram and TikTok for her travel and lifestyle-based content, discussed the benefits and drawbacks of sharing goals online, as well as her take on New Year’s resolutions.

“Once I tell my audience … it feels like

something that I need to follow through on, but that being said, I am really hesitant to announce too many goals on my page,” Williams said. “I personally change my mind a lot about what I do and I don’t want to lead people too far down the rabbit hole if I’m not going to follow through because then maybe they’ll think ‘Oh, she doesn’t follow through with anything.’”

A lack of motivation or fatigue from the drastic weather changes is a key component of why many individuals do not stick to their New Year’s resolutions.

“We start our goals in the winter, which is the time when we should be hibernating and not doing much. That’s when we’re setting all of these goals, like, ‘let’s go run a marathon,’ I don’t even want to go outside today,” Williams said. “Knowing that winter, when we are setting these goals, is a really hard time to start, spring when you have like renewed energy that’s a good time but January you just got hungover from the holidays.”

Williams provided her take on New Year resolutions as a whole.

“I like goal setting, I think that the intention behind it is really great… It doesn’t matter what time of year you’re doing these goals. I really like it for the fresh start,” Williams said. “I do feel like there can be some really restrictive goals that are just so difficult to get to and then you just feel bad about yourself.

So, if your New Year’s resolutions for 2024 haven’t exactly been easy to stick to — you’re not alone. There is no shame in taking some time to sit with your goals and determine whether or not these changes fit your lifestyle or your vision for the coming year.

Photo of a person writing down New Year’s resolutions.

Photo by Taya Power-Thornton

Long naps and depression lamps: My experience with seasonal depression in college

The lack of sunlight and cold weather is more than an annoyance to many people, particularly college students

Ella Van Leuven | Opinion Editor | opinion@stumedia.boisestate.edu

My nightstand is covered in empty water bottles and mugs. Late homework assignments are piled up on Canvas. I’m asleep by 8 p.m. every night, my hair hasn’t been washed in a week and I haven’t eaten a real meal in just about as long.

This isn’t a hypothetical me in a hypothetical situation. This is exactly how my winter went last year — and the year before, and the year before that. In fact, this winter is the first year that I haven’t experienced severe seasonal depression since halfway through middle school.

Seasonal depression is defined by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) as “A type of depression characterized by a recurrent seasonal pattern, with symptoms lasting about 4−5 months out of the year.” According to the NIMH, the symptoms of seasonal depression often look similar to the typically discussed signs of depression, such as persistent sad or anxious mood, feelings of hopelessness or pessimism, loss of interest in hobbies or activities, decreased energy, oversleeping or overeating.

This drop in mood and energy during the winter occurs because of a link between the decreased sunlight and a drop in a neurotransmitter called serotonin. Serotonin affects mood, and lower levels of this neurotransmitter have been linked with depression.

Seasonal depression is incredibly challenging for anyone to face. For a college student with multiple classes to attend, homework and exams to complete and potentially a job or extracurricular activities to go to, dealing with seasonal depression can be an especially difficult task.

As someone who’s dealt with seasonal depression since I was approximately 12 — and who is turning 20 this year — I would say I’m something of an expert on the subject — sort of.

For a long time, the way I felt in the winter was definitely inconvenient, but it wasn’t truly “disrupting” my day-to-day life. I got all my homework done, hung out with my friends and did my chores. I was also numb the whole day, completely dissociated and asleep by 8 p.m.

This completely changed when I got to college. For the first time in my life, I was in an entirely different state with no parents and no friends. I was hopeful going into my first semester at University of Utah but as the weather started changing, I quickly went downhill.

To make a long story short, my mental health deteriorated and my grades dropped to the point that my parents and I decided it was best for me to come back to Idaho. At this point, I felt completely defeated but there was no way for me to manage living in another state, working, paying my bills, trying to make friends and doing full-time classes on top of all of that.

Although the winter still takes a toll on me, during my time back in my hometown attending Boise State, I’ve been able to find ways to cope with how cold weather affects me. Reaching out to loved ones when I’m not doing well, going to therapy and just forcing myself to get out of the house for a couple of hours at a time are all ways I’ve found to lessen the intensity of the depression I experience.

I am not alone in the situation I faced and am still facing today. According to the University of Texas Medical Branch, about 10 million Americans experience seasonal depression every year. Among these people, college students are in a particularly difficult position.

If you or another student you know are experiencing mental health issues this winter, utilize the resources that Boise State University offers to students, and remember that the days are already starting to get longer.

University Health Services Counseling healthservices@boisestate.edu

(208) 426-1459

Illustration of a depressed woman trapped in a snowglobe.

Illustration by Kelsey Mason

Anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes reach a high in over two decades

Waves of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation continue to push Idaho farther down the Spiral of Injustice

Kiryn Willett | News Editor | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu | Illustrations by Sydney Smith and Sasha White

In the last several years, Idaho has experienced a wave of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, in line with a nationwide trend of anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment. According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), there have been 356 extremist and non-extremist incidents in the U.S. against the LGBTQ+ community from June 2022 and April 2023, .

An anti-LGBTQ+ hate crime occurred at Boise State on Nov. 12, 2023, one of the many hate crimes that have occured in Boise this year.

Matthew Leigh was convicted of hate crimes after going on an anti-LGBTQ+

stolen from Harrison Boulevard, and the Community Center, a LGBTQ+ outreach and support organization, had its windows smashed in.

The Spiral Of Injustice

The Wassmuth Human Rights center created the concept of the Spiral of Injustice, a spiral that shows the levels of escalation of ostracization and dehumanization that lead to the violation of human rights, and in extreme cases, genocide.

The Spiral of Injustice may explain the upward trend of anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes in Idaho. According to The Spiral, the process begins with language, where stereotypes are accepted and promoted, and the group deemed as “other” is openly mocked and belit -

In recent years, there has been an upward trend in hate speech targeted at the LGBTQ+ community, and Idaho is no exception to this phenomenon. Idaho’s own legislators have publicly condemned the LGBTQ+ community on multiple occasions.

Dorothy Moon called a drag show for children a “perverse idea that children should engage in sexual performances with adult entertainers” causing multiple organizations to withdraw from pride. Nampa Rep. Bruce Skaug called gender dysphoria a mental illness that needs to be treated and claimed HB 71 protected children from “sterilization and mutilation”.

A survey of Idaho schools found that 84% of children regularly heard ho -

According to Javier Smith, a board member at the Idaho Community Center, this rhetoric sends the message that LGBTQ+ are not the same, and that people who are not part of the

LGBTQ+ community are superior to them

“It does create fear. Especially if they haven’t come out yet, they’ll want to stay in the closet more,” Smith said.

The next step of the spiral is avoidance, according to Wasmuth Center, it is the “conscious or unconscious” denial of participation, representation and access of the “other”.

According to a snowball sampling survey of 153 campus members provided by the Gender Equity Center, in Spring 2019 only 11 out of 153 survey respondents said they felt the experiences of LGBTQ+ people at Boise State campus were positive. A survey done of 33 LGBTQ+ students at Boise State found that LGBTQ+ students faced challenges such as homophobia and a lack of understanding from straight students.

After avoidance, the next ring on the spiral is discrimination. According to Smith, this is most visible in legislation. Idaho has experienced a slew of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in the last several years, from HB 71, a bill passed to ban gender affirming care for minors, to a bill introduced by Rep. Julianne Young proposing to make gender and sex synonymous in Idaho code.

Smith states that when people in positions of power are so willing to push oppressive legislation and harmful rhetoric, it emboldens violent action against ‘the other’.

“It gives people permission. People want to think of themselves as good. And so sometimes they'll find wonderful ways to justify their mistreatment of others… In this case, the law says it's okay or the people in power think the same way as me. So therefore, my feelings are justified. I'm not a bad

person,” Smith said. “So this was the rise of these laws and these people expressing anti-gay sentiments that are supposedly our leaders emboldened them to folks like that, to be more honest or to not confront these feelings and justify them.”

There was a rise in the yearly number of hate crimes in the last five years, reaching the highest in over two decades. There were only two hate crimes targeting sexual orientation in 2018, but over the last five years there has been an upward trend of hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ community. 2021 marked a high in over two decades, with 11 hate crimes targeting the LGBTQ+ community. 2022 was the second highest in the last five years, and the third highest in over two decades with nine hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ community. While the data has not been released for 2023 yet, there have been multiple hate crimes in the last year, a troublesome indicator for the official numbers that will be released later this year.

Legislation

Some, like Shiva Rajbhandari, a trustee for the Boise School District Board, believe that legislatures bear some of the responsibility for the violence against the LGBTQ+ community in Idaho.

“These are the top leaders in our state and they are complicit, if not endorsing violence against LGBTQ+ people with their rhetoric,” Rajbhandari said. “You recognize that, like, these people truly, truly don't care about the well being of people, and they truly, truly wish that they could just wish these people away. And that sets a tone in our state and that endorses the political extremism and the far right

violence that we've seen.”

According to Smith, these bills can be a political tactic to scapegoat the LGBTQ+ community.

“It's a way to consolidate power by simply saying ‘you all hate the same people I do. Well, gosh, that we have something in common,’” Smith said. “And it's an easy way to get people to join together and blame [them] for everyone's problems, without really solving anything, and just allowing folks to take power from others based solely on that.”

However, Jenna Damron, an advocacy fellow at the American Civil Liberties of Idaho, says there is no way to tell if legislatures are pushing this type of legislation because they genuinely believe in it or for political reasons.

“We try not to assume or impugn the motivations of legislators, or the intentions of legislators,” Damron said. “I do think that in the last five years, maybe LGBTQ+ rights have become more of a socially talked about issue. I think that does affect what legislators introduced.”

Regardless, all three believe it is the responsibility of the legislators to represent and protect every constituent.

“I've been extremely vocal about my support of trans and non-binary young people in our state and I think that's a responsibility of every elected official, but particularly school leaders. We have a responsibility as leaders of our state to stand up and speak out and do the most to correct the hate that we see,” Rajbhandari said. “Particularly with a legislature that is doing quite the opposite of that, that is amplifying the hate and setting code violence and violence against LGBTQ+ people. I think the pressure is on for local elected officials to do more to really step [up] and not just speak their mind on how much our members of our community matter to Idaho, but also to call out these policy makers and demand justice.”

Barriers To Progress

The reports of hate crimes in Idaho likely fall short of the real number, according to Smith and Damron.

Idaho has no state protections for discrimination or hate crimes on the basis of sexuality, so any hate crimes

against LGBTQ+ people in Idaho can only be recognized federally. When the Community Center’s windows were smashed out in homophobic hate crime, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.), have to get involved and find a way to connect the crime to something out of state.

“The F.B.I. wants to know where we're got our money from because [if] any came from outside sources outside the state, then they can get involved and say this is happening interstate,” Smith said. “Otherwise it was just an Idaho thing, then it would just be considered just vandalism wouldn't be considered a hate crime.”

The crime was classified as a hate crime, because the Community Center receives some out of state funding, but without it, the crime wouldn’t have been counted in official data. Accord ing to Smith and Damron, this creates a gap in reporting of hate crimes in Idaho, meaning that the real numbers might be much higher.

“We have a really poor understand ing and a really poor amount of data to show the hate crimes [that] are actually happening here in Idaho. We have na tional trends on hate crimes and stuff, but we don't really have a way to track that here because it's not written into our protections,” Damron said. In addition to the current laws hindering accurate hate crime report ing, LGBTQ+ often face barriers when advocating for themselves.

According to Damron, the fast pace of Idaho’s legislature and the lack of accessible information give citizens little time or resources to organize and advocate for themselves.

“The process is very inaccessible for most. It's a very confusing process, even just the legislature idaho.gov website is very confusing to navigate,” Damron said. “We tend to see a bill get introduced and usually within a couple of days you have a public hearing on it. And that's an extremely fast pace that makes it hard for people to take time off work right. A lot of times, by the time the general public hears about a bill, it's already moved through those processes quite a bit and it could have even passed one or both parts of the legislature.”

According to Damron, this poses an even bigger burden for people outside the Treasure Valley to come testify or meet with lawmakers.

“‘We kind of have a saying ‘nothing about us without us’. Laws about LGBTQ+ people or focusing on the rights that LGBTQ+ people have in Idaho, shouldn't be passed without the input of those people,” Damron said. “We don't currently have LGBTQ+ representation within our lawmakers at all. So that means that there you have a body of people making laws about another body of people… and the importance of getting the community involved is super high. Because without that, they don't they don't have a voice within that process as constituents.”

for everyone to get involved as the discrimination will not end with targeting queer and trans people, citing the poem “First They Came” by Pastor Martin Niemöller.

Niemöller’s poem reads “First they came for the Communists / And I did not speak out / Because I was not a Communist / Then they came for the Socialists / And I did not speak out / Because I was not a Socialist / Then they came for the trade unionists / And I did not speak out / Because I was not a trade unionist / Then they came for the Jews / And I did not speak out / Because I was not a Jew / Then they came for me / And there was no one left / To speak out for me.”

CULTURE

JANUARY 18, 2024

Monday Mystery Movie: ‘Land of Bad’ is just as its title claims — bad.

Following all the steps of a typical war movie, “Land of Bad” offers no originality or surprises

Kelly Ann Asker | Copy Editor | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

The great thing about Regal’s Monday Mystery Movies is that you get the opportunity to see films you might not otherwise see, leading to unlikely favorites.

However, the not-so-great thing about going into a theater blind, is the possibility of seeing a dud film.

Regal’s Mystery Movie on Jan. 21 was “Land of Bad”, a military movie following Kinney (Liam Hemsworth), a young Air Force officer on a Delta Force mission gone wrong. Kinney refuses to give up hope or abandon his team and utilizes the help of Reaper, a Air Force drone pilot who watches over Kinney in enemy territory.

An important thing to note is that I have never particularly been a fan of war movies. As someone with little knowledge of military, weapon or war terminology, I am almost always confused. And as expected, there was no exception for “Land of Bad”.

“Land of Bad” is your basic, run of the mill war movie. You can pretty much guess the rising action and climax within the first 20 minutes.

Unfortunately, the predictability isn’t even the most disappointing aspect of this film. To start, the dialogue in the majority of the film is almost impossible to understand. The actors mumble through lines, resulting in missing key details that are likely vital to the plot.

It’s hard to tell whether or not this was an intentional decision. It makes sense at times for characters to speak in hushed tones, but even at times where actors were speaking at normal volumes, their words were not enunciated and it was near impossible to understand their conversations.

Maybe it’s the jumbled dialogue to blame or my lack of military knowledge, but the plot of this movie was not entirely clear. In the beginning, you get a vague idea of the mission they’re supposed to go on, but after that — nothing.

It’s almost as if the point of production was to show off all the cool explosions they could do — and trust me, they were cool. The special effects in “Land of Bad” aren’t anything special, but the mass amount of explosions are entertaining.

It’s clear there was an attempt to create

good gore, but it just misses. Gore in films is a touchy thing, as it’s not for everyone. As someone who loves gore, there were several scenes in this movie I had to look away from.

Not because they were too graphic, but because the context behind the gore made the scenes hard to watch. Begging the question — was it really necessary to include those clips?

In the midst of this mediocre movie, only one thing shone through — Russell Crowe. Crowe’s performance wasn’t Oscar worthy by any means, but he had range, strong emotion and most impor -

tantly, humor.

The best part of the movie, by far, was the ending. Without giving any spoilers, the suspense in the final moments of the film were unmatched by any other scene. Even though you know what the outcome will be, it’s the how that creates suspense.

The ending is really the only part of the movie worth watching. So if you’re willing to sit through a stereotypical military movie just for a good 20 minutes, then go see “Land of Bad” when it hits theaters on Feb. 16.

Image from upcoming movie Land of Bad featuring Liam Hemsworth. Photo courtesy of Highland Film Group

The everlasting influence folklore and mythology has in modern culture Storytelling and the deeper meanings within many tales has shifted over time

Emily Gordon | Culture Editor | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Storytelling offers us a variety of benefits. To this day, we still rewrite old tales and communicate with one another through ghost stories and gossip. It is our natural human instinct to connect via words and tales.

Folklore is vital to understand cultural narratives, an article written by The Conversation explains that within the modern Ukrainian-Russian war, researchers examined the fairytales being told to children on either side of the conflict.

Ukrainian children are told stories such as “Kotygoroshko”, which portrays unassuming characters persevering against insurmountable odds. The character arc takes them through challenges, testing their will and transforming them from vulnerable to triumphant.

While Russian children are being told stories such as “Princess Frog”, where the main character does not win via their own virtues, but by the involvement of a magical being.

Modern adults most likely do not live their day-to-day life with these fairy tales on their mind. However they shape our understanding of the world around us, teaching us to recognize good vs evil, how to be a hero and how to overcome adversity.

Garawyn McGill, an English lecturer at Boise State University says, “Stories are meant to protect you within society … we need these stories to make us human.”

Even the stories told to children in modern day all have hidden messages. The tales subconsciously teach us something. “The Little Red Riding Hood” teaches children to “stay on the path” and to recognize metaphorical “wolves” or dangers hidden in plain sight. “Alice in Wonderland” urges children to embrace themselves with no fear, or to “follow the white rabbit” and experience

new things.

Within the 21st century these age old tales are constantly reworked and shaped into something different, catering to the rapidly evolving culture we live in today. The movie, “Hard Candy”, released in 2005, is a twisted retelling of “The Little Red Riding Hood”, where instead of a wolf, it’s an online predator, and instead, Little Red saves herself and exacts her own revenge.

Stories have accompanied humans as long as we have had the ability to speak. Using magical tales to protect children from the realities of the world around them. “La Llorona”, a story of a ghost woman who haunts lakes, offers a strategic way to keep children from wandering into lakes alone. Though, this is the westernized version of this traditional Latino tale.

Ruth Salter, mythology lecturer at Boise State says, “Mythologies are much more than just something entertaining or something we tell children. It’s definitely not just something fake or not realistic … Most of these myths that we have nowadays were originally connected to a religion, some still are.”

“La llorona” is just one example of a cultural tale that extends beyond territories and cultures, and is shared between all walks of life. When all is said and done, all humans have a natural desire to share tales, just as we have had since the beginning of time.

“Ancient people in many ways are not as different from us as we think,” says Salter. “Stories can sustain people through really challenging, horrible times”

All throughout time and varying cultures, humans resort to sharing stories. Whether it pacifies the age-old question of “what happens next?” or “what are we here for?”, tall tales or myths are our way of making sense of the unknown. To this day, we still create our own stories and

share them with one another.

Sharing folktales and learning about varying myths and legends allows us to examine another way of life, and is something that encourages empathy and a deeper understanding to those around us. These stories have stood the test of time for a specific reason, they force readers to learn something new, even if it is difficult.

“That uncomfortable feeling means

there is room for growth,” says McGill. “It teaches empathy which we need globally.”

Storytelling expands beyond the basic entertainment reason. It fosters connection, empathy and safety within those willing to listen. Examine the stories being told to you and question why they are still around today, chances are they have provided insight for generations.

Illustration of a woman reaching for a book on a shelf.

Illustration by Sydney Smith

CULTURE

The

Blue Galleries showcases cultural symbolism through various mediums

Alex Wiseman’s exhibit serves as a representation of their journey in finding a sense of belonging culturally Olivia

Brandon | Culture Reporter | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Alex Wiseman, an Oregon-based artist discussed the thought process behind their latest exhibit featured at Boise State, “Invisible Family (Portraits): Smoke is a Prayer Transforming the Truth.”

This is a multilayered exhibit, both literally with multiple artistic mediums being utilized and also due to the cultural symbolism and significance.

The exhibit features several different artistic mediums such as photographs of Wiseman’s family members, colorful illustrations on inventory ledgers and a sculpture-like element of orange peels hanging from the ceiling which represent the oranges that prevented scurvy and allowed missionaries to further their efforts of colonialism.

Wiseman’s exhibit is described as an exploration of what it “means to inherit and hold cultural wounds and resilience without ready access to external cultural support,” which is an experience

Wiseman processes through their art. Wiseman was vulnerable enough to share their family’s history of addiction and the deaths that resulted from it.

“I have all these indigenous connections, but I was separated from my tribe because of essentially the genocidal policies of the US government, that’s the short answer,” Wiseman said. “It’s not uncommon in indigenous communities for those kinds of things to happen …that was designed to happen. It was by design that I didn’t have a family, I probably by design should be dead.”

Wiseman shared their struggle with healing past wounds and finding a sense of identity.

“I’m half white, I’m Irish and Scottish, Italian, and Chippewa. So I’m this mix of a lot of different things,” Wiseman said. “I’ve been greatly impacted by the sort of generational trauma of the indigenous part of myself, I struggled with mental health problems my whole life. Fortu-

nately, I avoided addiction, but that’s because when I was young, to be frank, I had these visions that told me that if I did that, I would die.”

One of Wiseman’s primary artistic materials is ash from wildfire sites. Wiseman discussed their personal connection to fire and its significance in indigenous communities.

“For many Indigenous folks smoke is a prayer,” Wiseman said. “When they engage in traditional burning it is a sacred act requiring humility, reverence and respect. For indigenous folks, fire is not feared, fire is seen as a friend to be cherished and a tool that must be respected.”

Another medium utilized in Wiseman’s exhibit is creating portraits on ledgers. Ledger art, put simply, is the practice of creating art in these inventory logs.

“There’s a tradition that I’m responding to called ‘plains tribe ledger art’. It emerged within indigenous communities in the plains, so Lakota, Dakota, Nakoda,” Wiseman said. “They had these traditions called the ‘winter count’ where they would choose two significant events that happened over the year and then make graphic representations of these events and then paint them onto buffalo hides. It was a historical document and they would name the years after the events.”

Wiseman elaborated further on both the historical and cultural significance of this art style.

“At this time European materials were showing up, like paper, cloth and canvas,” Wiseman said. “As the Civil War was wrapping up and Westward expansion started happening they started transferring these winter count practices onto paper and using Western materials. The most readily available source of paper was the ledger book from the trading posts.”

A prominent part of Wiseman’s display draws inspiration from the Tunnel Five Fire that occurred in the Columbia River Gorge. Wiseman highlighted their inten-

tion behind including four layers of orange peels which was inspired by the four divisions of the smoke in a photograph of the fire, representing the 400 years since European colonizers encountered the strait of Jaun de Foca.

“Much of my research into indigenous burning practices and the historical relationships between people, plants, the landscape and fire was centered around the Klickitat,” Wiseman said. “Whose traditional homelands were located there.”

This exhibit is incredibly detailed and each decision Wiseman made had some kind of meaning behind it.

“The wood framework I used in the installation is all plantation Douglas Fir,” Wiseman said. “Douglas Fir is privileged by the Forest Service and Timber Companies because it is the most economically valuable and commercially useful tree. … When they replant after disturbances such as clear-cuts and wildfires, [this] leads to extraordinary imbalances in the ecosystem over time—monoculture.”

Wiseman’s vision as an artist was to create a hazy effect for the individual viewing his portraits.

“My intention was to obscure the portraits on the wall using an image of smoke from a fire that ignited largely due to the imbalances in the ecosystem created by 200 years of colonial fire suppression and 100 years of USDA Forest Service full fire suppression policies,” Wiseman said. “And the ongoing ban on traditional indigenous burning and cultural practices.”

Wiseman’s book which they say is “conceptually linked” to this exhibit will be uploaded to The Bending Library in April-May 2024.

The exhibit is open to the public at The Blue Galleries, located at the Center for Visual Arts building on Boise State Campus, to experience Wiseman’s breathtaking and dynamic exhibit until March 22, 2024.

Photo of the Blue Galleries’ spring exhibition, Invisible Family (Portraits): Smoke is a Prayer Transforming the Truth by Alex Wiseman.

Photo courtesy of Alex Wiseman

Denis Johnson’s ‘Jesus’ Son’ is a harrowing testimony to being human Johnson reveals the inner workings and messiness of addiction and substance abuse

Emily Gordon | Culture Editor | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Denis Johnson’s “Jesus’ Son” released in 1992, is a harrowing collection of eleven short stories linked by a disagreeable main character only ever referred to as “F**khead”. The short stories slowly intertwine, revealing the horrors of substance abuse and addiction.

“Jesus’ Son” unveils the mundanity in the extreme through an addled main character that reflects on his life of unhealthy

choices and corruption. However, Johnson introduces this character in a way that forces the reader to be granted his bleak redemption. He is by no means a hero, but he is just as human as we are.

The novel starts with a story called “Car Crash While Hitchhiking”. The drug-addicted narrator recounts his time hitchhiking within four different cars, eventually suffering through a fatal car wreck that kills both drivers involved. At the end of

the story, the main character, seemingly in detox, recounts this event along with his drug addiction and overall disconnectedness from reality.

Although the main character is initiallyhard to like, readers can’t help but find bits of themselves scattered within his stories. The vulnerability in which Johnson portrays this character creates a raw experience for those who read it. Johnson’s writing is beautifully illustrated with his poetry,

yet still bludgeons readers with the harsh reality of the world around them.

In the third story of the novel called “Out on Bail”, the main character meets an old acquaintance named Jack Hotel. Hotel is a well-kept and well-known man who keeps his addiction a secret in order to maintain his image. Hotel later overdoses and dies, and the main character ends the story by reflecting: “I am still alive”, showing both his gratitude and shock that he has surpassed his friend in life and continued to live despite his addiction.

Johnson reveals the tender humanity of his protagonist within the final story, “Beverly Home”, writing; “All these weirdos, and me getting a little better every day right in the midst of them. I had never known, never even imagined for a heartbeat, that there might be a place for people like us.”

Johnson’s constant use of the word “us” is vital to his writing. By consistently including the reader within his main character’s psyche he nearly forces the reader to view themselves within the story — acknowledging that not all main characters are heroes and some aren’t even likable. But he is not too far off from “us” Johnson writes; “He was completely and openly a mess. Meanwhile the rest of us go on trying to fool each other.”

Johnson’s writing is a messy yet beautiful depiction of the human kind. He details the almost grotesque moments, laced with insightful and thought provoking ponderings that give readers both whiplash and something to think about.

In the fall semester of 2015, Denis Johnson visited Boise State as a visiting distinguished writer. There he worked closely with Boise State writers and left them all with a copy of “Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style”. Each copy inscribed with a quote by Isaac Babel, “No iron can enter the human heart like a period placed at just the right moment.”

Photo of the book spine of Jesus’ Son by Denis Johnson.

Photo by Niamh Brennan

SPORTS & REC

Early Predictions for the Broncos’ 2024 Football Season

The toughest opponent, a possible trap game and potential overall record

Alec Simeone | Sports & Rec. Reporter | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Overall, 2024 looks to be a surefire 10-win season.

This season marks the first time that both Air Force and Fresno State are not slated to play Boise State in the same season since the Broncos joined the Mountain West Conference in 2011.

Boise State football is returning 18 starters, including running back Ashton Jeanty and defensive end Ahmed Hassanein. Not only are they returning two key players, but they have also been busy in the transfer portal all offseason. The highlight of the offseason being the acquisition of Malachi Nelson from the University of Southern California.

Here are my predictions for what’s to come in 2024 for Boise State football.

WIN AT GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY

Georgia Southern is one of two Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) teams on the Broncos schedule this year. The twist for this game is that the Broncos will be on the road this week.

This may be a cause for concern as the last time Boise State played a road game against an FCS school was in 2022 when the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) smoked them 27-10.

Nevertheless, good coaching and focus should prevent this from being a trap game. The Broncos will likely have an easy road win here and be able to start the season off 1-0.

LOSS AT UNIVERSITY OF OREGON

A win in Eugene against the University of Oregon would do more than start the season off right. It would mark the first time Boise State beat a Power Five school since Hank Bachmeier led a famous

comeback against Florida State University back in week one of 2019.

With that said, Oregon hasn’t lost at home since week 10 of 2022 when they were outscored by none other than the University of Washington.

The Ducks will be without Bo Nix as he’s declared for the NFL draft, however, they’ve picked up another great talent at quarterback in senior Dillon Gabriel, who had an outstanding 2023 season at the University of Oklahoma.

Despite the Broncos 3-0 all-time record against the Ducks, this task may be too tall for the young team. The outcome will likely be similar to last year’s week 1 matchup against Washington.

WIN VS. PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY

The Portland State University will be one of two FCS teams the Broncos play this season.The Vikings went 5-6 last season in a tough Big Sky Conference.

Just because they’re not in the Football Bowl Subdivision doesn’t mean they’re incapable of winning, as they hung 91 points on North American University last September.

The Broncos have never lost to an FCS opponent, and it’s doubtful that trend will end this fall.

WIN VS. OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY

Oregon State will travel to Albertson’s Stadium and play Boise State for the second time in the last three years.

The Broncos look a lot different since the 2022 loss however. The Broncos have a new head coach, offensive and defensive coordinators and quarterback

The Beavers did pretty well in the transfer portal, bringing in 14 three-star recruits, however lost junior quarterback

D.J. Uiagalelei to Florida State University (FSU).

This will be a great game to test the waters and see where Boise State is at as a team. The Beavers went 8-5 last season and are potentially in a weak state as far as Power Five teams go, if you would still consider PAC-12/2 teams, “Power 5”.

WIN VS. UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO

The University of Nevada, Reno went

2-10 in 2023 and that likely won’t change too drastically in 2024 as the Wolf Pack have fired their head coach and replaced him with Jeff Choate, who spent some time as a positions coach at Boise State from 2006-2011.

There’s even more big news for the Wolf Pack however as they’ve picked up Brock Pudy’s younger brother Chubba Purdy from the University of Nebraska in the transfer portal.

Photo of BSU Football player Ashton Jeanty. Photo by Taya Power-Thornton

Nevada could be a dangerous team this season. They likely won’t make a bowl, but certainly could be capable of upsetting stronger Mountain West teams.

With that said, the Broncos probably won’t be that team, especially at home.

WIN VS. SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY

Coming off a 4-8 season in 2023, San Diego State University should be thanking their lucky stars that their PAC-12 venture flaked out on them.

The team hasn’t made many considerable moves regarding coaching nor transfer portal so far in 2024, aside from picking up redshirt freshman quarterback AJ Duffy from Florida State University.

Most of their players who are transferring are leaving to bigger schools, while they are left in the dust with players from smaller schools.

The Aztecs will likely have a similar season result in 2024, as will they have a similar game result against Boise State.

WIN VS. UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY

Good memories stem from the last time the Broncos played Utah State University.

It was Spencer Danielson’s first game as head coach and the most points Boise State put up all season (45-10).

The 2024 season is a new year however, and the Aggies have a new team. They’ve added two new quarterbacks from Power 5 conferences over the offseason in Bryson Barnes and Spencer Petras, but neither were particularly successful at their previous schools.

The additions are suspect however as both quarterbacks from last season in Cooper Legas and McCae Hillstead also return.

If there’s one thing Boise State knows about, it’s quarterback drama and Utah State seems to have caught the bug in 2024.

The Aggies are still rebuilding, however remain difficult to forecast. It’s hard to see the Broncos not chalk up a win on The Blue against Utah State.

WIN VS. WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY

This game is the beginning of at least a one-year that hinges upon an “7+1” conference play format where MWC teams will play seven conference games instead of eight, and will play either Oregon State or Washington State, which will not affect conference standings.

The Cougars started strong last season, notably beating Oregon State University and the University of Wisconsin, but fluttered out to finish 5-7.

They’ve been hurting over this offseason, most recently losing junior quarterback Cameron Ward to the University of Miami.

The Broncos are 1-5 all time against Washington State, with the most recent game being a 47-44 loss in Pullman, however now seems to be the most opportune time to add to the win column, as both teams remaining in the Pac-12 are in a vulnerable position.

LOSS AT UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII

It’s been a while since the Broncos squared off against the University of Hawaii. The last matchup between the two was in 2020 in Honolulu where Boise State beat them for the ninth straight time, 40-32.

This game will be interesting. Hawaii hasn’t had a productive offseason thus far, and will likely not be a bowl team next year unless they hire a Dieon Sanders type of coach out of the blue.

For the Broncos, this will be a test of how well coached the team is. The Rainbow Warriors had some big upset victories last year (that helped Boise State out quite a bit) so this could very well be a trap game.

Good teams beat bad teams, and that seemed to be a contentious statement last year all over the Mountain West. While it’s unlikely the Broncos drop this game with all the talent they have, Hawaii will always be one of those places full of distractions, which could hurt Boise State.

WIN AT SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY

The 2023 season went a lot better for the Spartans than many predicted. By the end of the season, tied the best conference record with both Boise State and the University of Las Vegas, Nevada (UNLV) at 6-2.

The 2024 offseason has not gone so optimistically however. They’ve lost both their quarterback Chevan Cordeiro and leading rusher Kairee Robinson.

It seems that last year’s Oregon transfer Jay Butterfield may be next up at quarterback, but the Spartans are still looking in the transfer portal at that position.

It’s hard to say how well San Jose will do during the season, but the Broncos are dealing with less turnover and seem to be the more complete team at the moment, which is why they’ll win.

WIN AT UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, LAS VEGAS

Another match against the same team at the same location as the 2023 Mountain West Championship.

Last year the Broncos beat the Rebels 44-20, but this rematch will likely look a lot different on UNLV’s side of the ball.

The biggest change is the departure of star quarterback Jayden Maiava, as he has announced that he will be transferring to the University of Southern California this offseason.

At the moment, te Rebel’s best bet to fill the void are between two Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) quarterbacks the program picked up in the transfer portal.

UNLV is also facing turnover at running back as well, as top rusher Vincent Davis Jr. will forgo his last year of eligibility and enter the NFL draft.

Historically, the Broncos have rarely struggled to take down the Rebels, and as they face serious turnover at major positions, it looks to be a likely victory for Boise State.

WIN AT UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING

The University of Wyoming is in a tough spot this season. Their head coach of 10 seasons announced his retirement in December making former defensive

coordinator, Jay Sawvel, left with some very big shoes to fill.

On top of that, they’re dealing with massive turnover at quarterback, as well as on the defensive side of the ball, which has traditionally been their largest strength.

Nonetheless, Sawvel is obviously a defensive minded coach, and will carry on that torch, but concerns of offense remain a huge factor, as they always have with this team.

This year the Cowboys are sort of a project team more than anything else. The Broncos will likely bully them out of Albertsons Stadium before the end of the first half.

POST SEASON

With the expansion of the College Football Playoff to 12 teams, one could say Boise State’s opportunity to earn a spot has increased exponentially.

With that said, this is still Danielson’s first full season as Boise State’s head coach. Reaching a playoff berth would be perhaps the best start to a head coaching tenure ever, bar none.

Even so, it’s hard to say that any Mountain West, or Group of 5 team for that matter, could make the playoffs without going undefeated all the way through the season.

Schools like Southern Methodist University, who had an 11 win season and were American Athletic Conference champions, only reached the No. 17 spot before their bowl game.

It’s difficult to tell whether or not the Broncos will appear in the top 12 so early in the year, but they almost certainly will be in the top 25 and at the top of the Mountain West.

Toughest Opponent: Oregon

Rivalry Match: San Diego State

Trap Game: Hawaii

Overall Record: 10-2

MWC Championship: Boise State

Wins vs. Fresno State

Bowl Game: Las Vegas Bowl

Boise State Basketball: Both teams lose to the top team in their Conference

Men’s team loses heartbreaker to No. 18 Utah State; Women’s team bested by UNLV and SDSU

Marlei Soderquist | Sports & Rec. Editor | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Here is a recap of the most recent basketball games and where the team stands.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

After holding off Fresno State University 71-68 on Jan. 22, they were unable to lock in a much needed win over Utah State University at ExtraMile on Jan. 27 as they fell in a heartbreaking overtime loss 92-84.

Fresno, a team that is ranked dead last in the Mountain West standings, nearly beat a Bronco team that is in the running for first place in MW standings.

Max Rice and Chibuzo Agbo both putting up 16 points and O’Mar Stanley rounding out the trifecta with 14 of his own, the Broncos barely scathed what could have been a detrimental loss.

“Flipping the momentum when you’re down near the end is hard to do, especially on the road,” head coach Leon Rice said. “We had to step back, be calm and trust our vets. We started moving the ball around, attacking the glass and that’s what won it for us.”

With the win, the Boise State Broncos moved into a tie with Utah State University at the top of the MW standings, making it perfect time for the matchup on Saturday afternoon.

On Saturday afternoon, ExtraMile was packed to the rim with fans, 12,058 of them to be exact, to watch the Broncos face the Aggies, ranked No. 18 in the nation.

Boise State started off incredibly slow against Utah State, trailing by as many as eight early in the first half. Though the Broncos trailed early, they were able to create a significant amount of momentum leading into halftime.

The Broncos regained a 39-37 lead entering the half, which is not tremendous separation especially when facing a No. 18 ranked team in the nation.

The Broncos however, showed many signs of weaknesses throughout the course of the matchup.

With missed free throw opportunities and unforced turnover errors, the Broncos found themselves in a rut.

Despite Utah State’s 48.3% field goal percentage on the night, the Broncos were somehow able to hold the Aggies and retain a lead going into the final minute of the matchup.

With Stanley at the line for the Broncos and a 76-74 lead, shooting his second of two free throws with about four seconds left on the clock, the fans were ready to storm the court and celebrate a hard earned yet well deserved victory.

However, the script flipped incredibly fast.

Stanley missed his last free throw opportunity and Aggie Ian Martinez took full advantage as he took it down the floor and banked a layup to tie the game 76-76 forcing overtime.

“It was tough,” Leon Rice said. “The way O’Mar has been drilling those clutch free throws, there’s nobody else that you’d rather have at the line and kind of just went in and out … you gotta give Martinez credit … great play by that kid.”

In overtime, the Broncos were sorely outperformed and shot just 2-10 and completely disregarded playing with haste and urgency as time dwindled from the clock.

Tyson Degenhart led the team with 24 points, while Stanley trailed closely behind with 20 points.

Despite coaching efforts by Leon Rice to incorporate a multitude of different players to the lineup, it seems as though the starting five is a tried and true group of leaders that are seemingly the only Broncos who can create production on the court.

In the last minutes of overtime, controversial coaching moves led to a slower offensive paced Jace Whiting replacing a fast and dominant Roddie Anderson.

Leon Rice attempted to incorporate redshirt sophomore guard RJ Keene, freshman forward Andrew Meadow and forward Cam Martin into the mix. However, between the three bench players,

there were only two points produced, both coming from free throw attempts by Martin.

With each starting five player recording more than 25 minutes each and upwards of 40 minutes, by Agbo, bench players have still yet to step up and take a load off the shoulders of the starting five, leading to weary and slow play in crucial moments.

The Broncos now sit with a 5-2 record in the MW, sharing the second slot of the standings with San Diego State University and University of New Mexico.

“When you’re playing a great league with great teams, it’s just a fine line,” Leon Rice said. “It’s going to be one or two plays .. we have to be able to bounce back … out of the frying pan in the fire.”

The Broncos will head to Albuquerque, New Mexico to face the No. 25 University of New Mexico (UNM) who is debatably playing some of the best basketball in the Mountain West conference.

In order to not repeat history, the Broncos bench must improve, pace of play needs to be sped up and Max Rice needs to be much more reliable in order to have the chance to compete against an incredibly tough Mountain West conference.

Whiting, though a force on defense, does not play with urgency. Slowing down an already slower paced offense, leaving more chances for opponents to get set and ready for any potential threat the Broncos have.

Some of the top Mountain West teams (Utah State, UNLV, UNM and SDSU) play with speed and tenacity that the Broncos currently cannot handle and do not have a response to. If Leon Rice wants to secure his third conference championship, there needs to be a shift in pace of play.

Photo of BSU Basketball player #0, Roddie Anderson III, taking a shot on the basket against Utah State. Photo by Taya Power-Thornton

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