The Arbiter 9.30.21 Vol. 34 Issue 3

September 30, 2021

Vol. 34, Issue 3

I NDEP END E N T

STUD E N T

VO I C E

O F

B O I SE

STATE

S I N C E

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WHAT IS FREE SPEECH ON CAMPUS? “

h o w c a m p u s p r e a c h e r” s p a r k e d a c o m m u n i t y c o n v e r s a t i o n NEWS

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ASBSU condemns Aramark over food service concerns, then Boise State for COVID-policy concerns.

VISIT US ONLINE:

OPINION

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Trans students face obstacles that cis people won’t understand but should still be educated on. arbiteronline.com

CULTURE

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Several campus organizations provide support to students impacted by withdrawal from Afghanistan. @arbiteronline

SPORTS & REC

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After NCAA ruling, Bronco studentathletes begin profitting off their NIL with endorsement deals.

@arbiteronline

@arbiteronline

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Editor-In-Chief Blake Hunter editor@stumedia.boisestate.edu Online Editor Ashley L. Clark onlineeditor@stumedia.boisestate.edu News Editor Andrea Teres - Martinez news@stumedia.boisestate.edu News Reporter Fenix Dietz news@stumedia.boisestate.edu Culture Editor Amanda Niess culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu Culture Reporter Julianne Gee culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu Sports & Rec Editor Lexi Almeido sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu Sports & Rec Reporter Adam Bridges sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu Opinion Editor Paige Wirta opinion@stumedia.boisestate.edu Copy Editor Kelby Andrew copy@stumedia.boisestate.edu Social Media Coordinator Becky Wilson Digital Content Manager Claire Keener digitalcontent@stumedia.boisestate.edu Digital Content Producer Corissa Campbell Graphic Design Manager Sasha White design@stumedia.boisestate.edu Graphic Designer Cassie McGarty Illustrator Alieha Dryden Distributed every few weeks during the academic school year and online daily, The Arbiter is the official independent student newspaper of Boise State University, where student editors make all content decisions and bear responsibility for those decisions. The Arbiter’s budget consists of fees paid by the student body and advertising sales. The first copy is free. Additional copies can be purchased for $1 a piece at The Arbiter offices.

Treefort Music Fest 9 featured hundreds of artists, performers and vendors last week, including the band Prism Bitch (above).

Photo courtesy of Preston Valles

ON THE COVER:

Students and faculty were left reeling after an abrasive demonstration by Catholic preachers that subsequently led to one demonstrator’s arrest. The two - day event led community members to question what types of speech and action are allowed on campus.

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

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NEWS

September 30, 2021 | ARBITERONLINE.COM

ASBSU ADDRESSES EARLY ISSUES

COVID REQUIREMENTS ROLLED BACK

Fenix Dietz | News Repor ter | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Blake Hunter | Editor-in- Chief | editor@stumedia.boisestate.edu

ASBSU condemns both the university and Aramark

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ith six weeks of the semester out of the way, Associated Students of Boise State University (ASBSU) has already made big moves on behalf of the student body.

The first issue ASBSU tackled was the lack of employees, and therefore food services, for the various Aramark-operated vendors on campus. These employment issues resulted in closures and limited hours for these vendors, most notably the SouthFork Market.

ASBSU president Kenneth Huston presented a resolution to condemn Aramark to the Academic Senate and General Assembly during their first joint meeting. The resolution, which claimed that Aramark had breached its contract with the university for not providing the necessary food services to students, was passed unanimously.

ASBSU is seeking damages for the meal services students have paid for but have been unable to attain as a result of the “devastating effect on students’ basic needs to access food service.”

According to the resolution, damages could include meal equivalencies to be used at other retail locations, an additional $25 in flex credit per week that SouthFork is closed and a partial refund to weekly meal plan holders in the amount of 50%.

The next day, the complaints and resolution were formally given to Aramark with the hopes that substantive change would come about in the following weeks. These efforts have worked to encourage Aramark to improve the situation, as the SouthFork Market will officially open for the first time since the start of the semester on Oct. 4.

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The Arbiter has reached out to Aramark for comment on the condemnation, but has not received a response.

Early in the semester, the original ethics officer and administrative director each resigned due to personal reasons.

In the interim, Kenneth Huston served as the acting ethics officer until someone could be appointed. During ASBSU’s Sept. 22 meeting, replacements for these positions were announced. Taite Griffin was appointed as the new ethics officer and Amaia Guerricabeitia is the new administrative director.

These appointments weren’t the only actions made during the meeting. Will Johanson, the representative for on-campus employees in the General Assembly, presented a resolution to “admonish” the university administration for the announcement requiring vaccinations or a negative test ahead of the Sept. 18 football game against Oklahoma State.

The resolution states that “a period of 26 hours, especially on a weekend and following business hours, does not constitute a reasonable time frame with which to comply with this new policy.”

Provisions in the form of tickets refunds or vouchers for students who could not attend due to this policy were also listed.

As the resolution was read, there was some contention on the necessity of such a document at this time. The vote on the resolution was tabled, along with a declaration that was never presented to the joint meeting, to ensure that committees could meet for the first time.

The future of this resolution is unknown at the time of this writing, as the university rolled back its policy regarding COVID restrictions on football games on Sept. 24.

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Healthcare demands test priority over athletic events

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n a State Board of Education meeting, Boise State President Dr. Marlene Tromp announced that attendees of the Oct. 2 football game in Albertsons Stadium will not be required to present a negative COVID-19 test for entry.

Last week, just over 24 hours in advance of the Sept. 18 home game, the university announced that students must provide a negative COVID test result or proof of vaccination for entrance.

Tromp’s latest announcement removes that requirement.

According to Tromp, this decision was informed by local healthcare CEOs and Central District Health (CDH) officials, who said that testing unvaccinated football fans — possibly numbering in the tens of thousands — would strain the already limited supply of COVID tests in the area.

“We can’t do the large-scale testing that we had originally hoped, given what we’re seeing in terms of the need for testing in the metro area.”

- Dr. Marlene Tromp, BSU president

“They feel it would be an undue burden on the healthcare system right now for us to use that testing capacity for our football games,” Tromp said to the board.

“We can’t do the large-scale testing that we had originally hoped, given what we’re seeing in terms of the need for testing in the metro area.”

Coronavirus testing and vaccines will

both remain available outside of Albertsons Stadium. Approximately 50 people were vaccinated at the Sept. 18 game, according to Mike Sharp, director of media relations.

Rather than mandatory testing, the university will be randomly testing the student section.

After the State Board of Education meeting adjourned, Chief of Staff and Vice President for University Affairs Alicia Estey sent and email with an optimistic outlook on the university’s COVID data.

A voluntary vaccination status survey was released to students, faculty and staff on Sept. 14. Both Tromp and Estey reported that preliminary data suggests the university has roughly an 88% vaccination rate.

“We think that’s really what’s keeping the virus at bay,” Tromp told the State Board of Education.

Estey’s email also included case numbers for the university, which have decreased steadily since peaking at an alltime high in early September.

“Additionally, our campus positivity rate for the past week was 3 percent, a 46 percent drop (14 percent decline in case numbers) from last week and a 64 percent drop (39 percent reduction in case numbers) from our peak,” Estey wrote.

As Boise State’s case and positivity rate numbers begin to look more optimistic — in direct contrast with the rest of the state — State Board president Kurt Liebich said that this disparity is likely due to the protocols in place at universities.

“My personal opinion, based on what I heard today, is that our four university campuses might be the safest place to be in the state when you look at the protocols that they have in place,” Liebich said.

NEWS

STUDENTS AND FACULTY UNCERTAIN ABOUT IMPACT OF HOUSE BILL 377

The bill was a flashpoint in the legislature’s efforts to ban Critical Race Theory, one of many nationwide Andrea Teres- Mar tinez | News Editor | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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oise State students and faculty have expressed concern over the impact that House Bill 377 (HB 377) might have on university courses.

The bill, which was passed on April 28, is an attempt by the Idaho Legislature to limit the teaching of “critical race theory” and discussions of social justice issues in the classroom.

HB 377 seeks to ban any teaching that says that a student’s race, class, gender identity or any other different set of characteristics makes them inferior or superior to another.

“The things that [the bill] prohibits are not things that we have any reason to believe have been occuring in any large way here at Boise State,” said Jeremy Harper, instructional consultant for inclusive teaching at Boise State.

According to Harper, the law as it is written does not have a lot of direct impact on how professors will teach classes.

Still, many professors and faculty members have responded to the bill by being transparent with their students about the content of their courses and the importance of said content.

Lisa Brady, the history department chair at Boise State, works closely with faculty whose courses deal more specifically with issues monitored by the bill.

“In terms of my colleagues who do teach courses on race and society in the United States, they have put a lot of thought into how they are going to approach these things,” Brady said. “I think that what they are doing is they’re trying to talk to students and convey to students that they are there to encourage civil discussion and to talk about different perspectives while staying within the bounds of historical evidence.”

As a mediary between faculty in the history department and the university’s administration, Brady has provided guidance to professors in terms of adhering to

the bill’s laws.

There has been limited instruction from the university on how to respond to the bill. On Aug. 20, an FAQ was emailed to faculty outlining the prohibitions listed until HB 377.

According to the interpretation of some, this could mean restricting their speech over certain topics that would not have necessitated censorship prior to the bill’s signing.

“Because things can be taken out of context, I think there’s a bit of nervousness about how things that [professors] or students say in the class might be transmitted to those who might want to use [their words] for or against them,” Brady said. “There are real concerns of academic freedom.”

The idea of losing academic freedom, along with other rights such as freedom of speech and expression, have also fostered unease among students.

“I feel like students are gonna feel less encouraged to share their story, specifically minorities,” said Angel Venegas, a junior political science major. “If we’re not able to look back on our history, we’re going to be condemned to repeat it.”

Venegas is the vice president of Organización de Estudiantes Latino-Americanos (OELA) and in April attended a student forum held to express opposition towards HB 377 along with roughly 26 other Boise State students.

One of the forum’s organizers, Caitlin Vasko, shared similar concerns about the potential censorship caused by HB 377.

“Critical race theory has been demonized to be this awful thing. In academic settings, we’re supposed to learn about theories. You know, we’re supposed to understand the world from different perspectives,” said Vasko, a sophomore double majoring in political science and integrated strategic communications. “[HB 377’s supporters] would rather students not learn things and not under-

HB 377 was one of the most controversial outcomes of the 2021 regular legislative session, the longest in state history.

Taylor Humby | The Arbiter stand them than understand them and have to deal with the difficult conversations that they bring up.”

Many who initially spoke out against the bill expressed that the bill’s vagueness presented yet another underlying issue.

As both Brady and Harper pointed out, there are no penalties stipulated for failing to follow its laws.

“The bill itself is somewhat ambiguous,” Brady said. “If they find any one of our classes to be an opposition to the bill, what will happen? I don’t think they will find anything in opposition because our faculty are experts. They are professionals, they are ethical people.”

Some of the changes caused by the bill can even be tied to changes in the university’s funding. In an effort to minimize the “indoctrination” of students through discussions of social justice, Republicans in the legislature have voted to cut the funding of university programs that encourage these discussions.

“These people are making decisions about us without seeing us,” Vasko said.

“I think, in fact, what we’re going to see [in the future] is worse.”

With a new election cycle just a year away, the future of HB 377 remains uncertain. Vasko and Venegas agree that the chances of the bill going away anytime soon are slim.

Despite being passionate, Venegas said it can be difficult to persevere.

“It’s really hard to keep a positive mind knowing how polarized the world is. Not just Idaho, just in general,” Venegas said.

Regardless of political beliefs or values, community members with various ideologies continue to urge citizens to participate in these decisions. For Boise State, that means encouraging students and faculty members to stay informed about policies that impact their community and speaking up about injustices.

“I think students play a really big role in this, and I think students should keep demanding that they have a seat at the table in these conversations,” Harper said. “I think the fight is not over, I don’t think it’s going to disappear quietly.”

SEPTEMBER 30, 2021

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NEWS

EDUCATION TASK FORCE FOCUSED ON SCHOOL CHOICE, ‘INDOCTRINATION’

Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin’s task force has caused concern among public education advocates Alaina Uhlenhof f | Staf f Writer | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin has touted conspiracy theories about COVID-19 and public education, and is running for governor.

Photo courtesy of Nathan Howard

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t. Gov. Janice McGeachin’s education task force issued six recommendations after their last meeting on Aug. 26.

The task force does not have legislative authority, but was created to examine indoctrination in Idaho education, with the goal of rooting out allegedly harmful philosophies such as Critical Race Theory or socialism, according to the original press release.

Riled in controversy from the beginning and following the longest legislative session in Idaho history, a judge ruled in August that McGeachin also violated public records laws by refusing to release public feedback forms.

The insinuation that Idaho public schools are indoctrinating students has been met with much criticism from students and educators, and claims of left-leaning indoctrination have largely been dismissed and debunked.

“When the lieutenant governor announced that she was going to form

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a task force, it seemed, I guess, ‘absurd’ is probably the right word,” Dominik Sparling said.

Sparling is a second-year student at Boise State, majoring in political science and social science secondary education with an emphasis in history. Sparling attended Idaho public schools from kindergarten to high school, graduating from Boise High in 2019.

“I couldn’t figure out where indoctrination of socialist Marxist ideologies could possibly come from, because it is so at odds with my personal experience, and those of other people I’ve spoken to,” Sparling said. “I don’t think they represented a nice holistic view of education and critical race theory and all the stuff that they were talking about.”

Sparling was not alone in questioning the validity of the task force’s indoctrination concerns.

“It’s a non-issue that’s just being used as a weapon to gain political points,” political science graduate student Thomas

SEPTEMBER 30, 2021 ARBITERONLINE.COM

Campbell said.

Campbell sees the education taskforce as political maneuvering by Lt. Gov. McGeachin as she prepares to run against Gov. Brad Little next year.

“I’ve seen government teachers make sure that students have access to Republicans and Democrats and that they debate the issues and hold their own cards close to their chest,” Boise State professor Dr. Phil Kelly said.

Kelly has been a professor of educational policy at Boise State for 24 years, with a Ph.D. in educational policy.

He was an assessment accountability commissioner for Idaho and served on the Boise school board for six years, from 2006 to 2012.

“I’ve never seen a teacher cross the line where they’re trying to indoctrinate children to think like themselves,” Kelly said.

There were six recommendations issued by the taskforce, including updating language in Title 33 to be more specific, and inviting Senate and House Education Committees to work with the task force on specific policies.

Perhaps the most controversial recommendation was a declaration of support for school choice, with the taskforce highlighting an example of school choice that includes Idaho establishing education savings accounts for students, allowing parents to enroll children in a school of their choice.

School choice is controversial due to the political ramifications of tax dollars in the form of vouchers given to parents who can then put the money towards enrolling their children at private schools, resulting in government funds supporting religious ideologies or other private school agendas that may not be shared by the general public.

“They don’t use the word ‘vouchers,’ but they’re proposing a voucher program, or proposing a voucher program with the educational savings accounts,” Kelly said.

School choice allows parents to choose a school that is best suited for their children’s individual learning needs, according to Campbell.

Kelly raised concerns, pointing out that public schools provide a common ground that is largely otherwise lacking in our society.

“If we attend schools with only people that think like us, how do we learn to deliberate and engage in civil discourse?”

Kelly said.

Sparling thinks public schools, although at times imperfect and underfunded, are the best way to provide equal access to a quality education.

“I feel very strongly that if something’s wrong with public schools, fix it. Don’t try to privatize it,” Sparling said.

Campbell believes that more community involvement would help Idaho work on improving education more constructively.

“I’ve never seen a teacher cross the line where they’re trying to indoctrinate children to think like themselves.”

- Dr. Phil Kelly, professor of educational policy

“There’s ways to meaningfully engage in these discussions,” Campbell said.

Idaho has a history of heated debate around education issues. Legislators recently battled for three years over science standards and how to approach the subject of climate change.

As a conversation with highly political undertones, education is set to be a key battleground between Gov. Little and Lt. Gov. McGeachin in next year’s gubernatorial election.

NEWS

DEAN OF STUDENTS STAFF AWARDED $300,000 SUICIDE PREVENTION GRANT

Boise State will be Idaho’s first JED campus, a four-year partnership to create a mental health strategic plan Kelby Andrew | Staf f Writer & Copy Editor | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Difficulties with mental health have increased student demands for support services from the university.

Claire Keener | The Arbiter Content warning: this article discusses suicide and related topics.

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ollowing yet another grueling, pandemic-ridden year, Associate Dean of Students Lauren Oe received a $304,000 grant to further suicide prevention efforts at Boise State.

This three-year grant, which Oe also received in 2018, is funded through the Garrett Lee Smith (GLS) Memorial Act and is “designed to help colleges and universities build capacity and infrastructure

to support expanded wellness promotion,” according to Boise State News.

Michelle Tassinari, outreach and prevention case manager for the Office of the Dean of Students and co-author of the second GLS grant, will be carrying out the grant’s programming.

The reacquisition of this grant comes at an imperative time as the coronavirus pandemic fixes to enter its third year. In 2020, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare reported 420 deaths by suicide statewide, which amounts to a 16% increase from the previous year.

“I think with COVID, what I’ve noticed is there’s just so much unknown for people that it’s kind of increased their anxieties, and on a biological level, it changes the way our nervous system responds to stress,” Tassinari said. “If we add on a pre-existing mental health condition … the triggers are stacked a little bit higher.”

According to Oe, a crucial objective for the 2021 GLS grant will be strengthening immediate support services available for Boise State students.

“We didn’t anticipate, much like everybody else, COVID and how that would shift our ability to reach students,” Oe said. “We saw an opportunity to reapply [for the grant] and kind of meet students where they’re at.”

To localize mental health discussions and suicide prevention efforts within the Boise State campus, the grant will enable a select number of faculty members to be recruited to participate in training through Mental Health First Aid as part of a new university mental health liaison program, according to Oe and Tassinari.

“We tend to work in silos here at Boise State, and so it can often feel like student support either lies with counseling services or with the Dean of Students office,” Tassinari said. “Students aren’t dichotomous … we have an opportunity to provide some more holistic student support, and that really starts in the classroom.”

Other university-led projects aim for a long-term approach towards addressing student mental health.

One initiative being carried out through this grant is establishing Boise State as Idaho’s first JED Campus, a four-year collaborative partnership with the JED Foundation to create a mental health strategic plan for the university.

“The first year [of the partnership] is really about assessing the landscape — what are students needing, what are those gaps, what are we doing well — then developing some objectives and goals for

the university,” Oe said.

Oe and Tassarini believe that the university’s partnership with the JED Foundation can encourage other Idaho schools to launch their own mental health initiatives.

“I think that what the JED Campus will do is communicate to — especially for rural Idaho communities — that it’s okay to have some mental health concerns,” said Tassinari. “I’m hoping it can kind of be a trailblazer for other Idaho universities.”

Tassarini emphasized that students don’t have to be alone in their struggle.

“Please don’t hesitate to reach out. It’s never too late. We can always problem-solve together.”

- Michelle Tassinari, outreach and

prevention case manager for the Office of the Dean of Students

“There are people on campus that will sit with you in this pain ... sit with you in the discomfort that you’re feeling and lead you through that time,” Tassinari said. “That’s really what I’m here to do.

That’s what our counselors on campus … are here to do. So please don’t hesitate to reach out. It’s never too late. We can always problem-solve together.”

If you or someone you know is experiencing mental health problems, contact the sources below for help or information: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: (800) 273-8255 Pathways of Idaho Community Crisis Center: (208) 489-8311 Submit a CARE referral through the Office of the Dean of Students.

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OPINION September 30, 2021 | ARBITERONLINE.COM

NONBINARY STUDENT SHARES PERSPECTIVE OF BEING TRANS ON CAMPUS

Being a trans student comes with a lot of baggage that others may not understand Guest Author | opinion@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Cisgender people will never know trans people’s experiences, but can try to understand the difficulties that trans folks face.

Claire Keener | The Arbiter

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ometimes I get asked what it’s like to be a transgender student. Plenty of things come to mind in response, but the reality is that cisgender people on campus will never fully comprehend how exhausting it is to be a trans student.

The simplest way to get a peek into what it’s like is to recognize the inherent danger that automatically comes with being trans.

The anonymity on this article prefaces that perfectly; simply attaching my name to this could subject me to harassment by peers and strangers alike.

The simple decision to come out or transition in any aspect paints a target on my back.

The introduction and passage of more and more anti-trans bills — both locally and nationally — targeting our rights and livelihood has only made tensions worse as people spoke out in support of these bills, making it clear that my life

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and safety simply do not matter to them.

Being trans makes me twice as likely to experience depression, hopelessness and suicidal thoughts than even cisgender queer individuals (people who are lesbian or bi, for examples, but are not trans). Unfortunately, I have experienced each of these things, and I still do. Lacking support is detrimental to any adolescent, but it is especially dangerous for trans people.

Throughout my first two years of college, I had to navigate through being a student, a part-time employee, along with juggling the complicated aspects of discovering my identities. Those feelings of hopelessness and depression hit me hard, and I’m still feeling the ramifications to this day.

Realizing that I was trans relatively late in life left me confused, without somewhere or someone to go to for answers. Even though Boise State has a few queer-centered groups, getting up the

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nerve to actually put myself out there was terrifing, especially when considering how dangerous it is to come out.

My queer identities alone make me more likely to be a target of harrassment because some people are so upset by my mere existence that they feel the need to attack me.

In fact, there have been multiple occurrences where people have called me slurs and even thrown rocks at me.

Most recently, traveling “preacher” Keith Darrell came to campus and proceeded to spout transphobic rhetoric (among other very offensive ideas) and tried to pass it all off as Christian beliefs.

Sadly, these occurrences aren’t limited to outside influences. One of the most exhausting things about being a trans student is getting professors and peers alike to understand and respect my pronouns and my name.

Frankly, Boise State doesn’t help in this regard; at the start of each semester, I have to email all of my professors explaining that my name is different from the one listed on Canvas and in my student email, and explain my pronouns as well.

In the best case, professors will make note of my name and “try their best” to use my pronouns correctly. However, most of the time I am constantly misgendered in class, putting me in an awful position of either correcting them in front of 20-30 of my peers, effectively outing myself, or letting it slide.

Canvas does have an option to add your pronouns to your name, but they only provide a set list of pronouns and it’s not customizable at all. This new addition is only effective in online spaces. However, Canvas does not allow me to change my name, or even add a display name, inevitably leading to trans students being constantly deadnamed.

Cis people may not understand why this is such an issue. Having your name and pronouns match up with the details on your legal documentation is a privilege that many trans individuals will never be allowed to obtain.

No matter how many times I have to remind, correct or share my name and pronouns, I will continue to be deadnamed and misgendered by peers and professors alike, especially those who are cis and clearly do not understand the importance.

If you’re struggling to understand the impacts of being deadnamed or misgendered, consider how you would feel if every single day, people called you by the wrong name and used pronouns that you don’t identify with. Think about the ramifications that would come with that.

How would you feel if, despite protesting and knowing fully they are wrong, they continue to call you the wrong things?

What would it be like to have your identity constantly questioned in spaces that you are required to be in almost every day, or to be called a freak for something you cannot control?

For me and many others, these questions aren’t hypotheticals. These are challenges I face everyday and most likely will for the rest of my life.

The only fundamental difference between us and cis people is our complex relationship with sex and gender; we are normal people with feelings, too. We deserve to be called by our name and pronouns correctly just like cis people.

So instead of politicizing and attacking something that is as irrelevant to politics as my gender identity, something that affects myself and myself only, spare some sympathy for trans students.

OPINION

A FIRSTHAND ACCOUNT OF BSU GAMEDAY COMPARED TO OTHER UNIVERSITIES

UCF was good, but Boise State was better: the Knight student section was passionate but unsportsmanlike Nathaniel Wilder | Staf f Writer | opinion@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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niversity of Central Florida (UCF) Game Day Experience

The Bounce House and the UCF Knights’ fanbase certainly lived up to their reputation as loud. The Knights charged to take the lead and ultimately won 36-31 against the Broncos during the highly anticipated matchup on Sept. 2.

Unfortunately, their student section behaved poorly with unsportsmanlike behavior, much to the disappointment of other University of Central Florida (UCF) fans.

My dad and I attended the Boise State vs. UCF football game, and I was blown away at how beautiful the landscaping and academic buildings were at UCF on our way to the Bronco Bash, the Broncos’ tailgate.

Although we got some looks from UCF fans throughout the game, we also got some compliments about our game day outfits and our willingness to travel from Idaho to cheer on the Broncos.

One fan went so far as to offer us some beer and take a photo with us.

“Comparatively, I’d say that Bronco Nation was louder, more passionate, more sportsmanlike and more faithful than Knight Nation.”

During pregame and throughout the game, the Knight student section was chanting vulgar words at the Broncos that could likely be heard from outside the stadium. Some UCF fans around us were apologetic and voiced their displeasure with the behavior.

The UCF student section showed more unsportsmanlike conduct in the second half when they started a loud wave while a Boise State football player

Compared to other schools, the environment in Albertsons Stadium stands out in energy, but also sportsmanship.

Corissa Campbell | The Arbiter was injured on the field.

“It was different. I have never seen that type of behavior,” said Bronco fan Blu Kaboy, who has sat in the South End Zone since the 2000s. “It was the worst I think I’ve seen. It’s sad.”

After the game, the same UCF fans from earlier apologized about their student section’s behavior and stated we were some of the classiest road fans they’ve encountered in the 80 games they’ve been there.

Overall, the UCF fans were passionate, including the student section outside of the unsportsmanlike conduct, and ensured that the Bounce House lived up to its name.

Boise State Home Game vs. the University of Texas El Paso (UTEP) The newly revamped Bronco game day experience was a major success, with a full-capacity crowd in Albertsons Stadium that turned out to be the most fans at a Bronco home opener since 2016, a little under 35,200.

I was excited to enjoy the pregame and see Bronco Nation tailgating in full force again. It was awesome to be inside the stadium for the first time since 2019, and it did not disappoint.

I loved that some traditions were continued: the Buster Bronco pump up and run out, being loud on every down, the “Fourth Quarter Blitz” for The Corral and the “Boise State” side-to-side chant.

I really enjoyed the revamped experience. A video played about how Bronco Nation has led the nation in creating false starts.

Bronco Nation was electric, yelling the chorus of the Boise State Fight Song. It was phenomenal hearing the Blue Thunder Marching Band perform during the game, along with their halftime performance and seeing the Boise State Spirit Squad in action at home again.

It was also great seeing and hearing The Corral loud and proud during the game. They definitely brought energy and passion to help fuel the Broncos to a victory.

Overall, it was an excellent game day experience for all. With a full arena for the first time in years, it was also head coach Andy Avalos’ homecoming and first career coaching win, dominating 54-13 over the UTEP Miners.

Overall Game Day Experiences Comparatively, I’d say that Bronco Nation was louder, more passionate, more sportsmanlike and more faithful than Knight Nation. Unlike the Knights’ student section, there was no audible unsportsmanlike behavior from Bronco Nation nor The Corral.

In comparison, Bronco Nation was louder throughout the whole game, especially when Broncos were on defense on first and second downs instead of just being loud on third downs.

Knight Nation only caused around one false start for the Bronco offense, whereas Bronco Nation caused around three false starts for UTEP.

SEPTEMBER 30, 2021

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ANDREA TERES-MARTINEZ | NEWS EDITOR | NEWS@STUMEDIA.BOISESTATE.EDU

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nthony Donohoe first heard about the public demonstration happening on the Boise State campus during one of his morning classes. Thinking it would be similar to the other demonstrations he’d seen in the past, the sophomore history major decided to walk over to The Quad and observe the event.

That’s when he noticed the commotion.

“A couple of my classmates and I realized there’s this huge crowd that’s just assembled around this guy,” Donohoe said. “That’s when I had the idea pop into my head about the banana suit.”

After a quick visit to his dorm, Donohoe returned to the scene dressed in a banana suit and holding a sign that read “legalize arson,” tempering the scene with its absurdity.

“Honestly, I just found all of it funny.

Like, I don’t take stuff like this seriously at all,” Donohoe said. “I met up with my friend there, I wasn’t sure, we were just there to kind of just watch, because we thought it was funny.”

Donohoe is just one example of a reaction students may have upon experiencing this kind of discourse.

Being a public university, Boise State sees its fair share of protests and demonstrations every year. More often than not, these presenters are able to come and go without causing any problems for the university.

On the occasion where things do escalate, students are often left wondering where the university draws the line between freedom of speech and something that is more disruptive and harmful, and therefore isn’t protected by the First Amendment.

First Amendment Applied to Campus The rights guaranteed by the First Amendment include the right to freedom of religion, free speech, press, assembly and petition; all of which are exercised on Boise State’s campus through a variety of events and activities.

“I actually like it when people demonstrate or are protesting something but in a calm demeanor because I actually want to hear what they’re talking about. I want to hear their reasoning, you know, because I’m the type of person who likes to hear both sides of the story,” said Jayne Harris, a sophomore in Boise State’s pre-nursing program.

Harris was one of the many students who witnessed the public campus demonstrations

led by Keith Darrell on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1.

Darrell, the Catholic demonstrator known for his open-air preaching, is not the first to exercise his First Amendment rights on the Boise State campus.

Compared to past religious demonstrations, this specific event garnered a large crowd of students, many of whom were upset by what they were hearing.

“Most people are going here to, like, feel comfortable and just get to their classes and do their own thing,” said Jack Lawson, a freshman computer science major. “They don’t really want to have the time taken out of their day to be insulted by these people from outside of campus that come in just to do that.”

Lawson was not the only student to communicate their concern to the university, raising the question of whether there was a line between free speech and the provocation of discomfort or harm among students.

Boise State’s Policies on University Space Part of the responsibility placed on the Dean of Students includes upholding Policy 1100, a policy based on the First Amendment outlining the use of university space.

“We have to live within rules as a university; we don’t just get to pick and choose who comes to campus and who does certain things,” Wuthrich said. “For people who come onto campus and speak, we need to treat everybody fairly and with equity. If you don’t like what someone is saying and you haven’t read the policy, you might be puzzled by our response.”

The policy assures students and faculty that it “recognizes and supports the rights of free expression and speech, and remains a place for the broadest expression of views.”

Finding a balance between protecting the First Amendment and adhering to the emotional well-being of students can be tricky, which Policy 1100 addresses.

“The University has a significant interest in preserving its limited space and employee resources, and must accordingly balance this interest with its recognition and support of free expression and Speech Activities attendant to the University learning environment and the robust expression of ideas,” the policy reads.

In other words, limitations on this expression can only be enforced when it presents conflict with the normal uses of the campus, the rights of others and lawful conduct.

“[Students] don’t really want to have the time taken out of their day to be insulted by these people from outside of campus that come in just to do that.”

- Jack Lawson, computer science freshman

The Office of the Dean of Students was made aware of the demonstration early Tuesday morning, with campus security and Boise police officers watching from a few feet away.

However, no efforts were made to remove the demonstrators until the second day, even after one of the demonstrators physically shoved a student on the first day.

“I think [security] could have been quicker with it because — if I’m not wrong — they were removed from campus earlier on the second day,” Lawson said. “But I mean, after the physical altercation, I believe they should have been taken off campus immediately.”

The decision to have the demonstrators removed from their location in front of Riverfront Hall by campus police came from the Dean of Students. According to Dr. Christian Wuthrich, the Dean of Students, his office aims to ensure that students are represented in university policies and activities. They directly work with public safety to monitor conduct on campus.

“If you don’t like what someone is saying and you haven’t read the policy, you might be puzzled by our response.”

- Dr. Chris Wuthrich, Dean of Students

Section 4.2.10 of Policy 1100 lists the guidelines for oral presentations on campus.

According to the policy, “So long as it does not constitute a Disruptive Noise or violate the University’s anti-harassment policies, speech-making, demonstrations, and other forms of oral presentation are allowed in all areas of the University.”

The Demonstration that Sparked Conversation and Controversy In the case of Keith Darrell, his removal was based on disruption of university func-

tions. Under Policy 1100, this was classified under “disruptive noise.”

Some students heard Darrell’s preaching from several buildings around campus, and many had trouble moving through campus with such a big crowd blocking the flow of student foot traffic.

“I think the line is drawn when people come onto campus, if it’s disturbing classes,” said Hunter Poulin, a sophomore business major.

Other students believed that the message being spread by the demonstrators was more problematic than what prompted campus security to remove them.

“I understand wanting to spread your message,” Lawson said. “But when the message you’re spreading is just telling people that they’re wrong about everything and that they’re living their life the wrong way and that there’s nothing they can do to fix that, [then] you aren’t voicing your opinion — you’re just attacking people at that point.”

The Dean of Students has received reports and complaints from students expressing concern over things Darrell said. Still, Wuthrich emphasized the role of the university in providing a platform for diverse opinions.

“It’s part of public discourse. We’re here to promote education and I’m guessing that there are just as many people who are opposed to the message as there are in agreement with it,” Wuthrich said. “We have to bear in mind that we represent the community and what happens in our community.”

The choice of whether to listen to the demonstrators, defend one’s opinion or simply walk away is up to the student, which according to Wuthrich makes all the difference.

“There’s obviously an allure to what is occurring,” Wuthrich said. “Students can also walk on by and not engage with anybody no matter who is there. As an example, our students walk right by all the booths that are on the quad; they tend to gather when these gentlemen come to campus.”

Wuthrich made it clear that, regardless of who is allowed on campus, it does not reflect the university’s stance on any given social issue or topic. “[Students and faculty] want to be assured that we support their values; and we support a lot of values — we support a lot of human rights — but we don’t get to pick and choose which ones get to have a platform on our campus,” Wuthrich said.

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September 30, 2021 | ARBITERONLINE.COM

BOISE HIGH STUDENTS TAKE BSU CLIMATE COURSE, FUNDED BY JANE FONDA

A group of young activists made an unlikely connection with the A-lister to access a Boise State class Amanda Niess | Culture Editor | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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n 2017, the Idaho state legislature’s House Education Committee voted to remove discussions of climate change from the K-12 curriculum.

Dr. Jen Pierce, a professor in the geosciences department at Boise State and the lead instructor for Foundations of Climate Change, noticed a divide in knowledge while teaching a University Foundations course regarding climate science.

Her students who had attended Idaho’s K-12 education system knew far less about climate change than the students who came to college from out-of-state K-12 education systems.

“I have about 30% of my students coming from California, another 20 to 30% are coming from Oregon and Washington, who come in with that climate background,” Pierce said. “Our Idaho students do not get that K through 12 education, which just from a purely educational standpoint, leaves them way far behind when they go to college.”

However, Boise High School junior Shiva Rajbhandari thought of a way to bridge that divide. Rajbhandari wanted to attend a climate change course offered by Boise State but had to find the means of paying for it first. In July, after boldly reaching out to actress and environmentalist Jane Fonda, Rajbhandari received a generous donation.

Fonda offered to pay for nine Boise High students to attend Dr. Jen Pierce’s Foundations of Climate Change course, since one wasn’t offered at their high school.

“What I’m doing, essentially, in exchange for paying for climate classes for 9 of you, is offering you all an opportunity to learn some skills that can translate to your activism,” Fonda wrote in an email to Rajbhandari.

Almost five weeks into the fall semester, Rajbhandari and his peers are adjusting well to the new college environment and to the course that they were eager to enroll in.

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“I think, first of all, being on campus is such a valuable experience,” Rajbhandari said.

“Having this kind of immersion process is really valuable. As far as the class, I think it’s so interesting and as the kind of activists we are, there’s still a ton that we don’t know.”

As rewarding as the conversations have been so far, Rajbhandari and his peers are still thrilled to discover more about this course and its contents.

For Rajbhandari specifically, reaching out to Fonda and choosing to take this class was driven by more than just a spark of interest.

This interest was fueled by the mentoring from other educators and those like Fonda, who push young people to create change within the system.

To Rajbhandari, taking this class was showing his place in the system.

“How do we approach this kind of justice and change this kind of system?” Rajbhandari said. “I also think that really speaks to educators that we’ve had in the past that we were empowered enough to know, ‘hey, this is our place, we should be in this class.’”

Rajbhandari has not only been supported by his mentors and educators but also by his peers who have joined him in taking this college course.

Boise High sophomore Tyson Russell is also enrolled in Pierce’s class with Rajbhandari, and he shared that he feels widely accepted by the other hundred students in his class, most of whom are full-time college students or have graduated from high school.

“I feel like I’ve learned more about climate change in the last couple of weeks than I had ever before,” Russell said. “I had a lot of anxiety about what college might be like [...] and it made me feel a lot more comfortable because everyone in this class was pretty accepting and didn’t act weird because I wasn’t in college with them.”

According to Dr. Pierce, the class is mainly

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A group of Boise High School students has been welcomed into Dr. Jen Pierce’s Foundations of Climate Change course.

Photo courtesy of Shiva Rajbhandari tailored to freshman students. Considering looking to take college courses. this demographic, the age gap between the “We take the university curriculum to enrolled college students and those coming the high school where qualified high school from Boise High School isn’t as extreme as an instructors teach our content,” Juarez-Coca upper-level course. said. “Over 7,000 students in high school are “I mean, most of the students in this class taking our classes, and only a handful come are freshmen so they’re not that far away from to our campus to take classes at the higher high school either,” Pierce said. “I think that rate. It’s more affordable for them when they even though they may feel like they’re in very take it at their high school.” different groups, I think of them from all of The divide between the Boise High stuthe same peer groups who come in with the dents and the freshmen on Boise State’s camsame level of knowledge.” pus aren’t significant, but the divide between Not all high school students are given a high school students within Idaho and across donation to attend a college course regarding state borders can be. something that they didn’t have access to in This handful of students was craving to their standard K-12 curriculum. learn more in order to enact change in their Fabiola Juarez-Coca works on campus as community and the class they wanted to the director of the Concurrent Enrollment enroll in would serve them in more ways Program, where they are able to assist current than one. high school students with enrolling in a “We have to,” Rajbhandari said. “That’s college course, either on campus or in the what our role is right now.” comfort of their own school.

This time was different for these nine high Juarez-Coca had worked with Rajbhanschool students. They felt it was their place dari and his peers in getting enrolled for the to take a course that sparked their passion climate change course. There is also a more for healing climate change, and Rajbhandari cost-effective version for high school students took action to make something of it.

STUDENTS IMPACTED BY U.S. WITHDRAWAL FROM AFGHANISTAN

C U LT U R E

Boise State organizations and community members remain available to support those affected Patrick R. Kaufmann | Staff Writer | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

The withdrawal’s effects have rippled from Afghanistan into the personal lives of many Boise State community members.

Claire Keener | The Arbiter

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ith the last few military service members, civilians and Afghan partners nestled within their hulls, a final flight of C-17 Globemaster transports rose from Kabul Airport shortly before midnight on Aug. 31.

The world watched as a spectrum of political figures and news pundits contemplated an end to the United States’ 20-year presence in Afghanistan and what that withdrawal portends.

Locally, a number of organizations at Boise State University are doing what they can to ensure that students who might be impacted by these events are able to find support.

Boise State is home to a large number of students with immigrant or refugee backgrounds, each arriving through a unique set of circumstances.

With such a wide array of experiences, reaching out to students to offer help can be challenging. Student organizations like the Inclusive Excellence Student Council (IESC) are resources that students can turn to for support.

“We’re super open to conversations and to talking about these kinds of issues,” said sophomore nursing major and IESC member Girisha Sepla. “Our hearts are with those students who are impacted and we’re here to listen, even if it’s just ranting.”

Boise State serves a small but growing number of students who identify as refugees.

In 2019, nearly 200 student refugees were enrolled at Boise State.

Jamaladdin Mohammadi, a senior pre-med health sciences major, began high school in Afghanistan before traveling through Iran to reach Turkey, where he graduated high school before coming to the U.S.

With a brother serving in the Afghan military, Mohammadi has a uniquely personal insight into the complexities of stabilizing Afghanistan.

“When we look at Afghanistan, we should look at the ethnic anatomy. It is not about democratic, or Islamic or jihadist rule,” Mohammadi said. “Afghanistan has never been a national government, but instead an ethnic government, a tribal government.”

Referring to the U.S. withdrawal, Mohammadi relayed his brother’s account of an Afghan military in disarray before the advancing Taliban.

“The army didn’t fight, they just pulled them back,” Mohammadi said. “Taliban was hitting and soldiers were dying, and they weren’t allowed to fight. 300 Taliban melted us in 11 days.”

Some students may feel as if the events in Afghanistan are half a world away from the sun-dappled lawns of the Boise State campus.

However, that isn’t the case for Mohammadi and others like him, who remain keenly aware of the deteriorating situation.

“Our hearts are with those students who are impacted and we’re here to listen, even if it’s just ranting.”

- Girisha Sepla, IESC member and sophomore nursing major

Dr. Gail Shuck is a faculty advisor for Boise State’s Multilingual Student Alliance (MLSA).

Shuck recommends that students who want to support the refugee community take the time to learn about refugee experiences.

“You can hear the stress in their text messages,” Shuck said of conversations she’s having with students.

Engaging with organizations like the MLSA to find out what local refugee groups need most is also important. The MLSA has developed a network to support refugee students, but there are still gaps that have been exacerbated by COVID-19 and other

political factors.

“We need more language instruction,” Shuck said. “Mastering English is one thing, but the nuances of academic English require a deeper understanding.”

The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan can provoke different reactions based on particular experiences. A common misconception can be that two decades of combat operations in Afghanistan have produced a generation of military veterans who struggle to cope with the aftermath.

Boise State’s Veteran Services Center provides facilities like a computer lab and a book-lending library. They also maintain a close relationship with the Veteran Affairs regional office in Boise.

Richard Renz is a school certifying official at the Veteran Services Center who works regularly with student veterans at different stages of their academic career. Renz said that veteran services is supporting almost 1,400 student veterans this year.

“I’ve never seen a veteran affairs system work like here in Boise,” Renz said. “If you’re a veteran and you need some help here, there are people who are willing to help at the drop of a hat.”

The staff at Boise State’s Veteran Services Center remain prepared to provide an avenue to support, but as Renz points out, everyone follows their own approach to handling complex issues.

“We’re not broken,” Renz said. “Some of us have seen some hard times, but for veterans to only be focused on during the worst of times is another toll, another brick we have to carry.”

Anxieties stemming from Afghanistan are universally complex and unique for every person, but what binds the Boise State community is a willingness to support all of its members and a desire to know where that support can best be of service. Whether through an academic advisor, a roommate or a friend in class, the first and most important step in finding help is reaching out and trusting that a fellow Bronco will be there, now and in the future.

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INTRODUCING NEW MULTIMEDIA AND USER EXPERIENCE LIBRARIAN

Albertons Library welcomes newest staff member, Anders Tobiason, to campus Mark Whiteley | Staff Writer | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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n Sept. 7, Boise State welcomed Anders Tobiason to the Albertsons Library as the new multimedia development and user experience librarian.

Originally from Massachusetts, Tobiason has worked his way across the country picking up a Ph.D. in music theory and a master’s degree in library science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Now in Boise focusing on librarianship at the university, Tobiason is ready to take on his new role and become a part of the Bronco Family.

The multimedia development and user experience librarian position is brand new to Boise State this year. “[Tobiason] will help us keep [online video] up to date and also develop new content there,” said Georgann Kurtz-Shaw, head of Instruction and Research Services.

With a large shift towards online learning and content, especially amidst the pandemic, the library sought out someone with the ability to refine and improve the multimedia content currently available.

Michelle Armstrong, interim dean of Albertsons Library, thought it was important to dedicate a position to multimedia.”

“We needed someone with skills and time to focus on that experience,” Armstrong said.

Anders Tobiason was enlisted to develop and update pre existing programs within the library, including the Library Badges Microcourse and video content for Boise State’s various classes.

Although it is only his first month at Boise State, Tobiason has already set goals for the library’s future. From creating a better user experience for students and staff — both online and in-person — to creating asynchronous multimedia content for easy access to

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the library’s resources, long-term changes will be coming to the library as Tobiason helps improve the student learning experience.

These plans include creating sustainable content that will not need to be constantly updated and improving user experience with open access.

“One of the things I’m very interested in is how we can create sustainable content [...] and also pairing the multimedia content that I work on and help folks with, with issues around open access and open educational resources,” Tobiason said.

Kurtz-Shaw explains that the new addition of the multimedia development and user experience librarian will also work to help students be better equipped with information literacy skills.

“We are trying to focus [on] and are in discussion about how to better teach evaluation of information,” Kurtz-Shaw said.

Kurtz-Shaw is excited for Tobiason to become a part of more of these conversations about how to best help students with information literacy and have his voice join the group of librarians currently working to improve online library resources.

Although students won’t see any immediate changes, Tobiason is focused on long-term projects to improve the library experience in years to come. In the meantime, he encourages students to reach out with suggestions and feedback about improvements they would like to see in multimedia instructional content.

You can find Tobiason at Instruction and Research Services located in the Albertsons Library or reach out via email at anderstobiason@boisestate.edu.

Photo by Claire Keener; Graphic by Ashley L. Clark | The Arbiter SEPTEMBER 30, 2021

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GREEN THINGS: SUSTAINABILITY CLUB

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Photo by Claire Keener; Graphic by Ashley L. Clark | The Arbiter

oise State’s Sustainability and Community Garden Club is one outlet that students can utilize to learn more about sustainability and participate in community projects.

The Sustainability Club “strives to promote sustainable living on and off campus.”

Kalli Proffitt, a senior biology major, was last year’s Sustainability Club president.

According to Proffitt, the Sustainability Club is a “bubble” for other sustainable actions and organizations on Boise State campus, including Trash Club, Geoscience Club and more.

The Sustainability Club is advertised to students as a comparatively “low maintenance” organization, as they only meet once a month during the academic year. However, students can participate as much or as little as they would like.

The main aspect and goal of this year’s club is to improve and maintain the community garden, located at 1415 S. Juanita St., right off Boise State’s campus.

According to Proffitt, the Sustainability Club oriented its focus towards the community garden when organizers heard “through the grapevine” that the university was considering turning the space into a parking lot.

This year, Proffitt and other members of the club plan to focus on pollinators and decomposers. Proffitt believes it’s essential for students to understand the agricultural process and its role in our food system.

“[If] the system does not function, the food will not grow,” Proffitt said.

Once the club has established a working agricultural system for the garden, the club plans to donate its harvest to the Campus Food Pantry so that students can access the fresh, locally grown produce.

Students that want to participate in the club are encouraged to connect with the Sustainability Club on Engage.

Club members will be able to help take care of the garden and learn more about sustainability during the process.

Additionally, members and non-members alike are encouraged to visit the garden whenever they’d like.

“The garden is a really good space for safe, social and mental interactions,” Proffitt said. “So you can go and meet up with your friends and keep a distance, or you can go and sit in the back on the bench and just enjoy the birds in the canal.”

However, visitors should keep in mind that the garden is also home to several species of wildlife and should prioritize the health and wellness of the ecosystem.

“Wildlife is a huge part of our garden.

We have very active insects, squirrels, birds, just all sorts of life going on,” Proffitt said.

“So the entire aspect of the Sustainability Club is actually recognizing that wildlife and human interaction.”

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SPORTS & REC September 30, 2021 | ARBITERONLINE.COM

NCAA ATHLETES NOW MAKING ENDORSEMENT DEALS UNDER NEW NIL RULE

The NCAA’s new rule now allows athletes to make money off their name, image and likeness (NIL) Adam Bridges | Sports & Rec Reporter | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Khalil Shakir is one of the first Broncos to profit off the use of his name, image and likeness under the new NCAA rule.

Claire Keener | The Arbiter

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he NCAA instated a new rule in the summer of 2021 allowing collegiate student-athletes to be paid via endorsement deals for their name, image and likeness (NIL). With the new rule, many student-athletes are working to create endorsement deals for the first time.

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The NCAA has long prohibited the payment of college athletes. The reasoning behind this is because the NCAA wanted to preserve the amateurism in college sports, and believed collegiate athletes did not deserve to be paid because they are not professionals.

Athletes have been challenging this rule for decades, but the biggest pushes

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to change this law came in the last decade with former University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) basketball player Ed O’Bannon and former University of Central Florida (UCF) kicker Donald De La Haye pursuing legal action against the association.

O’Bannon sued the NCAA after claiming they were using his NIL without paying him in the EA Sports NCAA Basketball game franchise. De La Haye sued when his football scholarship was revoked after making money off of his YouTube channel.

O’Bannon won his lawsuit, which resulted in the NCAA shutting down all of their game franchises, while De La Haye’s lawsuit resulted in both sides “amicably resolving” the issue.

The NCAA finally decided to change their NIL rules to allow college athletes to be compensated over their NIL, and took effect on July 1, 2021.

“Now [college] athletes have a means to take care of their people and take care of themselves,” De La Haye said in an interview. “Now these athletes can use their hard work and grind that they’ve worked their butts off for years and they can earn some money and give back. It opens up a whole new world and I’m really excited to see all of the positives and benefits that come from this rule change.”

The NCAA’s new NIL rule does not only apply to college football athletes, but applies to all college athletes.

According to a Boise State Athletics press release, the school will partner with companies like INFLCR, TeamAltemus and NOCAP sports to give their student athletes the best experience when it comes to endorsement deals.

Boise State Athletics also mentioned

that these companies will help them manage and monitor new NIL deals that athletes make along with helping athletes meet the NIL guidelines and seek out new partnership deals.

Boise State’s senior wide receiver Khalil Shakir has been the most notable player on the team to take advantage of the new rule change. On Sept. 12, Shakir announced that he will be partnering with Pro Image Sports, a store that sells professional sports team apparel.

“I’m excited to launch my new partnership with Pro Image Sports,” Shakir said in a video on Twitter. “Shoutout to my new Pro Image family and make sure to check them out at the Boise Towne Square mall and at the Village in Meridian.”

Shakir is the third player on the Boise State team to land an endorsement deal, joining redshirt sophomore running back Tyler Crowe who has a deal with the supplement company Bucked Up and freshman quarterback Taylen Green who partnered up with Crull Fitness.

Although these players are the only Boise State athletes to sign endorsement deals so far, it is expected that student-athletes from other teams will sign deals in the future.

“We have been preparing for the passing of NIL legislation for several months,” said Boise State Athletic Director Jeramiah Dickey in a press release. “The student-athlete experience has been and always will be the highest priority for our department, and we will constantly and consistently seek new opportunities to positively impact what we are able to provide the young men and women who choose to become Broncos.”

SPORTS & REC

BOISE STATE WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL STRIVES TO CONTINUE SUCCESS

The team is at 12-2 on the season as of Sept. 28, and has several big victories, including against 10th-ranked Utah Lexi Almeido | Sports & Rec Editor | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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oise State women’s volleyball has been dominating the 2021 season. Sitting at a 12-2 record overall and a 1-1 record in conference play as of Sept. 28, the season’s start has been one of the best in recent program history. The team’s two losses were against Montana State on Aug. 28 and Colorado State on Sept. 23.

The Broncos opened the 2021 season at the Boise State Invitational where they defeated Dixie State 3-1. Junior outside hitter Lauren Ohlinger led her team to this win with 20 kills and 14 digs. She has continued to lead her team throughout the season while also being named Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week on Monday, Sept. 13.

“We came in knowing that we can beat teams that are tough, we can beat teams that are ranked.”

- Kayly Pau,

sophmore outside hitter

The team’s greatest win this season has been against no. 10 University of Utah on Sept. 13. This 3-1 win was the biggest upset in program history.

“You know, we’ve played ranked teams before, but I don’t know if we have beaten anybody as high as [no.] 10,” said head coach Shawn Garus. “It’s just confidence building for all the players and it validates all their hard work, and should motivate them to keep working for more.”

The Broncos remained on that high heading into the weekend of Sept. 1618, beating the Santa Clara Broncos and Oregon State University Beavers in sweeping fashion.

During the match against Santa Clara, sophomore outside hitter Kayly Pau

The women’s volleyball team has started their season strong and looks to continue their momentum.

Claire Keener | The Arbiter and sophomore outside opposite hitter Makayla Hansen tallied 10 kills each to help Boise State pull the win 3-0.

As the Broncos rolled past the Beavers (3-0) two days later, senior setter Dani Boss was named the Boise State Classic MVP for her 31 assists, three kills, one service ace, nine digs and three block assists.

“Honestly, it was just a whole team effort tonight,” said Pau after the team’s win against Santa Clara. “We came in knowing that we can beat teams that are tough, we can beat teams that are ranked. We just came out with the mindset that what we’ve done leading up to tonight’s match is in the past and that this is the match that matters right now.

I think we all worked together, played

our position and supported each other.”

Boise State volleyball headed into conference play against Colorado State and the University of Wyoming after their nine game win streak. Their first game of conference play ended in an unfortunate 3-0 loss against the Rams.

The Broncos have yet to win a match in Fort Collins against Colorado State, and have lost there 12 times.

However, on the same trip to the region, Boise State was able to bounce back two days later and defeat the University of Wyoming 3-0 on the Cowboy’s home court in Laramie.

“Today’s win was an important bounce back from a poor performance Thursday night,” Garus said. “[Junior

libero] Allie Casillas and [sophomore libero] Jolei Akima did a really good job controlling serve receive against Wyoming, which gave Dani Boss lots of offensive options.”

With only two losses under their belt almost two months into their season, the Broncos plan to prepare for the rest of the season in hopes of finishing well in conference play. Last season the team finished 10-5 overall and second in the Mountain West Conference behind the University of Nevada Las Vegas.

The team’s next two matchups include San Jose State on Sept. 30 and the University of Nevada Reno on Oct. 2.

SEPTEMBER 30, 2021

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ARBITERONLINE.COM

17

SPORTS & REC

MEN’S RUGBY PREPARES FOR NEW SEASON, WELCOMES FRESHMAN PLAYERS

The team is looking for redemption after going undefeated in 2020 but suffering a loss at nationals Ryan Marshall | Staff Writer | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu

team have been playing rugby for about three to five years. Prior to this year, most of the players on the team were playing rugby at a collegiate level for the first time.

“I’ve never been more pumped for a rugby season in my entire life,” Curry said. “We have a bunch of great talent ranging from California, New Mexico, Idaho and Alaska. If [there] was a team to bring a national championship to Boise, this would be the year.”

The men’s rugby team is eager to have a season and be able to play in front of their fans.

The team ended the 2020 spring season as the undefeated league champions, but had a heartbreaking loss in the first round of the national playoffs, finishing 14th in the country.

The first 2021 home game will be held on the intramural field on Oct.

T

he Boise State men’s club rugby team missed out on their 2021 season last spring due to COVID-19.

Now, the player are eager to get back on the field. After an unexpected loss during the 2020 national playoffs, the team wants redemption.

This season will be different due to the loss of the 2020 season. For one, the team is expected to be much younger. Kyle Curry, a senior scrum half and integrated media and strategic communication major, said that before the pandemic, the team had a lot of players over the age of 21 and five players over the age of 25. Currently, the team’s oldest player is 21.

Although the team lacks senior leadership, Curry and Ryan Vuega, a junior

18

SEPTEMBER 30, 2021

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wing and marketing major, both agree this year’s team has a lot more skill.

“We have serious bodies and should be able to pound the ball in the midfield,” Vuega said. “We have a ton of athletes in our freshman class.”

According to head coach Matt Dutton, Boise State Rugby is a blue collar team, and the most important aspect for the players are their grades. The players on the rugby team are different from those of NCAA programs because club sports have to pay to play, and the program is essentially run by students.

Curry and Vuega said that rugby has been a positive influence in other areas of their lives, including work and school. Rugby has also given them a positive work ethic.

“My understanding is that all of my ARBITERONLINE.COM

Photo courtesy of Kyle Curry

best friends are on the rugby team,’’ Curry said. “It has been really tight this year. It’s exceptional. I’ve seen guys that are first-year players and have never touched the rugby ball before, and I’ve seen the guys that have been around [for] a long time really take them under their wing.”

The first home game of the season will be held outside the Student Union Building (SUB) at the intramural field on Oct. 2 for parents weekend.

After their first home game, the rest of the games will take place at the Lincoln Turf Field. Games are free to the public and fans can expect a fairly physical game.

According to Dutton, recruitment has gotten better, so there is an increase in talent. The current freshmen on the

“If [there] was a team to bring a national championship to Boise, this would be the year.”

- Kyle Curry, senior scrum half “The Oregon State game (Oct. 16) will be an important matchup to see who goes to the playoffs,” Dutton said.

“The school that will give us the best we got is at home and away with Oregon State University, and it will most likely determine who takes the league and who goes to the national playoffs.”

The rugby team is unique in that the teams encourage a social and sportsmanship-centered culture. Usually, when an opposing team comes to town and spends the night, the home team will host a dinner for the other team.

The team playing at home will choose a man of the night award.

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