The Arbiter 10.9.18 Vol. 31 Issue 9

October 9, 2018

Vol. 31 Issue 9

I N D EP EN D ENT

VISIT US ONLINE: arbiteronline.com @arbiteronline

@arbiteronline @boisestatearbiter

S T UDENT

V O ICE

NEWS

04

A breakdown of student fee allocation

O F

BO IS E

S TAT E

S I N C E

CULTURE

14

The haunted Communication Building

1 9 3 3

SPORTS & REC

17

Women’s soccer team’s pre-game rituals

WELCOME TO THE ARBITER PHOTO OF THE WEEK Editor-In-Chief Jordan Erb editor@stumedia.boisestate.edu Online Editor Ximena Bustillo onlineeditor@stumedia.boisestate.edu Opinion Editor Chase Marsh opinion@stumedia.boisestate.edu News Editor MaryAnn Fernandez news@stumedia.boisestate.edu News Reporter Alyza Lovenguth news@stumedia.boisestate.edu Culture Editor Logan Potter culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu Culture Reporter David Collie culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu Sports Editor Delaney Brassil sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu Sports Reporter Autum Robertson sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu Copy Editors Chloe Baul Sophia Uhlenhoff Digital Content Manager Taylor Humby digitalcontent@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Boise State hockey had a successful weekend during the third annual Bronco Showcase, ending with two wins and one loss. Photo by Mackenzie Hudson.

Digital Content Producer Bailey Nelleson

HOW TO REACH US:

Graphic Design Manager Maddie Ceglecki

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

Graphic Designer Isabel Sarhad Illustrator Wyatt Wurtenberger Distributed Tuesdays during the academic school year 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.

MAILING ADDRESS: Student Media MS 1340 1910 W Universit y Dr. Boise, ID 83725 -1340

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EVENTS boise public library

wed october 10 HORROR MOVIE NIGHT

6 pm

The Boise Public Library is hosting their horror movie night in celebration of Halloween. Idaho Horror Film Festival will be holding a drawing to win a pair of festival tickets. Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash.

yawke family research park

thurs october 11 SHOULD IDAHO EXPAND MEDICAID?

6 pm

Boise State Public Radio and HuffPost will be hosting “Should Idaho Expand Medicaid? A Discussion,” a free event that will discuss the vote for Medicaid expansion on Nov. 6.

CENTURYLINK ARENA

fri october 12 MEN’S HOCKEY

7:30 pm

Boise State men’s hockey will take on rival Washington State at 7:30 p.m. this Friday. The game is free for Boise State students and faculty. Photo courtesy of Boise State Hockey Club’s Facebook page.

riverside hotel

sat october 13 GUBERNATORIAL DEBATE

11 am

Undecided voters can submit questions for the Idaho gubernatorial debate between Paulette Jordan and Brad Little. Seating will be limited, so attendees must reserve their spot.

NEWS

STUDENTS PAY MORE FOR ATHLETICS THAN REC, HEALTH SERVICES COMBINED In annual fees, students pay more for “Intercollegiate Athletics and Spirit Squad” than any other campus service

Cami Pepin | Staff Writer | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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very year when students pay their tuition, it is combined with student “fees” and state appropriFULL TIME GRAD/UNDER GRAD PART TIME GRAD/UNDER GRAD ated dollars that cover the general academ- STUDENT FEES ic, administrative and some student service $9.64 $115.70 costs of the university. Included in the fees ATHLETICS & SPIRIT SQUAD $4.30 STUDENT HEALTH CENTER $39.50 is the price of “Intercollegiate Athletics and $63.00 STUDENT UNION $6.40 Spirit Squad,” which cost students more than the Recreation Center and University CAMPUS RECREATION $6.85 $64.19 Health Services combined.

ASSOCIATED STUDENT BODY $12.00 $1.65 To break it down, each student pays $8.57 $99.62 STUDENT ACTIVITY $115.70 to cover the cost of athletics and the Spirit Squad, $39.50 for University ACTIVITY FEE TOTAL $37.41 $394.01 Health Services, $64.19 for campus recreMULTIPLIED BY ation, and $99.62 for a student activity fee.

“The fee to support athletics and the TUITION TOTAL TOTAL CREDITS Spirit Squad is not simply a charge for A portion of student fees each year goes towards maintaining the Rec and the campus clinic. More fees, however, go towards athletics and the Spirit student tickets, it supports the athletics programming;” said Mark J. Heil, Boise Squad. Graphic by Isabel Sarhad.

State vice president and chief financial athletic programs total $279, and UniverEvery student who is enrolled full-time Jervis was also curious as to why tickets officer. “The fee is one of seven main sity of Idaho, which asks for $276. and pays the “extra fees” gets the option weren’t available to more students at the sources of funding for athletics, the largest “This money goes to the general to have free access to every athletic home UConn game on Sept. 1 when it was sold of which are donations through the Bronathletics budget, which pays for much event such a football, gymnastics, swimout. The UConn game drew in far more co Athletics Association, ticket sales and more than simply the games,” Heil said. ming, soccer and more. Each year, the than 5,000 students, but in previous years, NCAA outside revenue.”

“The department supports student-athlete athletic program allows 5,000 seats for no games had reached that mark. So the On Feb. 20, 2018, there was a student academic programs and support, hundreds students, student guests and graduate studrastic game turnout doesn’t necessarily intuition/fee schedule hearing at the Stueckle of undergraduate and student workers and dents to attend football games, and 1,800 dicate that the university needs to upgrade Sky Center. This hearing went over topics interns, hands-on learning opportunities for the basketball season. the student section, according to Heil. such as campus recreation, meal plans, for students in programs like kinesiology, “With these numbers in mind, if we On Saturday Oct. 6, Boise State had yet parking and student activity fees. Curt athletic training, health sciences, marketwere to sell each ticket on the street every another sold out home game against San Apsey, Boise State director of athletics, ing and more.” game for the season the school would make Diego State University. spoke on the behalf of what the student From the university perspective, Apsey an additional $3.5 million,” Apsey said.

“No one wants students to be turned fees do for the athletic program and what believes the fees put Boise State on the These fees also fund student groups such away. This is why they have added addistudents get back from paying these fees. national stage. They allow the university to as the Spirit Squad and The Corral. This tional tickets each time the maximum has “Every full-time student pays a grand torecruit students, staff and faculty to Boise allows the student groups to distribute been reached,” Heil said. “With this in tal of $263 a year from their tuition. That State athletics. shirts to the rowdy audiences and give out mind, the department will work closely only covers around eight percent ($3.2 “Since the Fiesta Bowl 11 years ago, we $500 worth of free food vouchers through with university officials to continually million) of the athletic program, which have improved a lot throughout campus.

Aramark. explore ways to ensure the student expeallows them to maintain what we hope is This is including donor enrollment, adFull-time sophomore Eleni Jervis quesrience is at the best and improve when the championship culture year in and year vanced research, total enrollment boosted tioned the need for student fees to go topossible.” out,” Apsey said. yearly and growing our foundation,” Apsey said. wards athletics at the university, when they It may seem like a lot of money is going Every year Boise State’s athletes spend have six other funding models in place. towards the athletic budget, but according on average around 4,000 hours going out “I think it’s outrageous that the Boise to the Mountain West Conference list of and promoting the program and showState program wants to have students give schools, Boise State, though ranked higher ing the community what Boise State is more money towards their program when than other Idaho schools, requests less about. The fees have helped the university they already do so much in the community from students. This is compared to Idaho showcase the school on ESPN about 80-90 and with local boosters to get extra funds,” State University, whose fees towards the times in the last seven to eight years.

Jervis said.

BREAKDOWN

$2,521.39 $205.29

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NEWS

DO DOCKLESS BIKES OFFER CLUTTER OR CONVENIENCE? Bike-sharing services may pose more problems than expected Sonora Birnie | Staff Writer | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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ockless bike-sharing companies like Limebike and Mobike claim to have the convenience of picking a bike or scooter up and dropping it off, with no special docking system required. This may be appealing for visitors and college students alike as a quick, easy method for getting from point A to point B. However, as Boise Greenbike Director Dave Fotsch explained, it’s not always as simple as that. Boise Greenbike is a similar bike share company that has been in Boise for about three years.

Though the new bike services haven’t arrived in Boise yet, as dockless bike-sharing businesses take other U.S. cities by storm, problems have made themselves apparent. According to Fotsch, cities like Dallas experienced massive congestion and clutter as a result of unregulated bike-share programs, since the bike-share organizations are unregulated, bikes have clogged the roads and sidewalks.

“Dallas let these companies come in completely unregulated and it was a huge mess. And now two, maybe three, of the companies that were doing business there have left because Dallas realized they needed to put some sideboards on this business,” Fotsch said.

The city of Boise is taking no chances of ending up like Dallas and has already passed regulations to prevent that. The regulations cover dockless bike-share companies as well as scooters, according to City Council President Lauren McLean.

To be eligible, the companies must have between 50 and 250 bikes or scooters, and there will be fees put in place to discourage users from leaving their bikes everywhere.

The services will be held accountable for any litter created.

“Other cities were dealing with the impact of these programs coming without

ordinances, so we felt very good about the fact that we were able to work on something and be ahead of the game rather than having to react to the whole thing,” McLean said. “The city staff reviewed ordinances from around the country. They are all new, so cities are learning as they go along.”

Meridian has recently had its own issues with electric scooters provided by LimeBike, and after their short appearance there–and the problems that came with them–they are now gone. McLean and the rest of the city council recognize that the reality of these services is fast approaching Boise, and may lead to similar struggles.

“This technology, this way of using bikes and scooters to get around is new,” McLean said. “The companies are disruptors in the space, and so as a city government we were trying to do the best we could without being experts in this– because nobody is an expert yet–to create an ordinance that will cover the cost of enforcement and protect our citizens. All of council recognizes that there could well need to be tweaks once we experience in real time these scooters and bikes in our city.”

The Cycle Learning Center (CLC) located on the Boise State campus also rents out bikes, but Gavin Mackey, a health science major who works at the CLC, welcomes Boise Greenbike and the possibility of a dockless bike-share program.

“We’re a big family-oriented community, so we offer a lot of stuff during parents’ weekend. I love (that) when we run out of rental bikes, that we can direct them to (Boise Greenbike). I see families ride them on the Greenbelt all the time,” Mackey said. “I also had friends that used it all the time. It was easy for them to walk on campus, grab it and go.”

Are you interested in a career in health care?

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23 | 3-5PM HEALTH SCIENCE RIVERSIDE, 950 LUSK ST

DISCOVER THE RESPIRATORY CARE PROGRAM! • • • •

Lung volume measurements FOOD and PRIZES! Talk to advisors and professors Tour the lab and see state-of-the-art equipment

hs.boisestate.edu/respcare

OCTOBER 9, 2018

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5

NEWS

OASIS ROOM OFFERS AN ESCAPE FROM HECTIC CAMPUS LIFE

The room, located in University Health Services, is aimed at helping students manage their physical and mental health Taylor Rico-Pekerol | Staff Writer | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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The Oasis Room is a free service provided by University Health Services. Photo by Taylor Humby.

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niversity Health Services, located on the second floor of the Norco Building, is home to the Oasis Room, which is also referred to as the Relaxation Room. In 2010, when Health Services moved to the Norco building, they created a room with a massage chair, a vitamin D light, stress balls and other amenities to create a calming atmosphere aimed at helping students take care of their physical and mental health.

During the last school year, the room was used 217 times. A slight increase was seen in the colder months starting in October, according to Tara Brooks, assistant director of patient and business services.

As the year goes on, Health Services sees a spike in the number of users during November, January and February. These increases could be due to many factors including changing seasons, midterms and finals. Many students go back home over the December holiday break, so the results for that month tend to be lower.

College students are under high amounts of stress, and Health Services found a way to use the Oasis Room to help students be conscious of their mental and physical health.

“We feel that the Oasis Room, or the Relaxation Room, is just a space to come and try to be mindful of all of those things,” Brooks said. “Your physical and emotional health and all of that is connected, so if one is out of balance then you’re often times going to have some sort of symptom from that.”

Students often develop seasonal depression, and to combat that, the Oasis Room has a vitamin D light. The vitamin D light, or “happy light,” is used to alter the levels of melatonin which helps with sleep, and serotonin which helps with fighting depressive symptoms.

There are two lights available, one in the waiting room for patients who may just want to use the light without going into the room, or there is the one in the Oasis Room.

Gracie Baggett, a freshman kinesiology major, toured the Health Services floor and was shown the Oasis Room during a kinesiology class.

“I think it is a good stress reliever just to be alone, because I feel when you are in your room you still are not alone because your roommates are around. And there is always noise, and it is a nice escape,” Baggett said.

Any student can use the room for free and all they need to do is walk up to the check-in desk and ask to use it during Health Service’s office hours. As long as no one else is in there, most people can go in right away.

The standard amount of time a student is left in the room is 15 to 20 minutes unless there are certain circumstances that can allow a student to be in there longer.

When Health Services first moved into the Norco Building, the staff always knew they wanted to have a relaxing space for students to go. They knew of other college campuses with similar rooms and thought it would be a good idea to also put one in.

The Oasis Room was researched thoroughly before it was created and everything in the room is state of the art and has a purpose, according to Zach Vinson, a licensed massage therapist and certified personal trainer.

The Oasis Room was named for its getaway-like atmosphere and relaxing tools, including the vitamin D lamp and massage chair. Both the light and massage chair are there to improve not only physical health, but mental health as well.

“Self care is really beneficial, especially on a college campus with everyone running around stressing out,” Vinson said.

“The goal of the Oasis Room is to help people learn to cope with the stress and it helps to sometimes have that physical sensation to kind of anchor those positive feeling to.”

NEWS

NUMBER OF STUDENTS SIGNED UP FOR BRONCOALERTS DOWN

Only 45 percent of students are signed up for text alerts, down from 70 percent a year and a half ago Grace Paduano | Staff Writer | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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roncoAlerts are issued for situations when there is a threat to life or property, according to Rob Littrell, director of emergency management for Boise State. The alerts are required due to the Clery Act, a federal law requiring universities to report crime statistics and alert campus of imminent danger.

The Clery Act also requires campuses to send out “timely warnings.” An example of a timely warning is the emails sent out after reports of sexual assault on campus.

According to the 2018 Annual Security and Fire Safety Report, the types of situations that would prompt an emergency alert include extreme weather conditions, building emergencies, unplanned university closures and any potential life-threatening situation on campus.

Active students, faculty and staff will automatically receive BroncoAlerts through their Boise State email address. As for the preferred method of sending BroncoAlerts, text messaging, Littrell has seen a decline in the number of students who are opted in.

“We’re down to about 45 percent of students right now. That bugs me,” Littrell said. “A year and a half ago, we were at 70 percent.”

Littrell said he has requested to do what he calls a “pit capture” at the beginning of spring semester, which would require anyone signing onto a campus computer to update their information in BroncoAlert.

“You can say no, but you have to physically say I don’t want to opt-in,” Littrell said.

Littrell said he and his staff try to be very sensitive when sending out alerts.

With too many alerts, there is the worry that students wouldn’t take them seriously The BroncoAlert system has improved in Littrell’s seven years as director of emergency management. The system used to require him to be on campus to personally send out the alert. Now, there’s a better

system in place. The alert can be sent out from anywhere, even if campus has no power or internet.

Boise State has a dispatching office, with dispatchers working around the clock to send out both campus and city police officers. Those dispatchers are the ones who send out the BroncoAlerts after the alert has been ordered to be issued by one of the seven people who have been given the authority to authorize emergency alerts.

Littrell has condensed the number of BroncoAlert templates to 14, down from the 30-some that he initially created. Those templates include messages for weather warnings and closings, fires, multiple dangerous emergency situations, hazardous materials spills, and of course, all-clear messages.

According to Littrell, all templates, except for one pertaining to shootings, have been used.

“Any time I send out a BroncoAlert, my hands are shaking,” Littrell said. “It’s a big responsibility.”

BRONCO

ALERT! Graphic By Isabel Sarhad.

“Any time I send out a BroncoAlert, my hands are shaking. It’s a big responsibility.”

Rob Littrell, director of emergency management Last semester, Littrell explained, he removed students who only attend classes online from the BroncoAlert directory.

Long term, Littrell hopes to coordinate with the provost to make opting in for BroncoAlerts a requirement when registering for fall semester classes.

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7

OPINION

THERE SHOULDN’T BE MORE HOLIDAYS THAN DAYS The oversaturation of special days devalues the idea of celebration David Collie | Culture Reporter | opinion@stumedia.boisestate.edu

October is filled with unofficial and unnecessary holidays. Illustration by Wyatt Wurtenberger.

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t’s October and that can only mean one thing for holiday lovers: Halloween. Well, that and more than a hundred other special days and designations, including the contrasting National Seafood Month and National Vegetarian Month. But how special can these days really be when there’s just so many of them?

One reason this number is so high comes from the difference between official and unofficial holidays. Some holidays, like Halloween for instance, are recognized by local or federal governments and are considered to be “official.” These tend to be the days

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one might see on a calendar.

This, however, is only the tip of the celebratory iceberg, and the number skyrockets when “unofficial” holidays, such as Garbanzo Bean Day, are taken into account.

So what’s the problem here? Don’t more holidays mean more reasons to celebrate?

No. They don’t. These wacky days, weeks and months have created an inflation in the holiday market, and they are entirely antithetical to the idea of a special day or celebration; if every day has at least two holidays, then holidays can’t be special.

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It’s like highlighting. Coloring certain pieces of a page will set them apart as more important, but highlighting everything will bring things back to square one and nothing will be more important than anything else.

One interesting place to see this in action comes from the medical community. October, for instance, is known by many as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This seems like a legitimate cause, and setting aside a month to bring attention to it would also seem reasonable. What many people might not know, however, is that October is also National Physical Therapy Month, American Pharmacists Month, National Dental Hygiene Month, National Chiropractic Month and Residents’ Rights Month.

And that doesn’t even include October’s seven special weeks or its five special days.

While all of these issues deserve their own attention, it’s simply not realistic to expect that amount of interest or activism from people. The overwhelming amount of days, weeks and months that beg for attention can turn into white noise and might be tuned out

“The over-abundance of holidays might be creating an apathy for the very issues they’re trying to bring awareness to in the first place.”

David Collie, culture reporter

entirely.

This, ironically, means that the overabundance of holidays might be creating an apathy for the very issues they’re trying to bring awareness to in the first place.

There is also the possibility that, by setting aside a day, month or week for a certain issue, people might relegate that issue to only being important within that time. If October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, then why bother thinking about it in November?

Beyond the issue of over highlighting, there is also the matter of who is doing this highlighting in the first place. There seems to be a sort of perversion to many of these holidays which are nothing more than advertising campaigns. The claim might be made that these days are harmless, and are simply fun ways for companies to promote their products.

This is not the case.

Take IHOP’s National Pancake Day, for instance. Many people know this as the day where IHOP offers free pancakes, but this holiday happens to occur on March 31. Why is that important? March 31 is also Cesar Chavez Day. In the minds of many, March 31 is not a day to remember one of the most influential Latino civil rights activists, it’s a day to save $6 on some cooked frisbees covered in syrup.

Holidays should be special. And while these unofficial observances might seem like innocent ways to have fun or raise awareness, they are harmful in the way they detract from legitimate holidays, or even the very issues they are advocating for.

OPINION

WE SHOULD WORK TO FOSTER DIALOGUE ON THE QUAD

The Quad isn’t always free coffee and dunk tanks, and students should be prepared for what it may present Will Bates | Guest Writer | opinion@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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t’s that time of year again when the public advocacy groups come to the Quad and express their opinions through nearly any means possible. In my time at Boise State, I’ve witnessed the wonder of the Pi day people, the horrific events of the abortion stand of 2017, and even the random yelling people who are usually much less than kind.

I remember a time one of the yelling advocates called out at a girl walking down the Quad. They told her that her skirt was too short, which made her a whore and because of this she was going to hell. Exactly what you hope to hear on your commute to class.

As students in a place of open discourse, we need to be prepared for events like this, and also be prepared to defend our First

“As students in a place of open discourse, we need to be prepared for events like this, and also be prepared to defend our First Amendment rights.”

Will Bates, guest writer Amendment rights. If we want to be rid of harassment on the Quad, it’s up to the students. Express your freedom of speech to the groups that you feel deserve it. Talk to them, encourage them to keep up their advocacy, but be conscious of who’s out there. If we are able to actively discourage oppressive groups from harassing us by ignoring their message, we may be able to move toward fostering dialogue on the Quad instead of fostering one filled with harassment and distaste for the advocates.

Students should ignore hateful messages on the Quad. Illustration by Wyatt Wurtenberger.

Whenever advocates are out, I wonder if there’s a process these groups need to go through to be able to freely advocate in that space. In fact, there is a screening process, and it clearly states, “the only limits on this expression are to avoid conflict with the normal uses of campus, the rights of others and the limitations of lawful content,” (BSU policy # 1100). If these limitations are true, Boise State should be more cognizant of the behavior of these groups as well as work to create dialogue on the Quad.

The way it stands now, most people I’ve talked with on campus loathe having tracts or pamphlets shoved in their face without their consent, and this method of delivery is littered with logical and moral fallacies, such as ridicule appeals and appeals to authority which attempt to immediately dissolve counterarguments.

As someone who doesn’t think there’s a correlation between skirt length and being a whore, I can’t wrap my mind

around having such an overblown sense of righteously imbued power that a person feels the need to openly chastise and insult innocent passersby to prove a point.

Most groups are filled with wonderful people. The problems with public advocacy groups arise when the feeling that everyone else in the world is wrong except for those that follow your viewpoints gets drilled into the minds of the followers. The Westboro Baptist church regularly protests against homosexuality, and their slogan is, “God Hates Fags, ‘and therefore I abhorred them.’ Lev. 20:23.” Cherry-picking Bible verses to fit their viewpoints doesn’t exactly instill confidence in an outsider.

The Westboro church is notorious for exclamations of hate, they picket and protest just about anything, from homosexuality to Swedish vacuum cleaners (yes, this is real). This level of inflammatory behavior isn’t exactly what we see on campus, but without any checks and balances, advocacy groups can easily get out of hand and

devolve into hateful protesters.

For an ideology as faith-based as many religions are, or as politically charged as many opinions are, I feel that no truer statement can be made than “we don’t actually know.”

Why then, if no one is truly right, do we get an increasing number of people normalizing hateful behavior on campus because of a difference in opinion?

I don’t think there’s a concrete answer to this question, but it’s still an issue that needs to be addressed. Something we need to keep in mind, however, are the consequences for finding methods to help reduce the problem. If a change is made for one particular group; it must be made for ALL groups, or the oppressed voices can sue Boise State for discrimination and win.

As frustrating as the legal system can be at times, we need to follow it. The only real power of change in this matter lies with the students. We are the key to reducing negative opinions and change the culture at this university. We have more power than we think, and I believe we can harness that power to nearly any means we want. Let’s work toward no longer being harassed. I think it’s possible.

Will Bates is a junior English major with a minor in political science.

HAVE A COMMENT OR REBUTTAL? EMAIL US AT: OPINION@STUMEDIA.BOISESTATE.EDU

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F E AT U R E

WHAT IT MEANS TO FACE HOUSING INSECURITY AS A STUDENT Staff and students bring attention to the problem of living without stable housing during college MaryAnn Fernandez and Alyza Lovenguth | News Editor and News Reporter | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

“We just lived on disability and social security,” Barrett said. “The whole situation was sudden. It was hard to find housing, because of all of the people moving into Idaho. So we essentially became homeless.”

Barrett explained that during this time it made her reconsider her future.

Those who are housing insecure may be staying with friends, or at a hotel, and don’t reflect the traditional stereotype of homelessness. Illustration by Wyatt Wurtenberger.

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ast summer, Katy Barrett, a freshman criminal justice major, and her mother were given a 60-day notice to leave their rental duplex. Barrett’s mother is disabled, resulting in added challenges to finding housing that complies with Section 8 housing requirements—a federal program that assists low-income families. Within this time frame, Barrett and her mother had support from their church that assisted them in housing placement.

While Barrett and her mother were without constant housing, they were experiencing “housing insecurity,” which is the state of living without stable housing. Barrett believes that more students at Boise State have experienced housing insecurity, but that the stigma that comes with being housing insecure halts them from reaching out for support.

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Graduate students in public policy are well aware of housing insecurity and want to make a difference on campus.

The same is true for the Dean of Students Office, which sees housing insecurity as a complex issue, especially with the stigma that comes with it. Nonetheless, the students and the administration are working to find a solution to a problem that may be more prevalent than expected.

A student’s experience Barrett said that within the time that her family was housing insecure, she wasn’t able to stay with her mother because of her wheelchair. Barrett was living in their friends’ RV, and her mother was staying in another family friend’s spare bedroom. Before they could get adjusted into their new living situation, they were staying in a local hotel for five days.

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“When we were housing insecure it made me consider attending a cheaper college, rather than Boise State. So, it gave me this huge reality check, and I asked myself, ‘can I really afford this?’”

Katy Barrett, freshman criminal justice major “When we were housing insecure it made me consider attending a cheaper college, rather than Boise State,” Barrett said. “So, it gave me this huge reality check, and I asked myself, ‘can I really afford this?’”

According to Barrett, if her family didn’t have her church and friends’ support, she isn’t sure where she would be today.

“If students are experiencing what I did with housing insecurity, I would suggest to reach out to people. People are scared and embarrassed,” Barrett said. “I didn’t utilize the resources when I was in high school, because I was in denial that I was housing insecure. Just reach out to people before it gets too bad.”

Barrett said while she feels as though she was in denial, she thinks that other students and people in the community are experiencing housing insecurity too.

“Nobody wants to admit that they are homeless. There are stigmas attached to being homeless. People think they are dirty, sleeping on the streets or using drugs,” Barrett said. “People assume things quickly. I assumed that people were going to think that my mom wasn’t a good parent. In reality, we were just in a bad situation that we couldn’t control.”

In order to gain a greater understanding of the issue, graduate students at Boise State conducted a study during the spring 2018 semester and are still working to solve the problem.

Student research at Boise State Graduate students in public policy researched housing insecurity among university students and presented their research to the university. Within their presentations, they had three different groups in which they detailed the conditions and factors that result in housing insecurity among college students and viable solutions.

According to Beth Norton, a graduate student in the master’s of public administration program, the number one factor that results in housing insecurity is students who come from low-income families, or lack of family support. They also found local contributing factors, including rising housing prices in the area, limited on-campus housing and high tuition fees. While the graduate students did not conduct a study on this issue, they referenced other studies and based their research on the conditions in the community.

The common recommendations included compiling a task force of faculty, students and resources that would be able

F E AT U R E to further assist these students with a personal advocate. Next, they recommended including a Basic Needs Statement which would focus on housing insecurity on all of the syllabi.

The students also suggested partnering with the University of Wisconsin Harvesting Opportunities for Postsecondary Education (HOPE) Lab study which would allow for a researcher to conduct studies at Boise State on housing insecurity. Their suggestion was accepted, and Boise State has partnered with the HOPE lab this fall. Finally, they suggested creating a case manager who would be able to help students after they have found steady housing.

HOPE Lab survey Christine Baker-Smith, the director of research for the HOPE Center for College, Community, and Justice, said the HOPE lab has connected with Boise State and began their survey titled “#RealCollege survey” in fall of 2018. The survey will be conducted at Boise State and other colleges on both housing insecurity and food insecurity, according to Lauren Oe, associate dean of students.

According to Baker-Smith, partner colleges send recruitment emails within the first four to six weeks of fall 2018 classes in order for students to participate in the study. Colleges are recommended to send an email weekly for the first three weeks.

The results of the 2018 survey will be obtained in November, at the earliest.

In addition to the recurring emails, colleges are required to provide a student incentive in the form of $1,000, and the money is used for 10 $100 prizes in a random drawing for students who participate in the survey and provide their email address. All the funds go to students in order to boost student participation and to ensure accurate estimates

of food and housing insecurity.

However, a student’s email address is not required for the survey, according to the #RealCollege survey’s FAQs, and students’ confidentiality is protected by a secure online platform transferred to Temple University where only researchers in the study have access to the survey’s data. Future reports will only contain summary measurements of student responses.

Lack of information Casey Petti, a graduate student within the master’s of public administration, explained that the issue with housing insecurity is the lack of correct information.

“Housing insecurity isn’t the same as being homeless,” Petti said. “It varies among students. They could be living in their cars, couch surfing or even living in hotels. If these students don’t have a stable place to live, they are considered housing insecure.”

Petti added that the issue with housing insecurity among college students is that it isn’t apparent that those individuals are housing insecure. They might be hiding the fact by not coming forward if they are facing these issues.

Shortage of resources Norton aimed to conduct their groups’ research on housing insecurity from the perspective of a student who is housing insecure. Though never having experienced housing insecurity herself, Norton felt it was necessary to put herself in the shoes of a housing insecure student to complete her first mission: finding resources at Boise State.

According to Norton, she began her research by going to Boise State’s website.

The first thing she noticed was that there were no links or resources available for a

student who is housing insecure.

Norton discovered the only assistance was a one time $400 emergency fund, from the Office of the Dean of Students, which students can apply for. However, according to Norton, that money is not viable if you are chronically facing housing insecurity. Additionally, she said that the lengthy process and requirements could deter a student from applying for it.

Norton added the HOPE lab found in last year’s study that nationally nine percent of university students have been homeless at some point, and 36 percent of students have experienced housing insecurity.

“Those individuals can’t study if they are hungry, tired, or worrying about where they are going to sleep for that night.”

Beth Norton, graduate student “One of the main issues that we faced is, how do we get students to recognize that they are housing insecure? Those individuals can’t study if they are hungry, tired or worrying about where they are going to sleep for that night,” Norton said.

According to Norton, society mostly associates homeless individuals with images of people who are panhandling, living through poverty or using drugs.

“Those images don’t align with people’s view on the typical bright and shiny student who is a part of the Bronco nation,” Norton said.

Resources at Boise State According to Anna Moreshead, assistant dean of students, there are several resources available on campus for students who are going through housing insecurity. The only issue that they are facing is making those resources known and accessible to those students.

“We are familiar with the housing staff, so that we can make more referrals over to them and help expedite the process if a student needs immediate placement, especially mid-semester,” Moreshead said.

“I work with students who come here from the Financial Aid Office who are going to be housing insecure.”

Moreshead said the Dean of Students Office also assists students who need help with finances.

“Most of the time finances are the source of the housing insecurity. The most tangible assistance that the dean of students offers is case management.

Gender equity, advisors and counseling services also do case management,” Moreshead said.

According to Moreshead, there’s more work to be done involving assisting students who are housing insecure and facing the stigma that comes with it.

Currently, the most challenging issue is identifying the students who are housing insecure.

“There’s no one solution to help with housing insecurity. Students should go to someone they trust that can assist with problem solving,” Moreshead said. “Boise State students are the most caring student body. It’s important that we stay a caring community and support students. We need to increase help-seeking and be able to ask for help.”

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C U LT U R E

SHATTERING STUDENT STEREOTYPES

Students’ portrayal in films and popular culture doesn’t capture the reality of university life Sonora Birnie | Staff Writer | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

The depiction of college students in film rarely runs parallel to reality. Graphic by Maddie Ceglecki.

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he quintessential college experience includes crazy parties every night, promiscuous sorority girls and procrastination, all of which lead to all-nighters fueled with energy drinks and coffee. College students are lazy snowflakes who would rather down a 40 than read those 40 pages that are due tomorrow.

We’ve all been there … or have we?

In short, the answer is no. With the uptick of movies portraying the lives that college students are supposedly living, it may be hard to tell where the entertainment ends and the reality begins. Blockbuster films with massive budgets and global influence drive student expectations of their own lives, but reality often strays far from the path laid before them by Hollywood.

“It does feel like, in a general sense, Hollywood tends to go to some identifiable stereotype, not an identifiable human being,” said Gordon Reinhart, Boise State theatre arts professor.

Lisa Mallet, a junior health science major, is a member of the sorority Alpha Omicron Pi and is no stranger to stereotypes.

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“Often, adjectives such as skinny, bitchy, vapid, shallow, dumb, self-obsessed and other synonyms come to mind. After just recently going through the recruitment process myself, I can definitely say that I understand where these stereotypes come from. From the outside, the whole sorority thing is very intimidating,” Mallet said.

“They all dress the same and ask the same questions and have the same semi-forced smiles on their faces and have seemingly endless amounts of energy. But once I actually got to know a lot of the girls throughout the process, I realized that most of these stereotypes have not held true.”

In the hit movie “Pitch Perfect,” life is full of initiations, parties and scandals as the characters fight their way to be the best college acapella singing group. The star in the film, Anna Kendrick, plays Beca, a 19-year-old freshman in college. In reality, Kendrick was 27 years old at the time the movie made its way to theaters.

While the big screen might be a relatively new phenomena, theatre is not. Even in Shakespeare’s time, representation did not

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run parallel with reality. Men masqueraded as women, hiding behind masks, and age was but a mere suggestion.

“Juliet, of ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ is 14….

“It does feel like, in a general sense, Hollywood tends to go to some identifiable stereotype, not an identifiable human being.”

Gordon Reinhart, theatre arts professor

not many 14 year olds play Juliet. Although she is 14 in the text, you get the sense of a real emergent woman with an incredible mind and soul, and a lot of maturity,” Reinhart said. “What it is is a function of the technical acting ability. You

need a slightly more mature actor to create the believable (college) student.”

While these choices might be made out of necessity, one can’t help but feel like student experiences, or appearances for that matter, are not what they are supposed to be by Hollywood standards. Most of the time, these expectations couldn’t be further from the truth.

“I hope that people realize that girls in sororities are held to a high standard of character. We are expected to maintain good grades, attend study hours and promote a mature and responsible image—no drinking or other illicit behavior, especially not while wearing letters, etc.,” Mallet said. “In a way, being in a sorority prompts you to put forth the best image of yourself so that you may be set up for success in future endeavors.”

If all these stereotypes are so false, why do they continue to make it into popular culture time and time again? Rulon Wood, Boise State professor and filmmaker, attributed this phenomenon to the desirable lifestyle that comes with the stereotypes.

“I think a lot of it comes down to nostalgia...for some of (the people making the movie), it’s kinda the college experience they always wished they had,” Wood said.

“They have a nostalgia for a college that never really existed.”

Even if students don’t allow their own college experience to be diminished by Hollywood, it’s important to remember that college years are what students make of them throughout their time in school.

College may not always be as perfect or interesting as the shiny projections we shell out $10 to see downtown, but they are more real than what we see on the big screen.

“I hope people can try their best to withhold the judgments they have due to the stereotypes they hear,” Mallet said.

“Don’t judge before you have all the information and know enough to decide for yourself.”

C U LT U R E

EXPLORING OUR OWN “HUMAN REFLECTIONS”

Local artist Oliver Cotting’s newest exhibition is on display in the SUB’s Trueblood Gallery Ben Harris | Staff Writer | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Oliver Cotting’s art display is meant to be interpreted each individual. Photo by Ben Harris.

Cotting sketches out his next pieces on pen and paper. Photo by Ben Harris.

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he Student Union Building (SUB) is an art advocacy space, according to Fonda Portales, university art curator and collections manager at Boise State. For the past two years, she has wanted to allow students and community members an opportunity to present their work before being thrust into the professional world.

From Sept. 2 to Oct. 23, local artist Oliver Cotting’s showcase, “Human Reflections,” will be on display in the Trueblood Gallery on the second floor of the SUB. With “Human Reflections,” Cotting wants to let his audience establish their own meaning in his work.

“There isn’t a drawback to who made it,” Cotting said. “You’re starting to build those pieces up from your own experiences, not my experiences.”

According to Portales, Cotting’s exhibition is unlike anything else that’s been shown in the gallery before.

“Cotting’s work leaves more to the imagination of the viewer. His work is not as immediately legible, though his work is very representational,” Portales said. “You have to stand in front of his pieces and work for the meaning.”

While Portales believes that art takes work to understand, Cotting knows his art is uncomfortable to look at and internalize.

“So many times you go into art galleries, and you’re like ‘Okay, this is art. This is what it’s telling me.’ But it strips all that,” Cotting said. “You’re starting to look at it in your own senses, how you’ve come through life and what symbolism might mean to you.”

Melissa Maxey, a senior illustration major and the curatorial assistant at Boise State, said that the ambiguity of Cotting’s work is what caught her eye.

“I was interested in how he depicted the figures with their eyes shrouded and how

he juxtaposed animals, birds and reptiles with eyes that are unseeing,” Maxey said.

“Oliver was ambiguous about those meanings, and he really wanted the viewer to make their own hypothesis about it based on their own experiences.”

Featured artists aren’t alone in the impact that the craft has on their work.

Maxey stated that art being displayed on campus is fundamental in developing her skills as an artist.

“It gives me an opportunity to show people what my abilities are, and how I’m developing my art style,” Maxey said. “It’s also a way to receive feedback on how I’m progressing, so that I can make changes or develop ideas further.”

While plenty of college students develop their art skills on campus, Cotting didn’t become passionate about art until he was 19. Originally wanting to study computer science, his newfound hobby in fine art was a bit intimidating to get into at first.

“Quite a few of my friends were really good artists,” Cotting said. “First, it was just living up to them. From the time I was 19 and first started learning how to draw, until I was about 21, there was a lot of mimicry that was happening.”

It wasn’t until he was a few years into being an artist that Cotting finally could take things in his own direction. The best advice he could give to any new artists is to be persistent.

“Don’t be afraid. Don’t be intimidated.

In any creative endeavor, there’s always someone telling you that you shouldn’t do it,” Cotting said. “Those are the same people that come back and say, ‘Wow, you’ve come such a long way.’”

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C U LT U R E

THE STORY OF DINAH AND THE HAUNTED COMMUNICATION BUILDING The creaks of the Communication Building might be more than just age David Collie | Culture Reporter | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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ny student who has made their way to the Communication Building might have felt like something was a bit … off. The long, narrow hallways, the creaking floors and stairs are merely symptoms of an old building. Or could there be something more?

That “something more” may just be the ghost of a girl named Dinah.

This is a story that has circulated around campus for many years, and it has even made its way beyond, appearing in KIVI Channel 6 news story and a book about ghosts called “Coast to Coast Ghosts: True Stories of Hauntings Across America.”

Each iteration of the story has some differences, but the general version was given by Rochelle Cunningham, the management assistant and office coordinator for the Department of Communication.

There was a young woman in the 50s, when the building was still the Student Union Building, who was going to attend a dance. She was supposed to go to the dance with her boyfriend, but he stood her up. According to the legend, the girl then went to the upstairs bathroom, where she proceeded to hang herself.

Despite the popularity of this story, however, there is no evidence that this student actually existed.

“There’s absolutely no documented history of there actually being a girl who killed herself,” Cunningham said. “It’s become legend.”

The truth, in this case, doesn’t necessarily matter. According to the communication Department Head, Todd Norton, stories like these tend to be passed on regardless of their truthfulness.

“We perpetuate stories; that’s what we

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do. We are a narrative culture in many respects, and this is a narrative,” Norton said. “We pass on narratives about things. Whether they’re true or not may or may not be a significant factor.”

Norton gave some narratives himself, saying one explanation he heard involved a theater professor who created the story.

Another was that the story originated in an article from The Arbiter. In both cases, however, Norton explained that there was no evidence to support these claims.

Whether or not this student actually existed, the story continues. And some believe that her ghost haunts the building.

According to Cunningham, Dinah, as she’s called, got her name when someone working in the building heard a segment of the song “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” playing on the piano. The lyrics of the part being played are, “Dinah won’t you blow your horn.” She said there have also been reports of strange noises and things being moved around in the office when nobody had access to the building.

Whether the creaks and groans of the communication building come from old age or lingering spirits, it can’t hurt to buddy up before heading inside. And with the constant focus on fact and reason that can come with academics, it can be nice to have stories without certainty.

“It adds some character,” Cunningham said. “Things become very scholastic when you’re on campus, so I think this kind of takes it out of that serious realm and makes a different connection altogether.”

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Is it possible to be truly alone in the Communication Building? Photo by Bailey Nellesen.

Some believe a ghost haunts the Communication Building. Illustration by Wyatt Wurtenberger.

C U LT U R E

THE UNIVERSITY-WIDE IMPACT OF ACADEMIC HONESTY How the proper sharing of information is important to academic culture David Collie | Culture Reporter | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Stealing ideas can harm more than just those involved. Illustration by Isabel Everett.

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cademic citation practices can be difficult to adhere to. For some, the rules might seem arbitrary and nitpicky, and for many, it can seem downright annoying. Regardless, the sharing of information is vital to the education process, and the way in which it is done impacts the entire university.

With all the riveting information in a syllabus, it’s not surprising that many students tend to skip over that same “academic honesty” section seen several times in the first week of classes. Cheating is an issue that, for most, seems pretty straightforward.

Interestingly, though, 27 percent of the

academic misconduct incidents in the 1718 school year at Boise State were “determined to involve academic negligence,” according to the Academic Integrity Program Director Madison Hansen.

The student code of conduct—a text even more thrilling than a syllabus—defines academic negligence as, “The act of a student who, through ignorance, carelessness, or mistaken academic work, engages in behavior that, upon initial review, appears to be a deliberate act of Academic Misconduct but ultimately is found not to be intentional in the act.”

What this suggests is that students might benefit from being a little more

familiar with the proper sharing of information—even if there are exciting syllabi waiting to be read.

Hansen also explained how the sharing of knowledge differs between the university and popular culture.

“I think it is becoming more natural for students who have been accustomed to the Internet for a greater portion of their lives to see information shared extremely freely and without citation,” Hansen said. “I’m not sure that directly promotes plagiarism, but it certainly sets up an expectation of what the sharing of information should look like.”

Between the instant sharing of ideas over the Internet and the absence of citation regulation, a sizable divide is formed between the expectations of the university and the reality of the space where students spend much of their time.

This is not to say that the world beyond the university does not have standards for the sharing of information.

“I think in different workplaces it might just look different,” Hansen said. “There certainly will still be rules to follow, but I think a lot of Boise State graduates won’t be entering a field where they have to use APA, for example. I think it’s still helpful to have that practice because if you can do the hardest academic citation, you can handle whatever the workplace is going to throw at you.”

Hansen acknowledged the difficulty in proper academic citation and pointed to a number of resources that often go underutilized, such as the library, the Writing Center or even herself directly.

The library, especially, can be a good way for students to avoid plagiarism.

There are not only people who can help students determine whether or not what they are doing is plagiarism, but there are a plethora of free resources students can use in their work. “(Students) can go ahead and use other resources, but then they end up hitting

the paywall where they have to pay for the resource,” said Terry Madden, a reference librarian.

These practices, despite sometimes seeming unnecessary, do serve a purpose which impacts the entire university, and that is ensuring students are in fact developing the skills their degrees promise. When students obtain degrees in dishonest ways, it can then devalue the degrees of all other students at the university.

“I don’t want students to graduate without having the knowledge and skills that their degree, in theory, says they have.

I think that damages the reputation of...all the students who hold or will hold those Boise State degrees.”

Madison Hansen, academic integrity program director “I don’t want students to graduate without having the knowledge and skills that their degree, in theory, says they have.

I think that damages the reputation of... all the students who hold or will hold those Boise State degrees,” Hansen said.

So even when more exciting things like syllabi and the code of conduct might draw attention, it is important for students to continue the group effort of academic honesty which impacts the university as a whole.

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SPORTS & REC

BOISE STATE WATER POLO CLUB PROVIDES LAID-BACK ENVIRONMENT

For members of the club, it’s a way to de-stress and play the sport they love Erin Barnett | Staff Writer | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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very Monday and Wednesday night at 8 p.m., the Boise State water polo club meets for practice at the Recreation Center pool.

For three hours, the team is led by club president Ryan Williams, a seven-year water polo veteran and a junior majoring in pre-med human biology.

There are currently 18 people in the club, including eight women and ten men. This club has a laid-back feel to it, with a low-stress environment containing members who just have a pure passion for the game.

Williams described water polo as a mix of hockey, soccer and basketball combined in water.

The water polo club is a source of stress relief and passion for many of the players,

including Jordan Hall. Hall is the vice president of the water polo club and a junior finance major who has been playing water polo for five years.

“I have always been a big fan of the water, and this was the only sport I enjoy that is water-based,” Hall said. “I would say that it really helps relieve stress throughout the week and clears my head.”

Briel Mosekian, a senior marketing major, has had a love for water polo since she played during her senior year of high school. Similar to other club members, joining the club was to get back into the sport.

“I joined the team last year because I missed it, and I thought it would be a lot of fun,” Mosekian said. “I am definitely a very busy person, so practice can take away

from my sleep and study, however, it’s nice that our practice is so late at night.”

To be a member of the water polo team, students can email Williams or Hall to visit a practice. Practices start with a warmup of the captain’s choice, either a swim set or right into passing, shooting drills and close out with a scrimmage match. The practices and matches are co-ed. There are no gender-segregated teams for this club.

When a new member decides to join, they will be emailed papers to fill out and have to pay the $200 fee for the entire year. This fee can be broken up into payments and covers gear, tournaments and practices.

There are three tournaments throughout the year against other clubs or masters teams, such as Central Washington Uni-

versity or the University of Idaho. The club takes vans to travel to these matches.

The Boise State water polo club is more informal compared to other clubs and registered athletics teams. They are often understanding if a member can’t make it to a practice due to work or school. The club is a close-knit group who all have a love for water polo and are interested in having fun.

“For me, water polo is kind of a get away from everything else going on,” Mosekian said. “When I’m at practice, I’m at practice. It is really fun, and I love being on the team because I love every single one of my teammates.”

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WE BELIEVE in the home team.

SPORTS & REC

BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE BOISE STATE WOMEN’S SOCCER TEAM

Pre-game rituals, including “feeding the horse,” help the women’s soccer team continue its home win streak Addison DeHaven | Staff Writer | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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n front of a healthy crowd at the Boas Soccer Complex, the Boise State women’s soccer team continued their home win streak with a 2-1 over Wyoming on Sunday, Sept. 30. Behind the scenes, the women went through their normal series of rituals, which included “feeding the horse,” banging on lockers and getting in both a hot and cold tub.

A home game either starts at 1 p.m. or 4 p.m., depending on the day. On Sunday home games, the kickoff is almost always at 1 p.m., which means about a 9 a.m. wake up for the players.

“I set my alarm for the latest possible time, but always get up on my own before that,” said Emily Curry, a junior midfielder from Loomis, California. “Our whole house (of soccer players) gets up around 9:30 a.m.”

The pre-game breakfast consensus is some combination of eggs, whether that be a sandwich or scramble. The team is not required to be at the complex until 11 a.m., or two hours before the first kick, which gives them plenty of time to relax.

This almost always include some sort of movie.

“We watched ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ today before the game,” said Mckenna Kynett, a junior midfielder from Minden, Nevada. “Johnny Depp gets us pretty fired up for the game.”

Once they get to the complex, the players begin game preparation by getting treatment from the athletic trainers. This includes getting ankles taped, muscles prepped and more specific treatments for those dealing with nagging injuries. This is also when they get in the hot tub to warm their muscles, not to lounge.

After treatment, the music comes on, which can be anything from Gwen Stefani to Cardi B. During this time, the players will also braid each other’s hair.

“Mikayla (Schachtell) does my hair,” Kynett said. “She pretty much does everyone’s hair before the game.”

This lasts for about a half hour until they have to meet with head coach Jim Thomas to discuss the game.

After the meeting, about an hour until game time, the players begin to gather their jerseys, heart rate monitors and all other things that they will need for the warm-up and the game. But not before one final song, usually “The Middle” by Zedd, with all the lights off and a disco ball going in the locker room.

“We do a clap chant that the seniors start, and then we all join in. At the end we’ll all be clapping, and the seniors will be banging on the lockers.”

Ashleigh Harrison, redshirt sophomore

“We do a clap chant that the seniors start, and then we all join in,” said Ashleigh Harrison, a redshirt sophomore forward from Miranda, California. “At the end we’ll all be clapping, and the seniors will be banging on the lockers. That gets us ready to go play.”

Heading out to the field, as ritual, they slap the Bronco sign, similar to Notre Dame’s football pre-game sign touch, but not before “feeding the horse.” This involves a small horse statue outside the locker room who is fed grass by the first person leaving the locker room.

“Everyone touches the horse statue after it’s been fed,” Curry said. “Then we head to the field.”

After about 45 minutes of warm ups, the game is finally ready to begin.

Like most games this season, Boise State

Boise State soccer has multiple pre-game rituals to get them ready to compete. Photo courtesy of Will Driml of the Athletics Department.

came out on top versus Wyoming, 2-1.

Similar to other games, Raimee Sherlee was the scorer for the Broncos, putting away two goals, which tied the conference goal record at 41.

Following the handshake line, the team has about 10 minutes to speak to fans, parents and friends, and sign autographs.

To follow is usually a catered meal, often from Noodles and Company, that is always some kind of pasta.

“We gotta carb up,” Kynett said.

During the meal, they will usually watch other games from around the conference to keep an eye on the competition.

Boise State currently leads the conference with a perfect 4-0 record, followed by San Jose State (3-1) and Colorado College

(3-1).

Finally, following the team meal, players are free to leave. Often times parents will come to support their daughters during a two-game homestand.

“After, we sometimes will see our parents,” Curry said. “This usually means another dinner.”

Mondays are off for the Broncos, meaning no film, weights or practice. Looming, however, is a road trip to the Southwest, where they will face New Mexico (2-2) and then SDSU (2-1-1) two days later.

The next home game for the Broncos is a match-up with Fresno State on Friday, Oct. 19. The first kick will be at 4 p.m. at the Boas Soccer Complex.

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SPORTS & REC

CROSS COUNTRY ATHLETE YUSUKE UCHIKOSHI MAKES BIG STRIDES

The senior student-athlete enjoys running, cheeseburgers and making YouTube videos Autum Robertson | Sports Reporter | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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aitama, Japan, a city just north of Tokyo, is where senior communication major and cross country runner Yusuke Uchikoshi grew up. After facing difficulties like learning to speak English and studying to get into schools in the United States, Uchikoshi has become one of the top men’s cross country runners at Boise State.

Uchikoshi started his 2018 season off with a win; he was the first of the men to cross the finish line at the Sundodger Invitational on Sept. 8. In 2017 Uchikoshi was the 2017 Mountain West Outdoor Track and Field Champion in the 3,000m steeplechase. “(Uchikoshi has) grown as a person,” said cross country head coach Corey Ihmels. “He’s had to battle athletically and academically. (Uchikoshi) had to work hard at both, and I think that made him a better and stronger person. I think any time you come over from a different country, learn the language, go to school and be an athlete, it’s no short task.”

Uchikoshi’s journey to become a college athlete is anything other than ordinary. His goal was to run in America; he sent out 10 DVDs of his highlights to 10 different college coaches in the United States. While Uchikoshi was sending out his tapes, Ihmels was working at Iowa State University trying to get Uchikoshi on his team.

“Originally we recruited (Uchikoshi) when I was at Iowa State. We recruited him pretty hard; he decided to go somewhere else, but ended up not getting into school and had to go back to school in Japan,” Ihmels said. “Once I got the job (at Boise State), we started recruiting him and we got him to come to Boise. We recruited him to get to one school and ended up getting him to come to another.

It was obviously worth the hassle and the recruitment for him.”

Uchikoshi started running long before he had aspirations of running at a college level. His mother and father were two of

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Yusuke Uchikoshi finishes first at the 2016 Mountain West Championship. Photo courtesy of Nate Lowery.

his athletic inspirations.

“I started running when I was 13 years old,” Uchikoshi said. “My dad was a marathon runner. He participated in the 1993 cross country world championship in Stuttgart, Germany, and he took fifth. He was a good runner, and my mom was high jumper.”

Uchikoshi and his friend, teammate and roommate Keegan McCormick have recently started making YouTube videos together.

“It’s been fun,” redshirt senior criminal justice major McCormick said. “We just started a YouTube channel, so we’ve been

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filming quite a bit. We’ve been going on adventures and different hikes; we’ve even been able to travel a little bit. It’s been good, we get a lot of that one-on-one time, and really get to enjoy each other and our friendship.”

McCormick calls Uchikoshi his closest friend on the team. He said that Uchikoshi is probably the runner that has grown the most over the past years, saying that when Uchikoshi first came to the United States it was hard for him to find things he liked– now he eats cheeseburgers like everyone else. “(Our friendship) started out watching

a bunch of movies, listening movies, kind of delving into the American society and culture. And now we place soccer, play different sports, obviously run together, play video games and hangout. We’re brothers now,” McCormick said.

There are not many NCAA athletes from Japan, and Uchikoshi is the only one on the Boise cross country team. This leads to Uchikoshi constantly asking questions to learn all that he can while he is here.

“It’s been amazing; it’s been different,” McCormick said. “Every day is like a life lesson because he has so many questions to ask. He wants to know so many different things and the cultural difference, it’s been cool. (Uchikoshi) is just so interested in our lives and wants to learn.”

As an older member on the cross country team, Uchikoshi is looked at as a leader, but not in the traditional sense.

His teammates and coaches look at him as a silent leader; he leads when he runs.

McCormick said Uchikoshi is always there to support his teammates.

“He’s a good leader. He’s more of a silent leader than he is vocal,” Ihmels said. “He is an integral part of the group, and I think if he continues to have success, I think our team will continue to have success. He is a big part of what we want to get accomplished.”

After graduation, Uchikoshi has goals to keep running and run in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He joked that other than that, he has no idea of what he wants to do. But for now, Uchikoshi will continue being one of Boise’s top runners and having fun while doing so.

“He’s a goofball. He’s hilarious,” McCormick said. “He’s always on social media finding funny videos trying to reenact them. He sings songs. The ‘Frozen’ song, ‘Let it Go.’ He’s the best ‘Let it Go’ karaoke singer.”

FUN & GAMES

Puzzle 1 (Very hard, difficulty rating 0.81)

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Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/sudoku on Mon Sep 25 23:03:58 2017 GMT. Enjoy!

OCTOBER 9, 2018

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@bsupulse

@universitypulse @universitypulse University Pulse Radio