The Arbiter Vol. 32 Issue 20

February 4, 2020

Vol. 32 Issue 20

I N D EPEN DE NT

NEWS

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Idaho Representative drafts personal bill to amend Equal Rights Amendment in Idaho constitution

VISIT US ONLINE:

S T UDE NT

OPINION

V O I CE

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Utah’s ban on LGBTQIA+ conversion therapy should prompt Idaho lawmakers to follow arbiteronline.com

O F

B O I SE

STAT E

CULTURE

S I N C E

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Idaho State Museum hosts Smithsonian exhibit “Righting a Wrong: Japanese Americans and World War II” @arbiteronline

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SPORTS & REC

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Boise State’s swimming and diving team prepares for upcoming championship after winning senior day

@arbiteronline

@boisestatearbiter

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Editor-In-Chief Logan Potter editor@stumedia.boisestate.edu Online Editor Emma Freitas onlineeditor@stumedia.boisestate.edu News Editor Celina Van Hyning news@stumedia.boisestate.edu News Reporter Taylor Rico-Pekerol news@stumedia.boisestate.edu Culture Editor Will Meyer culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu Culture Reporter Michelle Johnson culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu Sports Editor Delaney Brassil sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu Sports Reporter Autum Robertson sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu Opinion Editor Blake Hunter opinion@stumedia.boisestate.edu Copy Editor Megan Mary Social Media Coordinator Trisha Kangas Digital Content Manager Mackenzie Hudson digitalcontent@stumedia.boisestate.edu Digital Content Producer Chandler Thornton Graphic Design Manager Maddie Ceglecki design@stumedia.boisestate.edu Graphic Designer Kacie Fromhart 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.

The Broncos gymnastics team fought hard at home on Jan. 31, eventually losing to BYU in total score but taking first in several events.

Mackenzie Hudson | The Arbiter

ON THE COVER:

Rising conser vative disapproval for universities is deepening political division. For student s from rural, predominantly Republican communities moving to Boise State’s campus, the challenges of identit y seeking are personal.

Cover design by Wyatt Wurtenberger.

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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EVENTS PUSHOUT: COMMUNITY DISCUSSION IDAHO BLACK HISTORY MUSEUM

FEBRUARY 5, 7 PM Author Monique W. Morris will be signing books after the reading of Pushout, a book analyzing and exposing the limited potential and support systems young women of color receive, leading to unstable and unclear futures.

ASK ME ANYTHING: CAREERS YOU CAN BANK ON

COBE IMAGINATION LAB FEBRUARY 6, 5 PM Hear from and discuss with a panel of acclaimed professionals and their take on recent career trends in the world of banking and finance.

FIRST FRIDAY ASTRONOMY

SCIENCE/EDUCATION BUILDING, RM. 112

JANUARY 22, 7 PM

Join Boise State’s Department of Physics and visiting lecturer Matthew Hedman for a discussion on the age of Saturn’s rings and moons. Afterward, attendees will be invited to Boise State’s observatory for rooftop stargazing.

CHINA NIGHT

SUB JORDAN BALLROOM FEBRUARY 8, 6 PM The Boise State Chinese club is hosting a night of traditional Chinese food and entertainment to celebrate the Year of the Rat, in accordance with the Chinese lunar calendar. Admission is free and open to all students, faculty, and the general public.

UPCOMING SPORTS MEN’S BA SKETBALL AWAY

AT WYOMING

FEBRUARY 4, 8 PM

AT UTAH STATE

HOME

VS AIR FORCE

FEBRUARY 11, 7 PM

FEBRUARY 8, 8 PM

WOMEN’S BA SKETBALL

HOME

VS WYOMING

FEBRUARY 5, 7 PM VS UTAH STATE

FEBRUARY 8, 2 PM

SOFTBALL AWAY

AT NORCAL KICKOFF TOURNAMENT

FEBRUARY 6 - 8

GYMNA STICS AWAY

AT UTAH STATE

FEBRUARY 7, 7 PM

NEWS

FEBRUARY 4, 2020 | ARBITERONLINE.COM

LEGISLATION TO LEGALIZE HEMP INTRODUCED IN IDAHO SENATE Idaho lawmaker brings forward bill to legalize growth and production of hemp, hemp-based products

Celina Van Hyning | News Editor | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Sen. Burgoyne believes hemp production in Idaho could be beneficial for the state economy.

File Photo by Logan Barry/progress-index.com

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hree out-of-state truck drivers were arrested on misdemeanor charges for transporting hemp across the Idaho border in September 2019. The drivers initially faced felony charges, but struck plea bargains with prosecutors that lowered the charges to misdemeanors.

Despite the deal made with drivers, the plea agreements made clear that despite

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a federal law legalizing the transport of hemp through state lines, hemp is still illegal in the state of Idaho.

Idaho Rep. Dorothy Moon recently brought forward a bill that, if passed, would legalize the growth and production of hemp and hemp-based products.

The legislation was created to align with federal law contained in the 2018 Federal Farm Bill.

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The Senate Health and Welfare Committee voted to clear the way for a hearing on the bill within the legislature.

The bill would change Idaho law to allow farmers to grow and sell hemp products containing 0.3% or less tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the compound in marijuana that causes psychoactive effects.

According to Moon, there is an emergency clause in the bill that will allow farmers to begin hemp production this year.

“It gives [farmers] an option to try a different product if they so desire,” Moon said during a press conference. “I think it’s important we give them those opportunities since everybody else is making hay, more or less, with hemp.”

There were several attempts to legalize hemp during last year’s legislative session.

Since the bill was introduced early in the legislative session, Moon believes there is a better chance of it passing.

“I’m excited the Senate has heard this bill early, and hopefully it will move through both chambers quickly and we’ll get it to the governor’s desk,” Moon said during the press conference.

Supporters of the bill have said Idaho’s climate is ideal for growing hemp. Farmers could sell hemp seeds and a hemp-derived extract called cannabidiol (CBD), which is used by many as a health aid.

Sen. Grant Burgoyne is publicly supportive of CBD use and believes that hemp legalization could lead to increased medical use of these products.

“Unfortunately, the federal government continues to put us in the position of having products on the market that may have beneficial effects,” Burgoyne said.

“But we really don’t know as much about them as we should. And that makes me a little unhappy and uncomfortable.”

The law in Idaho states that even barely detectable traces of THC classifies hemp and CBD as marijuana, which is illegal in Idaho.

Manufacturers selling hemp-based products must ensure that the products contain no trace of THC before going on the market.

Burgoyne says Moon’s bill will change Idaho law in conformity with the Federal Farm Bill by removing hemp as a Schedule 1 drug.

“At that point, we don’t have to have 100% guarantee there’s absolutely not one single little molecule with THC in this stuff,” Burgoyne said. “And the other thing is, at 0.3%, there is no danger of THC creating any psychoactive effects for those who consume CBD oil or any other hemp products.”

Opponents said legalizing hemp could make it more difficult to enforce the state’s marijuana laws. This is Republican Gov. Brad Little’s primary concern regarding the bill. Any attempt to legalize hemp would have to find a solution before Little would sign such a bill into law.

Twin Falls prosecutor Grant Loebs, the chairman of the media committee for the Idaho Prosecuting Attorneys Association, said the association is not opposed to legalizing hemp if the process complies with the necessary regulations.

“If there is a desire to allow legitimate farmers and legitimate businessmen to engage in the production and sale of hemp, and that’s what the goal of the legislation is, I see no reason why there can’t be legislation designed to meet that goal,” Loebs said.

NEWS

VIRGINIA RATIFIES THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT, IDAHO COULD FOLLOW After being rescinded in 1982, the amendment has been introduced as a personal bill to the House Taylor Rico-Pekerol | News Reporter | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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arlier in 2020, Virginia became the 38th state to pass the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), meaning three-fourths of the states have ratified it. With this threefourths majority, the amendment could be presented in the United States Congress to be ratified as the 28th amendment in the U.S. Constitution.

Rep. Melissa Wintrow brought the ERA to the Idaho legislature to recognize that all sexes deserve equal rights and to add an additional section to the constitution of Idaho regarding sex equality.

Unable to receive a hearing in committee, Wintrow is now presenting the bill personally. A personal bill is a way to document the policy request when a chair will not grant a hearing, according to Wintrow.

“I have continued to bring the ERA to the Idaho legislature because it is a conversation that we have to keep having,” Wintrow wrote in an email. “Despite opposition, it is necessary to keep asking the Idaho legislature to recognize equal rights in our laws.”

“I have continued to bring the ERA to the Idaho legislature because it is a conversation that we have to keep having.”

Rep. Melissa Wintrow In 1982, Idaho rescinded the ratification of the ERA due to no other states ratifying the amendment during the extended 10-year period for states to ratify. Through the case of the National Organization for Women v. Idaho, a lower court gave Idaho the right to rescind the original ratification, according to Wintrow.

Laws can be repealed by a simple majority vote; however, the removal of an amendment can be harder to rescind. In 1920, women were granted the right to vote by adding the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution allowing for little room to have their voting rights changed.

“A constitutional amendment has more force to it,” said Lisa McClain, professor for the history department with a focus on gender studies. “These are the foundational principles of our nation. People stand up for constitutional amendments. The courts

go the extra mile to attempt to protect them.”

With the laws that have been passed, the amendment is one more way to ensure that people are not discriminated against due to their gender.

Anita Sloan, a sophomore accounting major, works with the American Cancer Society as a student advocate and ensures

that student voices are being heard.

“The safety in just knowing that it is on record in the legislation that anyone cannot be denied based on their sex, I don’t think it makes that much of an impact,” Sloan said. “It may be more of a mental sense in knowing no one can be discriminated against, especially in the workplace or anywhere else.”

An ongoing debate among state legislatures, legal scholars and the federal government over whether the ERA should be ratified after the 1982 deadline is currently being discussed, but the ratification by Virginia has ignited a new interest in

the House, according to Wintrow.

“If the ERA passes, it is going to provide constitutional protection against gender discrimination for all Americans,” McClain said. “And I think for Boise State students in particular what this means for them as they go out into the world, is that you have protection against discrimination in hiring and also in equal pay for equal work.”

Idaho legislation rescinded the Equal Rights Amendment in 1982 but it is being brought back by Rep. Melissa Wintrow.

Wyatt Wurtenberger | The Arbiter FEBRUARY 4, 2020

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NEWS

MENTAL ILLNESS AND OBESITY ARE IDAHO’S TOP HEALTH CONCERNS

St. Luke’s study prompts research into future of health in the state of Idaho Ashley Clark | Staff Writer | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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recent community health assessment released by St. Luke’s concluded that obesity and mental illness are the two most significant health concerns for Idahoans.

The study pulled quantitative and qualitative data from health sources and interviews throughout the state to comprehensively determine community concerns. St. Luke’s will use these results to decide how to prepare and allocate resources in order to address these increasing issues.

“We made an extensive effort to really understand, 'What are the multiple health needs in our communities that are depriving people of their health and the well-being they aspire for?'” said Lyle Nelson, the administrator for community health at St. Luke’s Health System.

According to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW), the obesity rate of Idahoan adults has nearly doubled over the past 15 years, following the national trend. Additionally, the 2008 Idaho DHW Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System study determined that obese adults were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with a major depressive disorder.

“I’m scared to tell my professors I have bipolar because I don’t know how they’re going to react.”

Alyza Lovenguth, junior media arts and English rhetoric double major

Idaho also has the second-highest rate of suicide in the nation, while also being ranked one of the lowest states in regards to accessibility of mental health services.

Many direct factors, including general

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nutrition and health, can have an effect on an individual’s mental well-being. However, outside factors like daily stress, personal support systems and human interactions can also have significant effects on an individual’s mental health.

For college students, bodily health is often negatively impacted by high-processed diets, lack of sleep and drug and alcohol

consumption. Additionally, busy schedules, heightened emotional relationships, food insecurity, financial instability and even loneliness or isolation are common stressors that can compound mental illness.

The Journal of Abnormal Psychology reported a 71% increase in young adults experiencing psychological distress from 2008 to 2017.

However, the stigma surrounding mental disorders is still strong.

“Sometimes I’m scared to tell people,” said Alyza Lovenguth, a junior media arts and English rhetoric double major. “I’m scared to tell my professors I have bipolar because I don’t know how they’re going to react.”

Between mental illnesses, eating disorders, stress, self-harm, addiction and even identity struggles, it is very normal for students to wrestle with mental wellness. The National Alliance on Mental Illness reports that 50% of college students rate their mental health as below average or poor.

“Depression and anxiety are definitely the top Overweight and obese adults account for 68.5% of the concerns we see among stuadult population, according to the Idaho Department of dents,” said Amy Roberts, a clinical social worker in the Health and Welfare.

Kacie Fromhart | The Arbiter Counseling Center within

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Boise State Health Services.

According to Roberts, Boise State Health Services has seen a 40% increase in appointments for mental wellness within the last year.

Addressing stigma and furthering the public’s education regarding mental health in its entirety is another problem St. Luke’s is hoping to tackle in the near future.

“One in five of us will experience a mental health issue in our lives,” Nelson said. “We need to make it more acceptable to get past the stigma so that people can get beyond the suffering. Stigma is often what stops people from getting the help they need.”

St. Luke’s community health team hopes to focus on providing comprehensive educational and preventative resources as well as direct services for those struggling with mental health issues.

With St. Luke’s assessment and implementation plan, Gov. Brad Little’s recent creation of the Idaho Behavioral Health Planning Council and the new 211 Idaho CareLine, Idaho has recently seen a positive upturn in public concern and statewide planning to address mental health.

The St. Luke’s assessment team hopes to work in tandem with other local health agencies, like St. Alphonsus, Boise State, the Idaho Division of Public Health, the Idaho Commission on Aging and others for community-based outreach and health services in order to provide all-inclusive resources for the public.

“It is necessary that all of us have an avenue to good health,” Nelson said. “It reduces healthcare costs for everyone, reduces crime in our communities and reduces addiction in our communities.

[Members of St. Luke’s staff] believe that this is a challenge to improve the health for all people.”

DEPARTMENTS ON CAMPUS FORM A COMMUNITY RESPONSE TEAM

NEWS

With a gap in gender-based studies, the CCRT works to aid students by investigating preventative measures Taylor Rico-Pekerol | News Reporter | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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ifferent departments on campus aid students in relieving stressors and filing complaints and reports. However, the run-around to find the right person to talk with or the right department can be a daunting task.

The Campus Community Response Team (CCRT) is working to relieve that stress.

The CCRT is a group of administrators and students from different departments that focus on identifying campus needs related to gender-based violence. The group implements preventative measures and response interventions that are collaborative and inclusive.

The university has policies and procedures to address issues, but the preventative measures for these issues could be improved, according to Kyrsti Wyatt, the assistant dean of students.

“We met with students to hear what student experiences have been on campus, having experienced violence, and then [seeing if ] maybe they did or did not go through any university process,” Wyatt said. “If they didn’t, why not? What do they wish they had known prior to their experience? So we did a little bit of soul searching and digging.”

During its first year, CCRT had a core group of four administrators who worked to understand student needs and what resources needed to be created for preventative measures. Last year, CCRT officially formed their team and is now comprised of departments and students from all over campus.

The team now includes Housing and Residence Life, Campus Security, the Women and Children’s Alliance, Boise Police Department, faculty, the Gender Equity Center (GEC), the Office of the Dean of Students, Institutional Compliance and Ethics, Campus Operations, the Student Involvement Leadership Center and involvement from students themselves.

“What does everyone at the table need to know?” Wyatt said. “It’s such a small area of everyday practice that, while a lot of people

The CCRT works with departments and also includes students on the team, such as Dehra McFaddan.

Chandler Thornton | The Arbiter

at the university have impacts in this area, they don’t even realize they do. Or they do but they don’t know all the other moving pieces of gender-based violence and how the university approaches it.”

At the beginning of every freshman’s career at Boise State, they are required to take an online prevention and awareness workshop regarding sexual assault and alcohol education. During her freshman year, Nataša Copic, a sophomore nursing major, reflected on what she learned while taking the online workshops.

“I think a lot of times students don’t want to think about things that are tough like that, and it kind of forces you to think about that from your own perspective and not put it aside,” Copic said. “A lot of people will do that if they don’t have some type

of workshop that they need to do.”

Dehra McFaddan is the Associated Students of Boise State University (ASBSU) secretary of academic affairs and has taken a claim in CCRT to understand what can be done to help students. During her time as an undergraduate student, McFaddan worked for the GEC and began working on a presentation regarding stalking on campus and gender-based violence.

Regarding the areas that were lacking studies, McFaddan passed the information along to other members at the GEC. “A lot of other universities have teams like this that are similar in structure and there are grants you can actually apply for to help with any research and different things,” McFaddan said. “I know that’s kind of what the plan is, is to continue studying

especially in the gap areas that we have. So, like, stalking is one at Boise State.”

Currently, the GEC is working on applying for a grant that would award them enough funds to continue their research and hire a full-time employee to research the reasoning behind stalking and gender-based violence, while also increasing the efforts behind spreading awareness and prevention.

“You can say that gender-based violence rates aren’t rising on campus and I would challenge that by saying I think it is, it’s just not being as reported,” McFaddan said.

“Which is also okay. Survivors need to do what is best for them to make it through to healing. So I think that by having this team, we’re really trying hard to figure out how can we make this easier for everyone.”

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OPINION FEBRUARY 4, 2020 | ARBITERONLINE.COM

IDAHO SHOULD PRIORITIZE QUEER INDIVIDUALS OVER RELIGION

Utah just banned LGBTQIA+ “conversion therapy,” and Idaho should follow suit in embracing queer Idahoans Blake Hunter | Opinion Editor | opinion@stumedia.boisestate.edu

The LGBTQIA+ community has rallied against “conversion therapy” for decades.

Photo by Josè Maria Sava on Unsplash Content warning: this article contains discussions of religion, the medical establishment and sexuality. t the turn of the 20th century, the field of psychiatry thought it had gained a cure to one of society’s most shameful and persistent troubles: homosexuality.

The emergence of “conversion therapy” — a pseudoscience aimed at changing a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity — was carried out through a variety of grotesque methods. Now, Idaho’s conservative neighbor Utah has joined 18 other states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico in banning “conversion therapy,” and Idaho has an opportunity to make a change in protecting its citizens from a system of

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hatred this legislative session.

Though the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders in 1973 after the rise of the gay and trans movement and the practice of “conversion therapy” was debunked among scientists, homophobia and transphobia were embedded in American culture in the durable idea that sexuality could be changed. At that point, churches and religious communities took up the task of “converting” youth.

The Williams Institute at the University of California-Los Angeles found in 2018 that 698,000 adults in the United States have experienced “conversion therapy.” In the coming years, 57,000 people will receive religious-affiliated “conversion therapy”

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before they reach the age of 18, and 20,000 will receive it from a health care professional where the practice is not banned. Even with bans, religious groups are reinventing their methods, using the term “identity workshop” to align church members closer to the group’s ideas of gender and sexuality as a way to immortalize “conversion therapy.”

In recent years, however, the effects of conversion therapy have led to substantial public outcry against the practice, even from former “ex-gay” leaders who signed a 2014 letter in opposition to “conversion therapy.” The major LGBTQIA+ focused crisis intervention and suicide prevention organization The Trevor Project recently cited a study in the Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics showing that lesbian, gay and bisexual people between the ages of 21-25 who were rejected by their caregivers had more negative health outcomes, including higher rates of suicide attempts and illegal drug use than their peers who were not rejected.

Rejection combines with shame and self-hatred when homophobia and transphobia operate at a societal level — last September, McKrae Game, founder of the United States’ largest “conversion therapy” centers, known as Hope for Wellness Network, denounced the practice as harmful, ineffective and came out as gay himself.

This is a common trend: queer people who have internalized hatred have often led the charge in faith-affiliated “conversion therapy.” Alan Chambers, former leader of “ex-gay” ministry, Exodus International, has apologized for the harm he caused and says he is homosexual.

Idaho could be one of many Republican-led states to ban “conversion therapy” in some form this legislative session, building on the momentum to end the practice.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day

Saints, a major political power in both Utah and Idaho, originally opposed Utah’s ban in October 2019 before switching to support it a month later.

As a queer person, I am fortunate to have never experienced institutionalized “conversion therapy.” But the culture I grew up in constantly told me — and all my queer siblings — that queerness was immoral. At the same time, our straight siblings were internalizing the same message.

I have since been able to work towards claiming my queerness as the source of power that so many people worked so hard to stifle. Inherently, being queer is a revolutionary act: mostly against the people in the church I grew up attending and the friends who made homophobic jokes, but all too often against myself. As a child, I could not help but listen to them all and join in their chorus of hate and fear. I do not blame myself for trying to survive, but I am now responsible for fighting to ensure that no child has to grow up in a massive system engineered to “convert” them before they even have a chance to form their identity.

Banning “conversion therapy” is one essential step.

We have all heard the phrase “being gay is not a choice,” but even that has limitations. Removing the cultural narrative that being queer or transgender is not a choice is yet another concern. Though it is true that sexuality and gender are not chosen, this common sentiment implies that queer people deserve respect because they lack control over their gender or sexuality. Rather, all human beings are inherently worthy of dignity and celebration.

Idaho legislators will soon have the opportunity to protect children from religious authorities in other ways. The least we can do as a state is ban a debunked practice that harms our youth.

OPINION

THE 2020 OSCARS SHOULD NOT STICK TO THE STATUS QUO The Academy could turn the tables in this year’s Best Picture race, but will it take the leap?

Logan Potter | Editor-in-Chief | editor@stumedia.boisestate.edu

So-dam Park and Woo-sik Choi in a scene from Bong Joon-ho’s film and Best Picture nominee “Parasite.”

Photo courtesy of Neon/TNS

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he Best Picture race at the Academy Awards is always competitive, sometimes disappointing and almost constantly entertaining. Great films are selected as nominees but somehow the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences finds a way to shake things up, in a near-objectively wrong way, year after year.

Following the #OscarsSoWhite controversy (which was never corrected and, in fact, was exacerbated this year), “Green Book” took home the award for Most Disappointing Best Picture, presented by me and everyone else who is tired of seeing historically inaccurate, white savior films walk away with prestige.

After snubbing “Roma,” despite its clear standing as the Best Picture frontrunner before the 2019 Oscars ceremony, the Academy has another opportunity to correct its wrong-

doings with “Parasite.” The film, directed

by Bong Joon-ho, is the sixth film to be nominated both in the Best Picture and Best International Feature Film (formerly titled Best Foreign Language Film) categories.

Unfortunately, the Academy does not have a vibrant history of rewarding international films in the Best Picture category.

In fact, it has no history at all — although six films have been nominated in both categories, not a single one has taken home the Best Picture Oscar.

There are a number of reasons that this year could — and should — be different.

For one, “Roma” is a Netflix-distributed film, which is a label that many filmmakers and Hollywood industry names are not fond of.

Alfonso Cuarón, the director of “Roma,” even stated that he felt the blow-back from those closest to him in the industry, and famed director Steven Spielberg has been

outspoken about his distaste for Netflix’s competitiveness in the awards circuit.

That is the first aspect in which “Parasite” has a clear advantage. Most viewers became acquainted with Joon-ho’s on-screen world during its theatrical run, which takes down a crucial barrier between the film and self-proclaimed “traditional” Oscars voters who would be less likely to watch “Parasite” had it come from a streaming giant like Netflix.

Plus, small distributors are no strangers to causing major Oscar upsets in the Best Picture category. Despite the films’ relatively low numbers of nominations across the board, “Spotlight” (Bleecker Street) and “Moonlight” (A24) took home the biggest awards of the night. Although it is not a studio film, “Parasite” has a serious chance with Neon as its distributor.

Beyond the scope of its distribution,

“Parasite” has already been an awards season favorite. After becoming the first South Korean film to win the Palme d’Or at Cannes — in a unanimous vote, I might add — the film went on to receive nominations and wins at the Golden Globes, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards (BAFTAs) ahead of the Academy Awards ceremony on Feb. 9.

Perhaps the most telling of those accolades is its win for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture at the SAG Awards.

This award does not automatically project a frontrunner for the Oscars race (see: the 2019 win of “Black Panther”), but “Parasite” is the first foreign-language film to ever do so.

Clearly, the impact of “Parasite” has been groundbreaking across the board, which highlights why the Academy is so far behind.

Despite the fact “Parasite” is one of the most buzzed-about films of the year, it does not even rank in the films with the most Oscar nominations. Joon-ho’s film only racked up six noms this year, and not a single one falls into one of the acclaimed acting categories.

And with the Academy’s track record for nominating non-white actors, no one is surprised.

Only 11 films have ever won Best Picture without picking up a single acting nomination, and the time is now for “Parasite” to make it 12.

“Roma” walked at the 2019 Oscars — and did not pick up the Best Picture accolade it deserved — so the Academy could try harder and “Parasite” could run. Following the momentum of the rest of the awards season this year, Academy voters should take Joon-ho’s advice and overcome the “inch-tall” barrier of subtitles and give “Parasite” the place it deserves in the Best Picture hall of fame.

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

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CRAFTING A POLITICAL IDENTITY how college fosters growth, growth , but Politics Can Get In the Way BLAKE HUNTER | OPINION EDITOR | OPINION@STUMEDIA.BOISESTATE.EDU

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ogan Stanley graduated from Boise State in the fall of 2019 with a Bachelor’s degree in political science. She now works for Next Generation Leadership Idaho, a Political Action Committee (PAC) that prepares people to run in Idaho’s progressive political arenas. Her work is important to her. Her parents would rather not talk about it.

“I’ve had my dad tell me multiple times that, ‘If I would have known that this was what was going to happen, I wouldn’t have sent my kids to college,’” Stanley said.

College grants a new taste of independence for many students, and an opportunity to expand one’s identity, which often includes political belief.

In a turbulent political climate with a deepening urban-rural divide, universities could confirm what conservative rural Americans fear: that colleges are liberalizing young Americans. On the other hand, colleges have the opportunity to give students the freedom to come to their own conclusions through their learning.

Though a recent study by the University of Arkansas shows that college faculty do not discriminate against conservative students in grades, Pew Research shows that

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over the last decade and particularly from 2015 to 2017, Republicans are increasingly displeased by the perceived effects of college. College approval rates among Republicans fell from 54% in 2015 to 33% in 2017. Disapproval rates inverted at almost the exact same rate in the same timeframe, with the most recent data from 2019 showing college disapproval at 59% among Republicans.

THE MYTH: Universities are liberalizing young Americans

Stanley, a first-generation college student, grew up in a conservative family in rural central California. It was not until Stanley took an American politics class in college that she began to doubt her original beliefs.

Similar stories are common among college students. According to Dr. Charles Hunt, an assistant professor of political science who focuses on American political representation and polarization, college students often question the political ideals they were raised around.

“When you go to college, especially if you go to even a minor metropolitan area like Boise, if you’re not from there, then you’re exposed to a

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lot of different people,” Hunt said. “And when that happens, that is usually something that tends to contribute to a more progressive or liberal political ideology — a sort of openness to other experiences.”

Many factors contribute to the socially progressive demographics common on university campuses. The Pew Research Center shows that young adults are consistently among the most socially progressive Americans, and the urban areas where many university campuses are located are increasingly progressive, particularly on social issues such as race, gender and sexuality.

Among some rural communities, universities including Boise State seem full of leftist intellectuals trying to indoctrinate students, an idea that sells — conservative pundit Ben Shapiro even wrote a book about it.

Stanley’s perspective changed in the classroom, shifting from the absorption of conservative talking points to forming her own ideas based on the literature she was reading.

“It wasn’t so much the whole concept of the university structure that made me liberal,” Stanley said. “It was more of critically thinking through facts and seeing the numbers and how things actually work is what made my ideology shift.”

In the same way that students are led to reflect on outside influences, academia causes students to reflect on their own identities and

how they experience the world.

For Rex Bartlett, a senior communications and political science double major from a conservative family, his studies led him to critique the entire American political system and embrace a centrist, or politically moderate, identity. His communication courses allowed him to analyze political advertising and rhetoric, and Bartlett realized early in his studies that identities like race and gender greatly impact political messaging.

As a white, straight and cisgender man, Bartlett realized he had often reacted defensively to others rather than examining his own identity in politics.

“The more you learn, you either have to double down as kind of a defense mechanism and wear your ideologies as a defense, or you’re open and vulnerable and that’s a much scarier thing,” Bartlett said.

“And you have to realize that you don’t know as much as you think you do.”

Developing political independence

College gives students the freedom to choose what they study, where they work and who they spend their time with in an often unprecedented manner, and the effects of those decisions have lasting impacts on students.

Dr. Kimberly Henderson is a senior lecturer in the psychology department who focuses on a relatively new development in psychology, known as emerging adulthood. First introduced by Jeffrey Arnett in 2000, emerging adulthood is the phase of life experienced by people from 18 to 25 years of age — mostly in industrialized societies — as

young adults make a historically slow transition to independence, spending more energy and resources on self-exploration and identity seeking.

“The big piece here is the independence, because now with sort of this cultural mandate for college, students are dependent on their parents for much longer,” Henderson said. “College kind of delays making some big decisions — you get a temporary job, you get a temporary roommate. Things are very transitory during the college period, in the prototypical college experience.”

Madeline Grendeau is a freshman environmental studies and geoscience double major from Spokane, Wash. Though downtown Spokane is a liberal hub, Grendeau’s family lives on the outskirts of the city, a conservative area more similar to the surrounding region of eastern Washington and northern Idaho.

Grendeau began paying attention to politics during the 2012 presidential election as the protests that led to the Black Lives Matter movement began. Around the same time, climate change entered her conservative family’s dialogue while she attended Mead High School, which received some of the highest threats of shooting violence of any high school in the country.

Though she is now a Democrat and her family is conservative, Grendeau said that conversations with them challenged her to think independently.

“While it’d be great to have everyone agree, it’s good to have that civil discourse because it allows me to really explore why I believe what I believe,” Grendeau said.

Grendeau’s experience matches what Henderson has seen in the data on emerging adulthood, as people experiment with ideas together.

“There really is this next level that has to do with authoring the self, really taking our environment, taking the ideas, taking the cul-

tural constructs, internalizing them, and then really having time and experience to see, like, ‘How well does this ideology fit with what I truly believe?’” Henderson said.

Hunt said that when people come to their own conclusions, they are able to separate their political identity from their personal identity better, allowing them to avoid bias.

“I think it’s pretty indisputably good when people, especially college-aged students, come into their political opinions and identities through their own effort and reasoning,” Hunt said. “I think that is a really organic and rigorous way to approach political identity.”

The current political climate and its consequences

Students are not only impacted by a university’s academic or social culture but a combination of the two. Henderson said that in emerging adulthood, peers are the most impactful influences.

“What we run into at university is we get exposed to things that we normally wouldn’t choose for ourselves,” Henderson said. “When we make a shift through our adolescence, where our reference points are, where we get the majority of our information, in that adolescent transition we really shift from going to our parents as authorities to turning to our friends as authorities.”

According to Hunt, parents are overwhelmingly the largest political influences for young adults, and while students almost always differ in some ways from their parents — particularly on social issues — students who have opposite political ideologies from their parents are the exception, not the rule.

Yet anti-university rhetoric

F E AT U R E

persists and could continue to deepen political division. Hunt said that when people in conservative, rural areas are unhappy with the college system and discourage their children from attending universities, college campuses are cut off from essential voices.

In Hunt’s polarization classes, he stresses the importance of meeting other people where they are, even if it feels uncomfortable or vulnerable. If that cannot happen at an individual and institutional level, Hunt said that people in rural, conservative communities will continue to distance themselves from universities, and vice versa.

“The idea is not to indoctrinate anyone,” Hunt said. “It’s not to instill a political ideology. It’s, in fact, quite the opposite.

It’s to give students the tools to determine their own political ideology.”

Additionally, Hunt commended Boise State’s president, Dr. Marlene Tromp, for leading efforts to connect with rural communities around the state, meeting legislators and starting conversations about how Boise State can best serve students from Idaho and around the world.

“I think we would disserve our students if what we were was simply an ideological machine,” Tromp said in a January interview with The Arbiter. “Because if we’re preparing you to go out in the world to be leaders, you’ve got to be a person of your own mind.”

Rex Bartlett (left) and Madeline Grendeau are both from conservative backgrounds and exemplify the disparity between college campuses and rural communities.

Mackenzie Hudson & Wyatt Wurtenberger | The Arbiter FEBRUARY 4, 2020

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FASHION LEAGUE OPENS THE DOOR FOR CREATIVES TO SHARE UNIQUE STYLES

Founders want to encourage responsible fashion while supporting artistic expression Emma Freitas | Online Editor | online@stumedia.boisestate.edu

The Fashion League encourages the community to reevaluate what they consider fashion.

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earing a cow-print cowboy hat, fuzzy purple tube top, overalls and rhinestone butterfly stickers under her eyes, Paloma Silva kicked off the first meeting of the Fashion League with style.

The newly formed club has big goals and wants to find unique ways to collaborate with creatives in the community. Founded on free expression, sustainability and having space to collaborate, the Fashion League has made excellence a part of its mission.

As the president of Boise State’s Fashion League, Silva, a junior sociology major, described how she wanted to provide a space for students to develop their style and find professional connections.

Melissa Moore, a senior media arts major with a public relations emphasis and the team’s communication officer, saw a connection between the fashion industry and future careers from social media. She recognized that the fashion industry is about

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expression, as well as social networking.

“I don’t think I realized how much businesses and individuals look at your social media when you’re going through a hiring process until I actually started going through the hiring process,” Moore said.

For Max Haines, a junior media arts major with a public relations emphasis and the Fashion League’s development officer, fashion has become a dream career since his first encounters with it.

“I’ve always liked fashion, but I’ve never thought of myself as a creative enough person to make my own clothes,” Haines said. “And [I would] say I don’t like styling and stuff, but I’ve always liked how companies would promote and advertise their fashion. And so how I like to tie public relations into fashion is [that] I really want to work in the industry.”

Before the group graduates and moves into the professional fashion industry, though, they explained that there is work to be done locally first.

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Mackenzie Hudson | The Arbiter

“Growing up in a conservative town, I want to like push those boundaries especially here and on this campus,” Silva said.

As the executive members of the Fashion League, Moore and her cohorts wanted to represent themselves as different styles of fashion to demonstrate that there is no right or wrong way to dress.

“There really isn’t a universal definition of what fashion is [or] what the style and trends are,” Moore said. “What I think of fashion is completely different to what Max and Meg and Paloma think. I think that’s why we wanted to do all this together because we do that, like we represent that. And so, we were just trying to get out that message to people who are gatekeeping [fashion].”

Meghan O’Neill, a junior marketing major and the League’s financial officer, did not think there were places on campus that provided the type of creative outlet the team was looking for.

“I just think it’s easy to be stuck in your

ways and not l branch out and pursue different interests you have and we thought that there wasn’t a huge opportunity for that until we decided to make this,” O’Neill said.

On top of encouraging fashion as an art, one of the league’s main initiatives is “Thrifting Thursdays” an activity the group is establishing to teach others how to shop responsibly. Along with thrift shopping, the group collaborates with the community to upcycle, sew and re-imagine clothes.

“What I’ve been trying to learn is sustainability and realizing that it’s really bad to go to retail stores all the time, you know,” Silva said. “It’s not good for the earth, and I really want to push and show people that you can make cool clothes on a budget because I feel like we’re all on budgets here.”

Though fashion is commonly thought of as an expensive and elite hobby, the group wanted to form the League to create a supportive environment for expression.

Because the League is brand new, the team has to create the foundation from scratch but is determined to make it work.

“I’m really just wanting to help Paloma get this project off the ground and help her achieve her goal of getting this club together,” said Stu Dwello, a junior political science major and the group’s outreach executive.

As an art project and professional creative space, the Fashion League aspires to create a foundation for future students as a supportive group with their collective goals.

“Art is whatever moves you, and so this is all moving us,” Silva said. “It’s definitely just been in the back of my head and so I’m so glad that I’m doing this and we’re all doing this together. I would say it’s an art project that I want to continue even after we all graduate.”

The Fashion League meets on Mondays from 5–6 p.m. in the Student Union Building.

C U LT U R E

TAPPING INTO THE SEA OF HISTORY THAT LIBRARIES OFFER

Boise State archives preserve links to Idaho’s past with help from specialized library employees Will Meyer | Culture Editor | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

better understanding of any situation and where it started, according to Oestreicher.

For Avery Masiewicz, a junior studying English Literature who also works in the archives, understanding current events is what makes her appreciate working with historical material.

“Where we are today, there’s all this stuff that happened to get us where we are, and we don’t always think about that, we don’t always need to.”

Dr. Cheryl Oestreicher, head of Boise State special collections and archives

Boise State archivists continually find new material on the shelves of the archives.

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hough most days finding a spot to study in the Boise State library can be difficult, it is fairly common to meet students who have never checked out a book there. The necessity of a library is still clearly relevant in 2020, but many of the resources the building offers lay untapped by the campus population. On the second floor near the McCain Reading Room lies one of those often-forgotten resources; one that also happens to be a rich source of history on almost any topic.

“There’s great value and importance in archives and in studying primary sources, and making those accessible to everyone,” said Dr. Alessandro Meregaglia, assistant professor of history as well as a librarian and archivist. “It used to be that archives, decades ago, were more just for professors or scholars.

Now, archives are open to everyone, and the material is accessible to everyone.”

According to Meregaglia, the best thing that campus members can do if they are unsure whether the archive is relevant to them is to talk to one of the four archivists Boise State employs.

“I think having that face-to-face interaction can help demystify aspects of [the archives]. Each archive is different, so the material that we have at Boise State is definitely unique to Boise State,” Meregaglia said.

Recently, Meregaglia has garnered attention for locating a previously unpublished book by an Idahoan writer named Vardis Fisher in the archives of the Library of Congress. Meregaglia’s use of archives is one example of how people can use the resource to deepen their understanding of most any subject in a unique way.

“One of my favorite things about

Will Meyer | The Arbiter [archives] is that you’re always learning.

Anytime we help a student, or we bring something out for a class, or we help another researcher answer a question, or we get a new collection, anything we just learn all the time,” said Dr. Cheryl Oestreicher, head of special collections and archives at Boise State.

Oestreicher said that for her, one of the most important elements of archives is their ability to teach the public about history in a variety of ways on a multitude of subjects.

“Where we are today, there’s all this stuff that happened to get us where we are, and we don’t always think about that, we don’t always need to,” Oesteicher said.

“So to think about climate change: if we go back and look at some of our collections, there’s discussions about that going back for decades.”

Understanding the context and history behind today’s world gives people a

“It gives a lot of insight into the history of the university, but at the same time, it also gives a lot of insight into the history of current events,” Masiewicz said.

Masiewicz also said that working in the archives has given her an appreciation for the amount of organization that goes into maintaining a system like the archives where, if she puts a book on the wrong shelf, it will be lost for anyone looking for it until it is recovered.

Though students may scoff at the idea of spending free time looking through archival material, Oestreicher emphasized the archives can be a great way to illuminate topics someone may have always been curious about.

By compiling endless amounts of historical artifacts, the archives are a large resource that the library holds that the campus community can take advantage of for projects or just fun and anywhere in between.

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C U LT U R E

IDAHO STATE MUSEUM HOSTS VISUALLY STRIKING SMITHSONIAN EXHIBIT

The ‘Righting a Wrong: Japanese Americans and World War II’ exhibition is now open to the public Michelle Johnson | Culture Reporter | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

A glimpse inside the new exhibition located inside of the Idaho State Museum.

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he Minidoka internment camp ceased operations, bringing to a close the incarceration of Japanese Americans 75 years ago. Now, in commemoration, the Idaho State Museum is hosting the exhibition, “Righting a Wrong: Japanese Americans and World War II.” This Smithsonian traveling exhibit showcases the history of immigration, the war and the events leading up to executive order 9066, which prompted the forcing of Japanese Americans into internment camps throughout the country, including Minidoka, based in Idaho. “[The exhibit] displays various objects, such as photos, documents, clothing items, other personal items and art that

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reflect and remember the devastation the internment camps caused,” Francesca D’Alessandro, a sophomore majoring in history who is also an intern for the Idaho State Museum, wrote in an email. “There is a map of all the internment camps that were present, a wall’s worth of names (I believe about 13,000) of those who were in Idaho’s own internment camp, Minidoka. There are also items from Minidoka represented in the exhibition.”

Many exhibitions that the Idaho State Museum is able to bring in demonstrate a strong focus on the human story, showing how people have overcome any hardships throughout history. Sarah Phillips is the interim curator of collections and exhibi-

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Chandler Thornton | The Arbiter tions and feels this exhibition emulates a message of empathy while also displaying the strength of the human spirit.

“This exhibit in particular really dives a little bit deeper into issues like immigration, racism and American citizenship,” Phillips said. “But also, in doing that, it delves into some very personal stories of people who were incarcerated who were removed from their homes and placed in camps and then the rebuilding of their lives afterward.”

One of the bigger elements of this exhibition that immediately strikes the eye is the wall of names, stretching across the length of the room on one side. This list is composed of all people recorded to be at the Minidoka internment camp.

“This is from the final accountability rosters,” Phillips said. “There are over 11,000 names of people just recorded, but we know approximately 13,000 people came through the Minidoka site. So we have about 2,000 people we know went through there but don’t have any record of.”

As one walks through the room, the panel displays, artifacts and interactive modules invoke an eye-opening experience.

From seeing original artifacts, such as Executive Order 9066, to understanding how Japanese Americans were treated during this time, the history in the room is intended to be both informative and reflective.

Bob Reinhardt is an assistant professor of history at Boise State and has been able to experience the exhibition first-hand.

With a strong passion for understanding and learning from history, Reinhardt explains the important role that exhibitions such as this one play in the world today.

“It is critically important. And I would say not just to repeat it, but to understand in new ways the depth and complexity of the experience,” Reinhardt said. “This is why I’m excited about history as a real, relevant and vital discipline because it opens our eyes to the causes of injustice, as well as justice so that we can learn those important lessons about how to be better people now and in the future.”

Phillips expands on what her personal take away has been and what it can look like for others.

“I think it’s a little bit different for everybody but my personal takeaway is just understanding and empathy of how many people experience incarceration,” Phillips said. “These were American citizens who were removed from their homes without due process. So for me, if people can just understand that experience and how difficult it was but see how people moved on to rejoin society and be successful afterward, it is a story of a lot of hope.”

“Righting a Wrong: Japanese Americans and World War II” will be on display until April 5.

C U LT U R E

TINY REFUSALS: TAKING A BREAK FROM A FAST-PACED WORLD Jenny Odell’s ‘How to Do Nothing’ challenges the attention economy Will Meyer | Culture Editor | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Odell’s book encourages readers to stop and smell the flowers, or listen to the birds, as a way to resist internet algorithms.

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t any moment in the day, it is likely that I will hear a handful of phones vibrate around me, and flip mine over to see if someone has reached out to me. The prioritization of the potential text message or work group chat is on an infinite loop throughout my day until I take definite measures to “be present,” like putting my phone on airplane mode. Author Jenny Odell addresses these distractions in her book “How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy.”

“How to Do Nothing” centers around Odell’s love for birdwatching, and the ways looking for birds has altered her concentration abilities.

“Even if brief or momentary, these places and moments are retreats, and like longer re-

treats, they affect the way we see everyday life when we do come back to it,” Odell wrote.

Odell was born and raised around the San Francisco Bay area, where tech companies dominate the culture, as well as the landscape. For her, looking for the natural environment has made her recognize how much she has taken for granted. For Idahoans, this might not seem like a profound experience as we are surrounded by nature, but the concept rings true in any environment.

The book walks the line between selfhelp and cultural criticism, and Odell interweaves a variety of thinkers from Epicurus to Michael Pollan to deconstruct the systems that steal our attention from day to day. Rethinking what words like “concentrate” mean in a contemporary context, Odell leads the reader through a process of unlearning ideas that may

be taken advantage of or skipped over in everyday discourse.

By doing this, she not only encourages a greater public dialogue about how we interact with each other and the world around us, but also suggests that we start to refuse the elements of the status quo which technology and, more specifically, the internet take for granted.

By being aware, by looking up and listening to bird songs, Odell says we are committing a sort of repetitive refusal to have our attention simply led from social media jingle to email notification. Referring to a labor strike in 1934 that ultimately led to 150,000 employees leaving their jobs, Odell discusses the ways collective, deliberate control of our individual attention can lead to dramatic social change.

However, she notes that refusal is not a

Chandler Thornton | The Arbiter one-time decision, not simply deleting an app or choosing not to shop online.

For Odell, refusal is the acknowledgment of the inner-workings of our schizophrenic world, and the ability to continually make deliberate decisions about what we are paying attention to.

Though the treatise is a well-researched and deliberately constructed project, the book is fairly pedantic and could probably have been condensed to the size of an essay with a similar impact. Odell’s work acutely critiques a world in which people have little autonomy over how they use their time, and this trenchant critique makes the book a worthwhile read.

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SPORTS & REC FEBRUARY 4, 2020 | ARBITERONLINE.COM

BRONCOS FALL SHORT TO BYU IN GYMNASTICS HOME OPENER

Gymnasts discuss the team dynamic as they move forward without key senior leader Emily Stevens | Staff Writer | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu

The Broncos (2-3) hosted their first meet of the 2020 season on Friday, Jan. 31.

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he energy was high in the ExtraMile Arena as the Boise State gymnastics team appeared in their first home meet of the season on Jan. 31.

The Broncos (2-3, 0-1) lost by 1.650 points to No. 15 BYU, who noticeably outperformed them in vault and floor. By the end of the night, the final score was 194.450 to 196.100.

Despite the deficit in total score, the leaderboard of every event featured a Bronco in first place.

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Vault: Gabriela Bouza (9.850) Uneven Parallel Bars: Emily Muhlenhaupt (9.925) Balance Beam: Isabella Amado (9.900) Floor Exercise: Tatum Bruden (9.850) In each of these events, however, BYU’s team score beat out that of the Broncos, leaving them in first place overall. For example, in bars, BYU accumulated a score 49.025, while Boise trailed behind with a score of 48.775.

This has become a pattern; the same names earn titles, but the Broncos often fall short in event totals, as seen earlier in the season at the University of Washing-

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Mackenzie Hudson | The Arbiter ton, where they lost 193.975 - 196.275.

Boise State has several standout athletes but lacks in consistency throughout the team.

Junior Tatum Bruden commented on this issue and explained that improving the team’s event averages is a top priority this season.

“We have a lot of really high scorers and some big skills, but we need that overall dynamic – not just individual people,” Bruden said.

In order to facilitate an environment in which the gymnasts can further develop their skills, each athlete strives to feel and provide support. Luckily, the Broncos have no shortage in team chemistry.

After the meet on Friday, head coach

Tina Bird expressed her appreciation for the relationships amongst the athletes. When asked what she does to increase team bonding, she simply replied: “nothing.”

“They are the closest group of girls I’ve ever coached,” Bird said.

Throughout the meet, as each Boise State gymnast concluded their event, they ran directly into the arms of fellow teammates.

Among those teammates was senior captain Courtney McGregor, who recently suffered a torn Achilles and is out for the season.

McGregor, although unable to compete, was on the sidelines supporting each Bronco with a smile on her face. “[McGregor is] letting the kids know that we’re all in this together, even though she can’t be out there with us,” Bird said.

Although the Broncos are moving forward with a goal of team-betterment, the individual gymnasts are not void of their own personal goals. Muhlenhaupt, who is currently ranked No. 3 in the nation for uneven parallel bars, continues to work toward a perfect 10.000 rating in her event.

Against BYU, Muhlenhaupt took home first in bars and second in beam.

Muhlenhaupt often feels pressure to uphold high standards, but finds the remedy with her team.

“It’s cliche to say they are my sisters, but they actually are,” Muhlenhaupt said.

“There’s nothing that describes it. We’re a sorority, but on another level.”

Overall, the consensus of the Broncos is to take gymnastics, a typically individualized sport, and utilize a group mindset to succeed.

Boise State now holds a record of 2-3 on the season, after falling to UCLA and Washington at the first two meets of the season.

Bronco gymnastics will return home on Feb. 21, to compete against Utah State for the second time this season.

KOBE BRYANT PASSES AWAY AT 41

Boise State men’s basketball team reflects on Bryant’s legacy Autum Robertson | Sports Reporter | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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n Sunday, Jan. 26, it felt as though the world stopped.

Five-time NBA champion and Los Angeles Lakers’ legend Kobe Bryant passed away in a helicopter crash around 10 a.m. PT that killed eight other people, including his 13-yearold daughter Gianna, baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife, Keri, and their daughter Alyssa, Mamba Academy basketball coach Christina Mauser, Sara and Payton Chester and pilot Ara Zobayan. Bryant’s impact on athletes, sports fans and people alike became clear after his passing.

Countless people around the world showed their condolences and collectively shared memories of Bryant across social media. Cities across America paid tribute in unique ways, including Boise: both Zions Bank and U.S. Bank set their exterior lights to purple and gold — the colors of the Lakers. Included in those mourning Bryant’s loss was the Boise State men’s basketball team.

Junior guard Derrick Alston and his teammates were flying back to Boise from their Saturday victory over Fresno State when TMZ broke the news that Bryant had passed away in a helicopter accident.

Like many others, Alston’s initial thought was to assume that the stories were nothing more than a hoax. But as time went by, details of the tragedy unfolded and the passengers’ deaths were confirmed. “[I] was really in disbelief. [It] really just hit me hard, just in the stomach. Not only with Kobe, but Gianna, as well; having a 12-year-old sister as well just really hit home,” Alston said in an interview with KTVB. “We live in a world where we get messages in weird ways and I think a death of that magnitude sent a shockwave through the entire world. Tomorrow’s never promised; always love.”

For many basketball players across the globe, Bryant was someone they modeled their game after. For Boise State’s junior forward Abu Kigab, Bryant is one of the

main reasons Kigab plays basketball. “[Bryant] was my role model growing up. He’s the reason I wear number 24,” Kigab said in an interview with KTVB. “He was my favorite player of all time and I was shocked when he passed away and may his soul rest in peace. We’re going to continue to carry on his legacy.”

Thanks to a long list of accomplishments over his 20-year NBA career, Bryant has been widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players to ever play the game.

In his final game, Bryant posted an NBA season-high of 60 points. At 37 years old, he became the oldest player to score 60 or more points in a single game.

“He was my superhero growing up.

Everybody wants to be like Kobe growing up, especially me,” said senior guard Marcus Dickinson in an interview with KTVB. “... Once I started watching him more, I just fell in love and just hearing what happened in the tragic airplane crash, it just tore my heart.”

To senior forward RJ Williams, who grew up in Los Angeles, Bryant was a role model and a hero.

“Just being from LA and going to the Staples Center with my mom and sister to go and watch him play… it was a big deal for me,” Williams said in an interview with KTVB. “Having a role model, a hero, in my life as a male figure. What happened [Sunday], it hurts a lot.”

Bryant’s legacy inspired the Boise State basketball team and so many other people.

His legacy does not leave with him as Bryant leaves behind his wife Vanessa and three other daughters, Bianka, Natalia and Capri.

SPORTS & REC

HOT TAKES Autum Robertson | Sports Reporter | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu

in Boise. But Nevada was without their star player, Jazz Johnson, who put up 34 points when they first faced each other.

The odds are against the Broncos pulling off this victory, and I agree with the odds.

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or the first time since the 201415 season, the Broncos own a four-game win streak in the Mountain West. After a promising 73-64 win over Nevada, the Broncos are tied for second in the conference.

Here are my hot takes.

The Broncos are hot, but not hot enough to win out This four-game win streak is a big deal and it finally feels like the Boise State men’s basketball team is back on track, but there is no way they win out.

The Broncos have seven more games remaining in the season, and one of those games is against San Diego State, the No. 4 team in the nation.

Yes, the Broncos are playing exceptionally well at home (11-1 this season) and that is where they will face the Aztecs, but I just do not think they have it in them to upset this nationally ranked team. They met the Aztecs in San Diego a few weeks ago and were blown out 65-83.

To be fair, when the Broncos faced the Wolf Pack in Reno, they lost by a large margin (66-83) and they just beat Nevada

The Broncos will be fine without Abu Kigab Kigab was in Saturday’s game against Nevada for a short period of time before getting pulled out. It was later found out that Kigab had been dealing with a hip pointer, and it had just become too much for him to play with.

Since Dec. 22, Kigab has been a part of the starting five and has been a major contributor to this team. He has posted three games with at least 20 points and played a big role in this team’s turn around. But the Broncos did not start Kigab until about halfway through the season, so the team has already learned to work with different lineups.

Losing Kigab is unfortunate but not season-ending, and he could be back sooner than expected. It is unlikely that he will be starting at Wyoming on Tuesday, Jan. 4.

Justinian Jessup is the reason this team has had a change of pace Leon Rice announced after the Nevada game that Jessup was the first active player added to the team’s “wall of fame” after tying the Mountain West three-point record with his 276th triple.

Jessup, a senior, has been a consistent scorer since he became a Bronco, but has really turned it up in the latter portion of this season. Jessup is averaging a team-high of 17.4 points per game through 10 conference games. He also has a total of four 20-point games in Mountain West play.

Jessup had 17 points against Nevada, and if history really does repeat itself, he is bound to have another solid performance when the Broncos take on the Cowboys.

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SPORTS & REC

SWIMMING AND DIVING TEAM CAPTURES A WIN ON SENIOR DAY Boise State pulls away early, securing 192-60 victory for seniors’ last home meet Brad Verbout | Staff Writer | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu

The Broncos are 5-2 in dual meets as they head into the Mountain West Championships, which takes place Feb. 19-22.

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t was an emotional scene to start off Boise State’s swimming and diving team Senior Day. As the seniors were announced, they were met with cheers from fans and loved ones.

Before squaring off against Washington State on Saturday, Feb. 1, seniors Emmie Jennings (Free/Fly), Alyssa Schultz (Free), Jamie Nats (Free), Georgia Zacest (Free/Back) and Robin Pinger (IM/Breast) were honored for their hard work and dedication to the program during their time at Boise State.

“It’s bittersweet, and we were all really excited and we were ready to have one really good last home meet,” Pinger said.

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The tight-knit, five-member class has achieved success both in and out of the pool. The group has combined for 24 All-Conference, 15 Academic All-Mountain West and 14 MW Scholar-Athlete honors.

For Nats, reflecting on her final season was more about remembering the experiences along the way than the accolades that came with it.

“It’s easy to get sad, but you try to make the most out of it,” Nats said. “You make a lot of memories in swimming and especially outside of the pool, in the locker room or behind the blocks.”

The meet, which took place at West Boise YMCA, saw Boise State begin with

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a hot 80-23 start in the first half dozen events. Washington State pulled within striking distance right before the exhibition break, but could not quite keep the pressure up late. As the meet was winding down, the Broncos pulled ahead 101-43 and could not be caught leading to a 19260 Boise State victory.

This win brings Boise State to 5-2 in dual meets on the season. Second-year head coach Christine Mabile was elated with the women’s win and is looking forward to the competition that the Mountain West tournament will bring.

This will be Mabile’s second chance at a Mountain West championship.

Mackenzie Hudson | The Arbiter “I think we have a lot of momentum going in. We built a lot of confidence over the season and we are peaking right now,” Mabile said.“We have gotten a lot of season bests in the last two weeks and for us to be swimming at our fastest that we’ve been all year at the end of the season is really important.”

Boise State swimming and diving will be looking to add another trophy to their mantle after winning the Mountain West Tournament in 2017 and 2018, but falling short in 2019. The 2020 championship will be held from Wednesday, Feb. 19 to Saturday, Feb. 22 in Minneapolis, Min.

OUR BEST GUESS The Arbiter aligns your stars.

AQUARIUS:

Karma is hitting you in an unexpected way this week, Aquarius. That is not to say negatively, but simply there is an aspect of your life which you knew needed attention and you have let that go unattended for too long. This tiny hurdle will teach you even more discipline and a thing or two about proper life balance.

PISCES

FEB 18 - MARCH 20

You are feeling grounded this week, Pisces. You are in tune with yourself, your workflow and relationships. Not to mention, Mercury is guiding you in the way of communication. If you need to have an intellectual discussion or a difficult talk with someone in your life, now is the time to do it.

AR JA N U

MARCH 20 - APR 20

Y

20

ARIES

-F

EBRUARY 17

TRISHA KANGAS

SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR TRISHAKANGAS@BOISESTATE.EDU

Venus has touched down for you, Aries. This week, think about a nice gesture that you can make to someone around you in order to help them feel special. You will be fulfilled emotionally in the following days if you try and focus your attention on those around you, those who need some extra love. This is not necessarily romantic, just show those around you that you care a whole lot.

TAURUS

APR 20 - MAY 21

Uranus is telling you to go with the groove. Let things happen as they naturally would this week and you will be pleasantly surprised at what creative ideas come your way. You have been struggling artistically. However, if you go with the grain instead of against, an inspired and completely original idea will come to you.

GEMINI

MAY 21 - JUN 21

Last week you did a lot of running around, physically. Your body needs rest and nourishment. Treat your body to some good food, plenty of sleep and maybe even a bubble bath or two. Intellectually, you are feeling understimulated. While your body rests, pour yourself into a good book, documentary or new project.

CANCER

JUN 21 - JULY 23

Much like last week, Cancer, it is important that you put time and effort into strategically using and planning out your time. Now is not the time for choices based on whim or impulse. Do whatever you need to in order to get focused and decide on a singular main goal for this year.

LEO

JUL 23 - AUG 23

Your groove is coming back, Leo; but there is another small issue which has been bothering you.

There is a tension building within your family circle.

It is not something necessarily monumental, but it is something that has been slowly wearing on your for some time. Do not ignore this any longer.

Address it directly with the person with love and care. You will see favorable results.

VIRGO

AUG 23 - SEPT 23

The moon has come to give you a reminder of self-care. Your self-care should be directed at your innermost emotions and mental health needs this week, Virgo. Do not ignore what your inner-self, the often invisible and forgotten self, needs. Do some meditation if you can. Spend quiet time alone checking in with how your outer life has affected you inside, emotionally.

LIBRA

SEPT 23 - OCT 22

Your brain just did a complete u-turn, Libra. You have exhausted yourself on lofty environmental ideas and philosophical issues as well. It is great that you are expanding your world by thinking this way, but your mind is telling you to slow down this week and just focus on the here and now.

SCORPIO

OCT 23 - NOV 21

You do not want to do anything drastic right now, Scorpio, you crave structure. Remember that it is okay to live within a safe area of contemplation for an extended period of time. You will discover something soon which will inform what kinds of choices you make about your life going forward.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 22 - DEC 21

You have been assuming something about your direction in life, Sag, and that might be holding you back. Now is a great time to reevaluate what you want for yourself, plan out some realistic steps toward that goal, and act on those ideas quickly.

You still have a fire lit under you for the time being, so do not let that drive go to waste.

CAPRICORN

DEC 21 - JAN 20

You have made a breakthrough, Cap. Jupiter is fighting for you, so you will have copious amounts of good luck. Take advantage, go for the daring this week and try something you thought was outside of your reach. You will be pleased to learn that you can achieve things you previously thought unachievable. You will glide through difficulties this week with ease.

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