Students Stand Against Human Trafficking | Page 2
An Unexpected New Year’s Eve| Page 5
iCarly Reboot | Page 6
The Bengal
isubengal.com 13 January 2021
Volume 46 Issue 15
The Independent Voice at Idaho State University Since 1910
Spring 2021 Q&A with President Satterlee Dylon Harrison Managing Editor How has the university been dealing with the budget deficit? Last Spring, ISU went through a comprehensive effort to balance the budget. Through that process, the University was able to identify almost $12 million in budget reductions to take place over two years. The primary goal in making these adjustments was to limit any impact to students and student services. Moving forward we will continue to focus on recruitment and retention, while also looking for opportunities for increased efficiency, to further stabilize our financial situation. We are about to undergo another University-wide budget setting exercise. The goal is not reductions, but instead through a collaborative approach, we will set next year’s budget and make sure we are on track to meet our targets. Is the university on track to correcting the budget deficit? Our budgeting process is ongoing, but through our efforts both last year and moving forward, I believe we will be able to continue to meet our goals as an institution- supporting our students and offering a quality education. How do you feel about the university’s COVID response last semester? First and foremost, we were able to continue our mission- educating our students. Our faculty pivoted quickly and efficiently to find the right methods to offer quality learning in new formats. I have been impressed and grateful to see such great compliance to public health mandates, including the use of cloth face coverings. It was the hard work and dedication of our students, faculty and staff that helped to keep our campus safe last semester. Our Bengal community came together, and I couldn’t be more proud of what all of you accomplished. Will anything be changed or improved about the COVID response this semester? In terms of classes and campus life, our COVID response remains the same. We continue to require our campus community to follow health
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protocols, such as physical distancing and the use of cloth face coverings. We continue to offer classes in a variety of formats, including in-person and distance-based, to meet student needs. Our biggest change this semester is our new mandatory screening program. Students, faculty, staff and community members with a regular physical presence on campus will undergo two screenings at the beginning of this semester. The screenings are not meant to replace our public health protocols. They are simply another method of limiting the spread of the virus on campus. What is the likelihood that the Spring Commencement Ceremony will be happening? At this time, we are still focused on planning an in-person ceremony that will celebrate the accomplishments of our graduates. But it is too early to make any promises. We are closely monitoring the situation and will make a final decision by March 1. We want to provide our graduates and their families enough notice if the ceremony is scaled back or moved to a virtual format. Updates will be emailed to graduates and posted on the commencement website. Have you received the COVID vaccine, and will you encourage ISU community members to take it? I have not yet received the COVID-19 vaccine. However, when it is made available to me, I absolutely will get vaccinated. I will get my vaccine in the normal course of planned distribution along with others in the same category. Vaccination will be a powerful tool that allows us to return to normal. However, it will require members of our community to trust in the public health experts, scientists, and governmental agencies that have certified that it is safe. I personally trust their expertise, the science that they have reviewed, and believe vaccination is our best path forward to safe lives and end the pandemic.
Cover Photo Courtesy of Idaho State University
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The Bengal at Idaho State University
13 January 2021 • Page 2
NEWS
Logan Ramsey | News Editor Contact: bgnews@isu.edu
ISU Students Form Club to Stand Against Human Trafficking
Photo Courtesy of Chris Dunn Joanna Orban Copy Editor A group of Idaho State University students recently founded a club called ISU Students Against Child Slavery. The club is a smaller part of the larger organization called Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R). This nonprofit organization founded in 2013 has the following mission statement, “We’ve gathered the world’s experts in extraction operations and in anti-child trafficking efforts to bring an end to child slavery. O.U.R.’s Ops Team consists of former CIA, past and current law enforcement, and highly skilled operatives that lead coordinated identification and extraction efforts.” ISU’s branch of this organization was founded last semester, by several physi-
cian assistant (PA) students, including Chris Dunn. Dunn who is in his second year of PA school founded the club because “Our job is twofold, one to spread education, so people know the signs and can protect themselves and their friends. The second part is to be an efficient fundraiser for O.U.R. It’s a large part of what we do.” Dunn who has wanted to get involved in anti-human trafficking for a while chose O.U.R due to their hands-on approach, “There’s a lot of organizations out there that build awareness and try to change laws, those are really important, but I really like the fact that O.U.R went out and did operations to get people out of those situations.” O.U.R works closely with law enforcement both in the United States and internationally to hold training as well as to
conduct rescue operations. According to O.U.R’s website, from July to September of last year, the organization was involved in 183 operations worldwide. As the group is a nonprofit organization, it relies on donations to continue its mission. Dunn and his fellow group members plan to fundraise for the organization by holding awareness events and hopefully, once COVID-19 is over by doing virtual fun runs and other events to get the community involved. Dunn and his fellow members hope to be part of the ISU Events Fair if that occurs. “We’re brainstorming some ideas but it kind of depends on what regulations the school puts out on how we can make events happen. The goal is to have one small event a month, if not every couple of months,” said Dunn. As mentioned previously one of the main goals of this club is to promote education among students, both on human trafficking and how to avoid it. “It is important to let them know that there are dangers out there that they haven’t thought about,” said Dunn. “Students want to get involved in things and I think this is a topic that is really starting to come to light across the nation.” Students who are interested in joining the club can reach out to Dunn, whose
email is johndunn1@isu.edu, or his vice president, Mandy Coulsey whose email is coulmand@isu.edu. According to Coulsey, “A lot of people think of human trafficking as something that happens far away in other countries. The reality is that this is happening to children much much closer to home, sometimes even by their own parents and guardians. We, as PA students want to be aware of what it may look like when we see it in our future patients to help where we can.” Another goal Dunn and his fellow group members have is to start building up the membership of the group. This is important for the group as many members, including Dunn, will be graduating in the coming semesters and they would like the club to continue on campus once they have graduated. The main goal remains to educate students so that they can be aware of the signs of human trafficking. According to Coulsey, “ISU is sending students out into so many different fields and if we’re all aware of the warning signs of what trafficking looks like, maybe we can respond to that better on our respective areas of expertise.”
Photo Courtesy of Chris Dunn Featured: Chris Dunn
Page 3 • 13 January 2021
The Bengal at Idaho State University
Logan Ramsey | News Editor Contact: bgnews@isu.edu
Continuing Despite COVID-19 Andrea Diaz Reporter The novel coronavirus has been around for nearly a year, affecting how Idaho State University went forward with the Fall 2020 semester and it doesn’t seem like it will be any different for the Spring 2021 semester. Many of the trends from the fall semester are predicted to be the same in the Spring semester. “There’s every indication that COVID-19 rates will continue for several more months. The holidays are likely to contribute to disease spread,” said Rex Force, Vice President for Health Sciences. According to the New York Times, in Idaho there are currently about 1,000 cases a day and about 4 deaths a day. According to the isu.edu/roaringback website, there are about 20 new cases a day on the ISU Pocatello campus. When the Fall semester started there were about 300 new cases a day in Idaho and about 9 deaths a day and about 5 new cases a day on the ISU Pocatello campus. With positive COVID-19 cases and deaths numbers spiking significantly ISU will continue the health precautions it has taken. “It’s critical that the campus community continue all the disease mitigation activities that have been shown to be effective, like wearing face coverings, physical distancing, staying home when ill, keeping group sizes small and doing lots of hand washing,” Force said. The campus has also installed a new testing program that all students are expected to participate in. Students are expected to take the COVID-19 test twice and within 5
NEWS
days of each test. “We are going to be doing more COVID screening on campus in the spring in order to identify asymptomatic spread of the illness. This should help to improve case identification and contact tracing,” Force said. Testing has been shown to be a great tool in stopping the spread of COVID-19, however another and more promising way of stopping the spread is the new vaccine. The vaccine is first available to health-care workers and the medically vulnerable population. It is unclear when the vaccine will be open to the public. When asked about when ISU students will have access to the vaccine, Force said, “Based on current vaccine distribution I would expect that younger and healthier individuals will be eligible for vaccination in late spring or early summer. Groups like those working in health care settings, the elderly and other vulnerable populations will be prioritized and receive the vaccination earlier.” The road ahead of the ISU community and its battle with mitigating COVID-19 is far from over, however light can be seen at the end of the tunnel. With the help of the vaccine and continuing to follow the CDC guidelines the community can curb the spread. “We know that fall semester was full of challenges and yet we persevered. Bengals will continue to help their fellow Bengals, that’s what we do and how we treat one another. The university community will continue to work together to keep each other safe and healthy by following CDC and other public health guidance.” Force said.
If you are having COVID-19 symptoms, contact the campus health center to schedule an appointment or screening,g. Remember to fill out ISU’s self-reporting form. More information can be found at https://www.isu.edu/roaringback/covidcases/ or by calling the health center at (208) 282-2330.
Photo Courtesy of OrrissaPOST
The Bengal at Idaho State University
13 January 2021 • Page 4
LIFE
Logan Ramsey | News Editor Contact: bgnews@isu.edu
Where’s the Wonder in “WW84”? Joanna Orban Copy Editor Like many a bored college student over winter break, I found time to watch the second Wonder Woman movie, a movie that promised wonder, escapism and superhero antics. As a big fan of the first movie in this series, I was very excited for the sequel, especially considering the fact that it had been pushed back at least twice due to COVID-19. Needless to say, my anticipation was sky-high when I finally had the chance to watch “WW84”. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. Spoilers ahead. The Characters I loved Gal Gadot in this movie, I think she did a fantastic job. There were some genuinely moving scenes in this movie and you could tell that she really cared and understands the character of Wonder Woman who is also known as Diana Prince. Her performance in this movie was one of the best parts. Unfortunately, while Diana shined, most of the other characters weren’t given the same attention. Take, for example, Barbara Minerva, who is played by Kristen Wiig. Barbara’s story arc was overshadowed by Pedro Pascal’s Maxwell Lord. Lord took precedence over Barbara’s character. The movie would have been much better had the movie decided to have only one villain. It doesn’t matter that Barbara’s alter ego, Cheetah will likely appear in the next movie, she should have been saved for that movie where she would have had more time to develop. I will say, as someone who is a big fan of Pascal’s performance in “The Mandalorian” it was a little odd to see him with blond hair and to actually see him. He did a fantastic job, and like Gadot, made this movie for me. Finally, this movie brings back Steve Trevor, Diana’s deceased love interest from the first movie. Steve is played by Chris Pine, the supposed underdog of the Hollywood Chrises (I’m team Chris Evans). I am not a fan of resurrection arcs and unfortunately, this movie just cemented that opinion. Trevor’s spirit inhabits a stranger’s body, whose character is credited as Handsome Man. At first glance, this might not seem like a big deal. However, when Diana and Steve get intimate, it isn’t technically Steve. It’s the Handsome Man. This rubbed me the wrong way and I couldn’t get past the fact that neither Diana nor Steve seem to care that this is essentially sexual assault. This fact is glossed over and was my main problem with the movie. Also, they take over his apartment and put him in danger all without a second thought. Dani Di Placido covers this idea
in more detail here: https://www.forbes. com/sites/danidiplacido/2020/12/26/ the-warped-morality-of-wonder-woman-1984/?sh=73261ccf3e23. The Plot The driving force behind this movie was the characters because unfortunately, the plot was way too convoluted to follow. Let’s break it down. We have Diana who is living in Washington D.C., 70 years after the events of the first movie. She works at the Smithsonian, where she eventually befriends, Barbara. Okay makes sense. However, both of these women come into contact with what is called the Dreamstone, an ancient artifact that supposedly grants wishes. This is where the movie started to get weird. Diana wishes for Steve and he returns in the body of the aforementioned stranger. Shy, insecure Barbara wishes to become more like Diana. As a result of their wishes, Diana and Barbara begin to lose parts of their souls, the things that make them who they are. Diana loses her powers and Barbara loses her inherent kindness. I will admit for the first half of the movie, I thought Barbara had stolen Diana’s powers. I wish this would have been more clear. Eventually, it becomes clear that Diana must give up Steve, her wish, who is causing her to lose her pow-
ers. Weird, I know. Their goodbye scene was heart-wrenching though. Unfortunately, Lord’s subplot caused the movie to become bogged down. Lord is a struggling oilman, who has been obsessively searching for the Dreamstone as a solution to his problem. By seducing Barbara he gains access to her office and steals it. Up until this point in the movie, I was okay with the plot, confused, but enjoying it nevertheless. Everything begins to crumble when Lord wishes to become the Dreamstone, seriously the Dreamstone crumbles. I know, I was confused too. Lord is soon able to grant wishes but has to use other people to have his wishes granted. I was so lost at this point, why didn’t he just keep the stone rather than becoming it? Also, did he eat it, inhale it, or…? I was very confused at that point. The movie becomes even more confusing when Lord somehow causes a nuclear launch and uses a super-secret US government facility to connect with every screen in the world to grant numerous wishes all the while by becoming the most powerful and richest oilman in the world. There are also a lot of fancy cars involved? Also, the USSR and the U.S. are at war, there’s a wall around parts of Egypt, an Irish man wishes for his wife to drop dead and if you’re not dizzy yet, just watch the movie. It was
that messy. The Setting Like the title suggests, this movie is supposedly set in 1984, but you wouldn’t know it. For one, other than Barbara and some background characters, no one looks like they’re from the eighties. Poofy hair, scrunchies, massive sweaters they’re all missing. You can’t have a couple of weird aerobic outfits and call it an eighties movie. You could have told me this movie was set in 2004 or 2014 and it wouldn’t have made any difference. The only thing that does firmly set this movie in the eighties is the fact that Ronald Reagan was president. There is hardly any eighties music either, I really wanted a Pat Bentar song during Diana and Barbara’s big fight scene. Although others may think otherwise, the setting added nothing to the movie. If you’re a superhero junkie you’ll probably like this movie. Unfortunately, it was a miss for me. Hopefully, Marvel’s “Black Widow” movie is better. It’s about time we got some good female superhero movies.
Photo Courtesy of IMDB
Bengals Picked 4th and 5th in Preseason Coaches’ Poll Idaho State Athletics Submitted Content Head track and field Hilary Merkley is excited for her team to get the chance to compete again. The Idaho State track and field team is headed into the 2021 indoor season under unprecedented circumstances but is working hard to compete this winter. “We’re going to do our very best to move forward and meet the challenges that come up with it [COVID],” said coach Merkley. “Idaho State, if there’s one thing that we’re used to is overcoming challenges and persevering in difficult times. I think that we hope to do again in whatever circumstances that come up, we’ll kind of face it head on and do our very best and
that’s exciting.” Throughout the 2020 Indoor season the Bengals proved their spot in the top of the conference with great improvements in both personal records and team results. The 2020 Indoor Championships held at Idaho State last year were very successful for the Bengals. The men’s team finished second and the women’s team finished third, this was the highest finishes for the Bengals since 2009 for the men and 2013 for the women. 2021 Preseason Coaches’ Poll The Idaho State track and field teams were picked to finish fourth on the women’s side and fifth on the men’s in the 2021 preseason coaches’ poll released by the Big Sky Conference. The spots on the 2021 poll show the
strides the Bengals have taken in the past year. Last year the teams were picked eighth on the women’s and seventh on the men’s. “Our team did an awesome job at not necessarily looking at the expectations of others and knowing what it is that we’re capable of doing and taking care of business when it counts,” said coach Merkley. “And I think you can see that in the increase in what we were ranked this year versus last year.”
5
Idaho State 76
6
Montana 62
6
Southern Utah
62
8
Eastern Washington
56
9
Sacramento State
41
10
Northern Colorado
25
11
Portland State
15
Women’s Results 1
Northern Arizona (8)
117
2
Sacramento State (2)
100
3
Weber State (1)
91
4
Idaho State 87
Big Sky Indoor Track & Field Preseason Coaches’ Poll
5
Montana State
Men’s Results
6 Idaho 69
71
1
Northern Arizona (11)
121
7
Southern Utah
66
2
Montana State
102
8
Eastern Washington
45
3 Idaho 84
9
Montana 42
4
10
Northern Colorado
26
11
Portland State
12
Weber State 82
Page 5 • 13 January 2021
The Bengal at Idaho State University
Kaitlyn Hart | Life Editor Contact: bglife@isu.edu
An Unexpected New Year’s Eve Chloe Reid Reporter 2020 was a year known for its many declines, but also its many new experiences and unprecedented growth. Ringing in 2020 couldn’t have ever given us insight to the experiences the world was about to visit within the next few coming months. Known as the year of a mass toilet paper shortage, masks and quarantining, living in the midst of a pandemic through almost the entire year of 2020 can easily be described as a challenge. For many people globally, the pandemic was the first experience of its kind, causing confusion and worry for a large percent of the world’s population. When the first stage of a lockdown was mandated for many states and countries this year, concern and uncertainty struck many of the general population. However, many people took the opportunity of staying inside to pick up a new hobby, learn more about themselves or get out and explore nature, making 2020 a year of developments as well. Most of America’s looked forward to events, celebrations of holidays and get-togethers were put to a fast halt after CDC guidelines prohibited most gatherings of people over a certain limited amount to promote social distancing. That being said, after the many trials and tribulations of 2020, the new year finally arrived, giving many a bit of hope and anticipation for what 2021 will bring. Despite NYE traditions typically consisting of parties, get-togethers, celebrity appearances and fireworks, the move into 2021 looked slightly different for many people this year. To accommodate CDC health guidelines related to the COVID-19 pandemic, similar to the routine of other cancelled events throughout the year, any NYE celebrations were recommended to be reconsidered as well. Many people globally had to see their favorite traditions for ringing in the new year change in various ways. For example, both the iconic ball drop in New York’s attendance became limited to healthcare workers and certain “honorees”, and the well known potato drop in Idaho had been transferred to an online viewing. After most events were transferred to a televised format, streets around the world were left deserted by most traditional activities such as light shows, fireworks and other celebrations. Due to this, the holiday gave off a bit of an odd, lonely feel to participants in comparison to the past decades worth of celebrations. Despite the cancellations, people still found ways to celebrate the holiday in their own way. Be-
tween socially-distanced parties to Zoom or FaceTime gatherings, NYE celebrations were altered for many. Even some normal get-togethers still occurred under the table. Stated by the New York Times, Los Angeles still had parties beneath the radar that were being heavily advertised by local event websites. Even after a majority of party advertisements were removed by event websites, most of the parties were still conducted, for a cost of a negative COVID-19 test. Some get-togethers weren’t as cautious, with many of the parties that were occuring that night being documented on social media nationally, with no need for a negative test, masks or any other precautionary measures, just like previous years. Whatever the celebration, 2021’s NYE’s event cancellations gave some room for creativity in making new ways to celebrate. The need to modify most NYE celebrations was nothing short of something that was a perfect match with 2020’s many confusions and cancellations. According to a post conducted on The Bengal’s Instagram page, Idaho State University students each had their own ways of celebrating the new year in their own way as well, and making fun out of doing it. Most students participated in indoor activities this year, such as game nights, parties with immediate family or roommates, or watching the televised celebrations. Instagram user @meagan_juice quoted “I spent NYE doing a game night with my sister and a couple close friends!” NYE this year brought comfort for many by the ability to stay home, with several responses from students having celebrated by staying in for the night and relaxing with significant others. “I stayed home with my partner & fell asleep before midnight, a perfect NYE” as quoted by Instagram user @thinkerton. NYE for some students was also an opportunity for other celebrations. As stated by Instagram user @abigail.hayman7, “I celebrated with just me and my boyfriend to celebrate our one year.” NYE wasn’t celebrated by everyone, and it was a reality for many people this year to continue their jobs or lives as normal. Instagram user @ future_law_person quoted in response, “I worked doordash this year.” Besides 2020’s uncertainties, we can all positively say that 2020 will be an iconic year in history books. No matter how the night was spent celebrating 2021’s arrival, we can all hope that the new year will bring in a bit of normalcy and comfort to counteract everything that the past year has brought.
Photo Courtesy of BBC
LIFE
Brandon Oram | Photo Editor
The Bengal at Idaho State University
13 January 2021 • Page 6
LIFE
Kaitlyn Hart | Life Editor Contact: bglife@isu.edu
“iCarly” Reboot: An Old Teen Favorite Returns
Photo Courtesy of Nickelodean Lesley Brey Reporter It’s barely 2021 and the popular Nickelodeon comedy “iCarly” has been declared as the next victim of the reboot trend plaguing American media. The reboot, announced in December 2020, will feature many of the original core cast, including Miranda Cosgrove as the titular Carly Shay, Nathan Kress as Freddie Benson, her love interest, and Jerry Trainor as Carly’s older brother Spencer, reports Screenrant.com. The new series will be available for streaming on the rebranded CBS All Access app, now known as Paramount +, likely sometime in late 2021 early 2022. It is unknown if Jennette McCurdy will reprise her role as Carly’s best friend Sam Puckett. “Growing up, “iCarly” was the show I
turned to on Nickelodeon. I adore Miranda Cosgrove and the entire cast,” said Emma Watts, a Bio-Med junior at Idaho State University. The original “iCarly” began its run in 2007, quickly becoming one of the most popular child-oriented sitcoms of its time. The show followed the adventures of Carly and Sam as hosts of the iCarly webcast and frequently paired social commentary with random humor. At a time when the internet was still largely uncharted territory, “iCarly” showcased the unique struggle Millennials faced adapting to this new technology (although the target audience was actually Gen-Z). Unlike other Nickelodeon comedies, “iCarly” was lucky enough to receive a proper conclusion during its final episode iGoodbye. “I remember “iCarly” being really fun and entertaining, and I am really excited to see how the reboot will turn out,” said
Ari Herrera, a biology major and junior at ISU. If you were a fan of the show, you may be scratching your head as to what reboot will focus on. So far nothing has been released about what the new show will cover, or even where it will take place. It’s probably a safe bet to assume that it will be set several years after the events of the finale to accommodate the current ages of the returning actors. Otherwise, everything else is a mystery. One notable change has been that of producers. Due to numerous complaints of inappropriate behavior on set involving young actresses, previous producer Dan Scheindar will not be involved with the production of the reboot, according to Substack.com. “As much as we love “iCarly”, and many of the T.V. shows that were a very big part of our childhood, we also need to take into account that [McCurdy] might have some honest and real reasons why she might not want to join the project again,” said Breanna Widdison, a senior nursing student at ISU. Indeed, McCurdy is very vocal about the trauma she experienced while working on several Scheindar productions. On her self-titled Youtube channel, she speaks openly about how she was treated, and about her recovery from her subsequent eating disorder. “iCarly” filled a niche during its original run that left many lifelong fans, however, is this enough to justify its revival? Modern audiences are subjected to a state of constant deja vu as each year more content is given the green light for a reboot. Increasingly, these reboots seem to offer little in terms of substance, merely riding on the coattails of their successful predecessors. “Reboots tend to be pretty underwhelming, so as nostalgic as this one may be, I don’t think it’ll do the original show justice,” said Ana Weybright, a freshman in occupational therapy at ISU. Disney has capitalized on this trend by pumping out shot-for-shot live-action remakes of their beloved animated copyright holdings, but they are far from the only guilty party. “The main issue I have with the reboot of “iCarly” and reboots, in general, is that they don’t produce the same raw moments. For instance, the reboot of “iCarly” won’t have the full cast due to Jackson Odell’s death in 2018. Moments just can’t be relived,” said Watts. Odell played Gumbo, a recurring character. If a reboot avoids becoming a soulless copy, it may meet the equally unhappy
fate of being dipped in a vat of HotTopic set dressing, such as what happened to “Riverdale” (2017), “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” (2018) and the upcoming liveaction “Winx” (2021). The real question is who in the world is asking for these? Sure, there may be a diamond in the rough whose premise couldn’t be actualized during its original production that is in desperate need of a refresh, such as HBO’s “Westworld” (2016). However, that is not the typical choice of the source material. During this era of reboots, previously successful franchises seem to comprise the meat and potatoes of the market. Acknowledging this, the answer to our previous question becomes clear. “I think that so many shows are being rebooted so that companies don’t lose their copyright, it’s the same as all those live-action films of Disney movies,” said Herrera. “I think it’s a hail mary trying to make more money by appealing to older viewers,” said Weybright. These reboots are made to generate a profit. Period. With streaming the popular means of consumption, production studios are desperate for a sure-fire way to guarantee viewership, and nostalgia is one heck of a drug. Consumers will almost certainly interact with a reboot, if only because it’s a familiar material, and as such, quality plays a role of little importance. The first rebooted episode of Rosanne (2018), saw a viewership of 18 million people, according to T.V. by the Numbers, despite receiving a mixed score from critics due to its inconsistent writing. With the incentive being so obvious it’s little wonder why the cycle repeats. “My take is that producers, T.V. shows, a lot of people, they are all doing whatever they can to make as much money as they can, and frankly, as long as it maximizes profits, they don’t care,” said Widdison. All of this is not to say that the “iCarly” reboot will be bad by default. With the talented actors being brought on to the project it may very well turn out wonderfully. I’ve always been a fan of the source material, so I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t interested and that’s exactly the point. As long as audiences are tolerant of the reboot mania, they will continue to be produced, however, that leaves this reporter wondering exactly how long we’ll have to grin and bear it in the meantime.
Page 7 • 13 January 2021
The Bengal at Idaho State University
Kaitlyn Hart | Life Editor Contact: bglife@isu.edu
ISU Students’ Hopes for 2021 Kayla Corless Reporter As 2021 begins, hopes are high for Idaho State University students in regards to their personal, academic and work lives, especially after the events of 2020. After making it through the Fall 2020 semester, it is no surprise that students are on edge about what is going to happen in the new year. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, ISU had to implement varying health and safety precautions to limit the transmission of the virus. Many students are choosing to do what they can to stay healthy during this time. As students transition from the chaos that was 2020, they are being presented with new challenges that many students across the country are also considering. With a vaccine being administered, most students are hoping that we can begin to resemble a “normal” life; one without COVID reigning supreme over every aspect of our lives. With this comes ideas of campus life booming once more. In fact, students are hopeful that we will be able to see bits and pieces of life pre-COVID making an appearance once more. “I foresee involvement throughout the campus going up because students, such as me, miss being able to easily meet new people and have fun,” commented Lauren Tully on implementing the vaccine. Similarly, Rylee Carter misses interacting with students, and is hoping for an “end to COVID with the release of the vaccine and more knowledge about COVID.” Campus life seems to be the main aspect of college that students at ISU miss most. Extracurriculars such as sports games, clubs, and recreational activities are key aspects of many students’ lives. “I expect things won’t change too much at the beginning of the year with COVID. So I expect my schooling to go about the same as well as work. And doing my part in the matter,” Sadie Morrell stated. This year, Morrell wants to put more attention into improving herself and wants to do so by involving herself more in her program at school, with COVID regulations applying of course.
ISU student and football player, Mason Harwood, mentioned that he is looking forward to the upcoming football season. “I’m trying to stay optimistic and hope that COVID will be a thing of the past but if it’s not, just have to adapt,” said Harwood. As a student body, students at ISU have adapted to the guidelines that had to be implemented going into this school year. With how much students’ lives have changed from the pandemic, it is to be expected that students would be concerned about COVID cases and the vaccine, and exactly what they mean upon beginning the spring semester. “I hope the COVID vaccination is to be given on a wide scale. I hope and look forward to success in school and for good relationships,” said Emma Wilkes. Keeping a pragmatic mindset for the new year, Wilkes feels that 2021 will be a much calmer year after adjusting to the vaccine. She feels that some of the newer adjustments to learning will remain the same as we enter 2021, like switching to almost completely online learning for students. Despite the optimism regarding the new year, it is safe to say that there really is not much that anyone is hoping to be included this year from 2020. After all, with the number of major events that unfolded continuously, students could use a breath of fresh air in the new year. However, people are still looking towards the potential positivity and change that we desperately need. “I think as the ‘rona (hopefully) settles down and people aren’t scared of transmitting the virus, people won’t take things for granted like we have in the past,” continued Tully. Similarly, Carter is looking forward to a fresh start from 2020 and the possibility of starting to see life return to a new normal as more people take the COVID vaccine. Entering the new year will, hopefully, be a fresh start at welcoming the opportunity for a more normal life. After COVID, it is safe to say that all affected by it, and everyone definitely wants to see positive changes take the place of the negativity that 2020 brought.
Photo Courtesy of Idaho State University
LIFE
Brandon Oram | Photo Editor
The Bengal at Idaho State University
13 January 2021 • Page 8
OPINION
Dylon Harrison | Managing Editor Contact: bgeditor@isu.edu
Trump Opened Pandora’s Box Logan Ramsey News Editor Disclaimer: This column contains explicit language. Reader discretion is advised. When I called for a revolution back in April, this shit is not what I had in mind. A mob of insurrectionists storming the Capitol Building all in the name of one man is something that I hoped we would never see in the United States, but here we are. Just in case you don’t know what to call this yet, I’ll give you the word: fascism. This word gets thrown around so frequently that it might not mean much to you anymore. Fascism might also seem like a thing of the past, but it has never been confined to the history books. It’s alive and well, and the only defense is to stamp out the embers before it becomes a full flame. But with the ransacking of the Capitol, I fear that Trump has opened a Pandora’s box that he doesn’t understand and can’t close. No one will ever be able to unsee the images of hateful rioters swarming what should be the most secure building in the entire homeland. The U.S. is not the same country it used to be and the Capitol attack sends that message to allies, enemies and budding domestic terrorists alike. I’ve heard a number of people call this the end of Trump’s political future. Please, for the love of God, stop saying that. Every time we make that declaration, it reveals a new level of depravity in the American people. The unfortunate, terrifying truth is that despite insurrectionists being arrested, Trump getting de-platformed and giving a half-way concession speech, the fascists aren’t done. There are posts circulating on the darkest corners of online spaces, calling for a Million Militia March. “Millions of American Militia will meet in Washington, D.C. on January 20, 2021 for the purpose of preventing any attempt by the treasonous domestic enemy Joe Biden, or any other member of the Communist Organized Crime Organization known as The Democratic Party, from entering the White House belonging to We The People,” reads the text from the post. I know that any sane person who’s reading this column recognizes how insane that sounds, but there are thousands of people who started as mild Trump supporters, now turned to fascism, reading that nonsense and thinking, “this is it.” In the days leading up to the Capitol attack, D.C. Police had all the warning the world for what was to come. People openly planned this march on social media sites and the phrase ‘storm the Capitol’
was used 100,000 times online after the election. D.C. Police even turned down the national guard ahead of time. The former Police Chief was concerned about the “optics” of declaring an emergency before the march. I guess the optics of deploying the national guard are fine when it’s a peaceful demonstration for Black lives. The Pentagon claims that D.C. never requested a national guard presence, while the former Chief claims they were denied assistance six times after the attack started. I have no way of knowing who’s really telling the truth, but it’s clear that they both need to get their shit together before January 20. This is a terrifying thing to imagine, but what happens if the worst-case scenario comes to pass, where an armed militia marches into the inauguration? Joe
Biden’s hand on the bible. It’s previously unthinkable, but if we should take away anything from recent events, nothing is unthinkable. I don’t see any scenario playing out where the militia accomplishes the ultimate goal of keeping their cult leader in power, but they can still cause irreparable harm to the country without that. If this plays out, the most likely scenario I see is that an armed stand-off emerges between the National Guard and however many militia members show up, more than likely many blocks away from the National Mall. If it ends peacefully, I’d be absolutely shocked. More than likely the street would end up awash with blood. What happens then? How would Trump supporters, teetering on the edge of fullblown fascism respond? My guess would be further escalation. The friends, siblings
and children of the insurrectionists who die in the standoff could become radicalized, ready to commit violence against their fellow Americans. This may be a long shot, but if anyone who’s reading this is thinking about attending a militia march this upcoming week, I beg of you, don’t. There’s still hope for you right now, but if you throw your lot in with fascists then there won’t be. You’ll have betrayed your country for the words of an orange soothsayer. For everyone else, don’t be surprised if we see something even worse than the Capitol attack this upcoming week. Take care of the people in your life, and protect your community from fascists. The only way they win is when decent people stand by and do nothing.
Photo Courtesy of Wiki Commons
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