Volume 46, Issue 20 [02/10/2021] - The Bengal Newspaper

Inside this Issue

Students with Varying Political Views | Page 3

Commemorating the Parkland Shooting | Page 4

ISU Women’s Basketball Dominates | Page 6

The Bengal

isubengal.com 10 February 2021

Volume 46 Issue 20

The Independent Voice at Idaho State University Since 1910

COVID-19 Vaccinations Underway in Idaho Joanna Orban Copy Editor As we have continued through the effects of living in a pandemic, most of our thoughts have now turned to a possible vaccination and the even more pressing question, when will that vaccination be available to me? The state of Idaho’s COVID-19 website has a section called “When and where to get your vaccination”.

Currently, Idaho is offering vaccinations to individuals who are 65 years of age or older and are continuing vaccinations for medical workers and some government employees. Also included in the list of continuing vaccinations are teachers and first responders.

Starting in early April, vaccinations will be given to grocery store workers, postal office employees and those employed in public transportation. Late April will see vaccines be given to other essential workers and individuals aged 16-64 with high-risk conditions.

Finally, beginning in May, the vaccination will be open to the general public. Those who fall into the aforementioned categories can call their respective public health districts for more information regarding appointments and eligibility. Additional information can be found

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online at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/ covid-19-vaccination. According to the website, 166, 446 doses of the vaccine have been administered statewide.

There are two versions of the COVID-19 vaccination being offered in the Idaho, the Moderna vaccine and the Pfizer vaccination. According to Rex Force, Idaho State University Vice President for Health Sciences, “Both are a two-shot series that are separated by either three or four weeks.” The first dose acts as immunity and the second dose is a booster shot that provides more information to the immune system.

Ast new strains of COVID have been found in the United Kingdom, Africa and South America there have been concerns that the vaccines will be ineffective against them. “Those strains appear to be still covered by the Moderna vaccine,” said Force. “That is still an active area of research.”

According to Force, the pharmaceutical companies who produced the vaccines are working to modify its vaccinations, similarly to how the influenza Continued on Page 2 Photo Courtesy of Wiki Commons

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The Bengal at Idaho State University

10 February 2021 • Page 2

NEWS

Logan Ramsey | News Editor Contact: bgnews@isu.edu

The History of Black History Month

Logan Ramsey News Editor This story is part two in an ongoing series by The Bengal Newspaper regarding Black History Month. Others parts in the series can be read at isubengal.com.

To deny that a racial group has a history is also to deny that group their own identity. Not only does it deny them that, but it also denies them the right to define their identity themselves.

This was the reality faced by Black people living in the Americas, where what little they knew about their history was written by white people. Even today, many mainstream history textbooks neglect to tell the full story of being Black in a world built by colonization.

“You find that throughout the period of the slave trade and slavery in the United States, the Black man, the negro, was always in seach of his or her identity,” said Raphael Chijioke Njoku, an Idaho State University professor with doctorates in History and Political Science who will be speaking as a part of the Diversity Resource Center’s Black History Month Virtual Programming. Njoku, who teaches African and world history will speak on the history behind the formation of Black History Month.

“Black History Month raises awareness of the continuing African American struggles in the Americas… . A lot of Black history is still denied, and when you read all those textbooks and manuscripts by people of European descent, they skew the history the way they want to skew it,” Njoku said. “You have generations of Black people born on the continent built by Black people. They began to believe that they had no history.”

Mainstream historians continued to

Featured: Raphael Chijoke Njoku Photo Courtesy of Idaho State University deny Black history without objection until around 1915 when historian Carter G. Woodson began to tell the story of African American history. By 1926, after publishing the Journal of Negro History in 1916, Woodson and the Association for the Study

of Negro Life and History announced the second week of February to be “Negro History Week.” While it didn’t initially garner much attention, ever since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated February as Black History Month.

“Woodson and others led this crusade for the Black man to write his or her own history, so that we define our own identity and define our struggles in a way that does Blacks and those who are not Blacks will understand what the Black person feels and how the Black person defines his or her identity,” Njoku said.

Njoku said that inclusion is a responsibility that falls on the state government, and that any major effort in Idaho to recognize diversity should be a top down approach.

“So I think, recognition first, is the most important step. If they can not recognize that, then there is no planning and there is no foundation to implement any policy,” Njoku said.

Some members of the Idaho legislature have been openly hostile to recognizing diversity in Idaho. After Marlene Tromp became the named president of Boise State University, 28 House Republicans signed a letter that urged Tromp to abandon inclusion programs they called antithetical to the “Idaho way.”

“Diversity must be recognized because that’s the soul of the United States,” said Njoku. “We all cannot be the same.”

Njoku is aware that the common phrase ‘I don’t see color’ is figurative, “But if I took it literally I would respond... oh, maybe you are blind.”

Students today can learn more about Black history even if it’s not being taught accurately in their classroom. Njoku urges young people to find different stories rather than look at one story alone, and to look beyond what their teachers tell them.

“The true meaning of being a student is someone who does what? A student is a discoverer, an explorer,” Njoku said.

“Read beyond what the teacher tells you.

Discover things yourself. Make your own judgement. That’s what makes us rational human beings.”

Vaccine, Continued from Page 1

Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling

vaccines are changed each year. This likely will become the norm with the COVID-19 vaccine as well.

Another common question regarding the COVID-19 vaccine is whether or not it is still necessary to wear facial coverings after getting both doses. “When we see the development of immunity across our entire population and the virus really decreases it will be safe for us to move on from all of this disease mitigation,” said Force. Regardless of vaccination status, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) still recommends facial coverings. Face coverings can also help stop the spread of non-COVID-19 illnesses such as influenza

and common colds. “It’s just a safe practice for us to continue to protect others,” said Force.

Although the risk of COVID-19 in college students isn’t as high as it is in other populations, Force still recommends that students receive the vaccination. One reason he recommends doing so is so students don’t inadvertently pass the virus along to someone who is at high risk for the virus. “The more people we can get vaccinated in the end the better we will all be off,” said Force. “The reason to get vaccinated is to protect ourselves but also to protect the most vulnerable amongst us.”

New Opportunities Employment of rehabilitation counselors is projected to grow 10 percent from 2018 to 2028, faster than the average for all occupations.

Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling is a systematic process which assists persons with physical, mental, developmental, cognitive, and emotional disabilities to achieve their personal, career, and independent living goals in the most integrated settings possible through the application of the counseling process.

Full tuition and fees scholarships are available to those who are excited and inspired to care for and make an impact in the lives of these unique populations.

Bryan S. Austin, PhD, LPC, CRC Program Coordinator/RSA Grant Project Director bryanaustin@isu.edu | (208) 373-1717 isu.edu/clinicalrehabcounseling

Photo Courtesy of Wiki Commons

Page 3 • 10 February 2021

The Bengal at Idaho State University

NEWS

Logan Ramsey | News Editor Contact: bgnews@isu.edu

ISU Students with Varying Political Views Come Together Andrea Diaz Reporter Content Warning: Strong Language Idaho State University students with varying political views came together to have an open discussion over Zoom.

Questions covering a variety of political topics were asked and the students were free to give their opinions on each question.

The students who participated in the discussion included senior corporate communications major, Nyele Alvarez, senior electrical instrumentation major Camron Martinez, senior electrical energy systems engineering major, Elijah Whitecar and senior political science major, Eizaak Jordan.

The first question that was asked was “As college students what is your opinion on tuition costs?”

A variety of answers were given and all participants agreed that the cost of tuition was inflated. However, there were some disagreements on whether tuition should be free.

“I do think we should be striving towards having free education available for those in need. That threshold would be determined actually on a statewide basis, depending on the cost of living and things like that,” said Jordan.

“I gotta disagree with the free part. To be honest….When it comes to free education, though. It has to be paid for somewhere at some level. So if you’re looking at taxing people to pay for this free education, what about people like my father and my brother, who didn’t go to college, but they have to pay for us to go to college? That’s not fair,” said Martinez.

The topic of who would pay for free tuition was also discussed by Whitecar who said, “I had to really kick my butt and go off and work. A college education is not some fundamental human right that it should be demanded to give us this, this college education.”

Jordan then responded, “I mean, there, there are people with exorbitant amounts of money, who really aren’t in need of that amount of money. I don’t think with many of these billionaires who have more money than many countries in the world, I don’t think that there’s any justification for that amount of assets in one person’s hands.

And if it could benefit so many people, I think of the notion of sacrifice, right?”

The next question that the group discussed was “What is the word that comes to your mind when I say climate change?”

Whitecar started the conversation off by saying, “I’d say, the first word would be misconception. The left tries to point at us on the right as conservatives and saying we’re, you know, some science-denying environment killing ogres. We don’t believe in climate change if we’re denying all this. In fact, that’s not true at all.”

Whitecar also went onto say, “I mean, you look at these are all conservatives leading the charge in this where we differ is when the government tries to impose their green energy initiatives on the private sector, crippling whole industries, just like President Biden did on his first day of office, killing 10s of 1000s of jobs in one stroke of his pen, in the private sector has always been better at conserving conservation and lowering carbon emissions.”

Jordan then responded to Whitecar by saying, “I’ll first do my one word. So I would say a threat. That’s what climate change poses, a threat. And I first wanted to address this notion of the private sector being able to fix environmental problems.

I’m sorry, the track record is just not there.

Our problems have continued to get worse as time has gone on.”

Jordan also went on to explain that

we need to transition from oil and gas to renewable energy and that there is an excessive amount of money going into the oil and gas industry.

With the topic of renewable energy

Jordan responded to Alvarez by saying he agreed with her and said, “ I mean, the BLM movement, I mean, that’s a movement for equality, that’s a movement for working towards American principles.

Photo Courtesy of Wiki Commons being brought up, Martinez agreed that there was an excessive amount of money going to the oil and gas industry and said, “The technology is not there. And I’m all about green energy. I’ve done wind and solar farms in three different states. It’s not a wind, it’s not sustainable yet….But it needs to be. But let’s say we have 100 years of fossil fuels. Why? Why would we wait till 95 years go by? Like, oh, shit, we only have five years left? Maybe we should figure out these wind farm things? No, let’s, let’s get it done now.”

The conclusion of this topic was what Alvarez said, “Look, the whole world, every single leading nation, every single country affected by climate change is agreeing that this is an immediate threat that we not as Americans, not as a Chinese, but as human beings need to come together to solve, that’s not going to come easy….We’re all one race. I’m the darkest one here, but I feel connected to each one of you.

Regardless, so I think at the end of the day, the polarization is gonna be the downfall of this potentially beautiful progression that we could all come to as humanity.”

The next question for discussion was “What are your thoughts on the event that happened on Jan. 6, 2021?”

The main consensus from the participants was that what occurred was wrong and Whitecar began the discussion by saying he renounced it the day it happened and thinks that everyone involved should be prosecuted. He then brought up the topic of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests and said that they should renounce what happened during those protests.

“It was like a slap in the face, especially to watch it transform live over social media and for me to be protesting the unjust killings and police brutality against black and brown people, which does happen even here in Pocatello…” said Alvarez replying to Whitecar’s comments. “That kind of sucks to see the other side, storm the Capitol building, the highest honor in this country, storm it and get away with a year or less of probation. I think that was like the most like eye-opening.”

I, I think one was, what happened on the sixth was working against the decision of the American people. And what BLM was trying to do was work for equality. So I think it’s a very, very false comparison, to bring those two together in any way, shape or form.”

The group did have some disagreements about whether violence was a good thing

in the BLM protests and about whether the police in these situations started the violence or if it was the protestors that did.

The final question to end the interview was “Who/what would be an event, an organization, or a person that you think could unite us as a nation?” Martinez started the discussion by saying, “I think the person that would bring this country back together, is us. It’s people like us, just talking to each other. To be honest, it’s not a politician. It’s not a law. It’s not a new anything. It’s just regular people getting back to doing what regular people do, and talking to each other.”

Jordan also added that everyone seems to like small businesses and we can all come together to support them and ended by saying, “And the final thing that could possibly bring us together, which I think, you know, at least brings me together with anyone I am frustrated with, is a good plate of fried chicken and cold slop. I gotta say.

Y’all got a big pile. We can figure anything out.”

With some final remarks, Alvarez added, “Since like the beginning of the BLM protest rising, who is going to be the next MLK? Like who’s going to, like, organize, take charge, be that shining light be that beacon? I don’t necessarily think it’s gonna be a person or an organization, I think it’s gonna be the threat of a very serious problem that we all have to overcome ourselves to deal with.”

Overall even though the group was filled with people with differing opinions, views and affiliations they were more often than not able to see each other’s point of view and come together on an agreement on what they thought would be best for the country. Every participant was civil and the discussion was productive in learning about other people’s views.

Watch the full interview online at isubengal.com/videos.

The Bengal at Idaho State University

10 February 2021 • Page 4

LIFE

Kaitlyn Hart | Life Editor Contact: bglife@isu.edu

Commemorating the Parkland Shooting

Kyran Cates Reporter Three years ago, on Feb. 14, 2018, a gunman walked into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School with a semiautomatic rifle. The world will never forget

the events that followed.

After shooting into several classrooms, the gunman pulled the fire alarm and executed students and staff as they filled the halls, killing 17 people and wounding 17 others in only seven minutes.

Teachers ushered as many students as possible into their classrooms before

Photo Courtesy of Wiki Commons

locking their doors, turning off the lights and attempting to remain unnoticed by the shooter.

Other students, trapped in the halls during the chaos, locked themselves in the bathroom. Anyone unable to hide was left vulnerable to the will of the shooter. Police entered the building several minutes later after the gunman had already fled the scene.

Parkland, Florida hasn’t been the same ever since, and it likely never will be. The entire world felt the weight of this tragedy in the weeks following Valentine’s Day, as conversations about school shootings and gun culture filled our heads. People realized that this incident wasn’t an isolated event but a periodically recurring tragedy in schools across the United States.

“You get desensitized and these tragedies just become a norm, but I won’t stop feeling gut-wrenched when hearing about these setbacks,” said Idaho State University freshman, Boone Hunter. “I don’t want to live in a world where kids are labeled as survivors of mass murder.”

Since the Columbine shooting in 1999, there have been over 231 school shootings U.S. educational facilities on all levels have experienced the ripples of terror caused by these attacks. Hundreds of thousands of students and staff have been traumatized by the gun violence ravaging the nation.

“I wish I were joking when I say that it’s a constant, hovering fear at this point,” said ISU freshman Jodie Schwicht. “I’m genuinely more afraid of finding myself in an active shooter situation than of getting cancer, or something of the like.”

Incidents like the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007, the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012 and the Santa Fe High School shooting in 2018 have further proven the horrifying state of mass murders in the U.S. It should come as no surprise that news of these massacres has

taken its toll on students over the years.

“As a future teacher, the subject of school shootings crosses my mind often,” said Breeawn Clegg, a secondary education major at ISU. “It’s a big fear of mine and it’s something I had to consider before choosing that line of work.”

March For Our Lives protests emerged, insisting that a student should never lose their life to gun violence. Still today March For Our Lives is fighting for students’ rights and demanding that the U.S. government implement sweeping changes to prevent even one more death by gun violence on school grounds.

“I acknowledge that the mass-shooting epidemic that America is facing today is a multi-faceted issue...but the thing is that we haven’t done anything of real value,” said Schwicht.

Since Feb. 14, 2018, the U.S. has seen no nationwide changes to gun control legislation, mental health resources for students and school shooting preparedness or prevention.

Just before the first anniversary of the Parkland shooting, survivors of the massacre published a book titled “Parkland Speaks” which contains graphic recounts of the tragedy from multiple students’ perspectives, in addition to poems, journal entries, speeches and art memorializing the deceased. This book provides a glimpse into the life of school shooting survivors and hopes to inspire legislative and cultural change in the United States.

On Valentine’s day three years ago, students and staff went to school expecting a day of fun, love and appreciation. By the end of the day, the bodies of 34 people contained bullets, and half of them were dead. Gun violence ends lives and destroys innumerable others, yet the U.S. hasn’t made the drastic changes to curb any more tragedy.

Photo Courtesy of Wiki Commons

Page 5 •10 February 2021

The Bengal at Idaho State University

Kaitlyn Hart | Life Editor Contact: bglife@isu.edu

Valentine’s Day Gifts: Do’s and Don’ts

LIFE

Photo Courtesy of Pixabay Chloe Reid Reporter With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, many of us have most likely started into finding gifts for our significant others or friends. However, finding gifts can be difficult, so use this guide to help get in the right mindset.

Do’s: Chocolates Chocolates are a classic that can be considered a good gift to any age group, gender or relationship status. If you’re in need of a last-minute gift, chocolate will probably be your best bet. However, they might not work the best for long-distance relationships, as chocolate might not last well through the trip.

Roses Another classic, roses are a great gift for the romantic interest in your life. However, roses are short-lived, so if you’re in need of a good gift for a long-distance relationship, roses may not be the right gift for you.

Stuffed animals/ Plush gifts Stuffed animals are a cute and accessible gift for any type of relationship, and they can be within any budget. From as small as the teddy bears at the dollar store to as big as the $300 eight-foot bears at Costco, stuffed animals in any size are an easy way to show your love for your significant other (s/o) or friends.

Custom Gifts Custom gifts are a wonderful way to show that special someone on Valentine’s Day how much they mean to you.

Personalized gifts are open to being as specific or broad as you want, making the possibilities endless. Here are some of my

favorite ideas: Photo Vinyls For the music lover in your life, getting a vinyl of one of their favorite artists and cutting out photos of your person to paste on the vinyl is a cute and memorable way to show them you care. Getting a blank vinyl cover offline and making a personal album cover is a step ahead as well, this one offers a lot of opportunity for change.

Edible Arrangements Getting some of your partner’s favorite foods and putting them together in a detailed arrangement is a great twist on the typical bouquet of flowers. However, getting custom made baskets from online retailers can be a bit expensive, so it’s a good thing they’re just as easy to do it yourself. With a cute dish, some floral foam, skewers, and whatever food your partner enjoys, you can give your s/o a gift that you put effort into yourself, and that won’t put as much stress on your bank account.

Personalized Gifts Personalized gifts are another great option to give your s/o something that’s tailored to their personal interests. Similar to custom things, personalized gifts aren’t necessarily made by hand, but give the same feel to your partner in how much you understand them. For instance, if you have a s/o that’s interested in Star Wars, getting them a Star Wars picture frame with a picture of the both of you in it could be a good idea. Ideas for personalized gifts have a lot of room for personal ideas, so go as bold or as small as you want.

Don’ts : COVID-19 This should say enough in and of itself, but giving your friends or loved ones

Photo Courtesy of Pixabay

COVID-19 for Valentine’s Day is typically viewed as a big no-no. Despite Valentine’s Day being a physical holiday, if you’ve been experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, the best way you can show your s/o you appreciate them is by staying 6 feet apart.

Something you want Don’t use Valentine’s Day gifts as a reason to buy something for your s/o that you think you’ll get use out of as well in the future. Leaning towards an experience you can both take part in would be a better idea, but try to leave buying personal items disguised as a gift out of the equation.

Household appliances While the person you love might want a new vacuum or microwave, Valentine’s day is a day about showing the other person your love for them. Getting products that

are average around the house doesn’t show much appreciation for the other person unless of course, you buy something that is tailored to the other person’s interests.

Valentine’s Day-themed things Sure, getting presents covered in hearts or cupids might be sweet for the time being, but getting your s/o or friend something themed for Valentine’s Day purely because it’s the correct occasion might not be the best of ideas. Even though it might be appreciated for a moment or two, random items or novelty items with no sentimental value will usually end up in the back of a closet or cabinet somewhere rather than getting used to its full potential.

The Bengal at Idaho State University

10 February 2021 • Page 6

SPORTS

Trevor Delaney | Sports Editor Contact: bgsports@isu.edu

ISU Women’s Basketball Dominates Brandon Davis Reporter

Featured: Delaney Moore Photo Courtesy of Idaho State Athletics

Holding the lead for 99.8% of the game is a pretty impressive feat, as is leading in rebounds, assists, and steals, which is just what the Bengals did last Friday against the visiting Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks.

The Bengals beat the Nighthawks in nearly every category and outscored them by 91-50. Headlined by amazing performances from Dora Goles, Diaba Konate, Carsyn Boswell and Tomekia Whitman who each scored double-digit points. Goles led the team with 24 points, meanwhile Nyalam Thabach’s led The Nighthawks with 10 points and five rebounds.

The first quarter was a pretty strong outing by the Bengals, scoring five seconds in and taking an early 15-0 lead before the Nighthawks even scored. Despite a slight comeback, the Bengals maintained a 2512 lead going into the second.

The second quarter started off slower for both teams, with a combined seven turnovers and only five points in the first three minutes of the period. This changed as the Bengals went on a run and seized momentum for the rest of the half. They

entered halftime with a 44-22 lead, and held the Nighthawks to only 10 points in the quarter.

That lead continued into the third, despite the Bengals scoring their lowest totals of the game, with 18 points.

However, the fourth was back to form.

Goles began the quarter with a three-pointer, Konate sunk two free throws and Moore closed the game with a lay-up. Together, the Bengals put up another 29 points sealing the victory 91-50.

With those first points the Bengals never looked back, scoring first and keeping the lead for the remainder of the game. All of the players impressed, Konate scored 15 points, had eight assists and five rebounds, putting up a solid performance next to Goles’s 24 points.

With this game, the Bengals continue their reign at the top of the Big Sky Conference and their 12 game win streak. An impressive season so far for our women’s basketball team with only one loss and none since week four. The Bengals look ahead to Moscow, where they will be playing the University of Idaho next on February 11 at 7 p.m. and hope to continue their 14-1 season.

Tennis Teams Take Two Losses, Win 7-0 at Lewis-Clark Trevor Delaney Sports Editor The Idaho State University Men’s and Women’s Tennis teams both had away games this weekend to play, with the Women’s team playing Boise State and Lewis-Clark State in Boise and the Men’s team playing Montana State in Bozeman in back to back matches. The Montana State Bobcats beat the Bengals in Saturday’s match with a final score of 4-3. Saturday fared no better for the Bengals out in

Boise, losing their match to the Broncos with a 2-5 loss.

The Idaho State Men’s Tennis team played once more against the Montana State Bobcats on Sunday, February 8, taking the doubles point before losing with a 2-5 final score. Montana State took five out of the six singles, securing their second victory in two days.

Finally, Idaho State made a comeback on Sunday, winning all of their singles and doubles against Lewis-Clark State and finishing out the match with a final winning score of 7-0. The unstoppable Irish duo of

Idaho State freshmen and Dublin natives Sol O’Lideadha and Lola O’Lideadha went undefeated in #1 Doubles against Sophie Uhlenkott and Alexis Maison of Lewis-Clark. Idaho State freshman Keilyn Kunimoto and Junior Adriene Pavek came out on top in #3 Doubles with a 6-1 win. Pavek also dominated in #5 Singles, finishing 6-0 and 6-1 against Sophie Uhlenkott of LC. The O’Lideadha sisters also both secured wins individually in #2 Singles and #4 Singles, each scoring an identical consecutive 6-1, 6-1 win each.

The Idaho State Men’s Tennis team is

set to play next against Brigham Young University on Saturday, Feb. 13 at 11 a.m. at BYU in Provo, Utah. The Idaho State Women’s Tennis team is scheduled to go up against Colorado Mesa University on Saturday, Feb. 20th at 10 a.m. in Pocatello.

That weekend the Men’s Tennis team will be playing two matches in Boise; against Boise State at 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 19, and a second match against George Fox University at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 20.

Featured: Gary Rendeck Photo Courtesy of Idaho State Athletics

Page 7 • 10 February 2021

The Bengal at Idaho State University

SPORTS

Trevor Delaney | Sports Editor Contact: bgsports@isu.edu

Simplot Games and Indoor Track Championships Postponed Trevor Delaney Sports Editor Two of the biggest events in the ITwo of the biggest events in the Intermountain West indoor track and field scene have been canceled for the 2021 season, with both the Big Sky Men’s & Women’s Indoor Track & Field Championships and the 43rd annual Simplot Games being postponed until 2022 due to pandemic concerns.

February is usually a busy month in the world of indoor track and field, with the Big Sky Championships being an essential component of collegiate track and field since the first indoor conference championship meet was held in 1979. The Simplot Games have also been a staple of high school indoor track and field for just as long, being held each year at the Holt Arena since they started in 1979. Without these two cornerstone competitions, athletes can look forward to what lies ahead in 2022.

The Big Sky Indoor Track and Field Championships this year was scheduled

to be held at the Worthington Arena at Montana State in Bozeman, Montana on Feb. 20-21, 2021 before the unavoidable cancelation of the event in order to safeguard participants. The Big Sky Conference has only canceled the indoor track and field championships for this year, leaving the championships for other sports on the schedule. While social distancing can perhaps be accomplished with other sports, the burden imposed by the nature of indoor track and field makes the logistical implementation of social distancing methods much more difficult to accomplish. These capacity concerns and the local health restrictions in Bozeman ultimately led the Big Sky President’s Council to call off the 2021 Championship.

Idaho State University is scheduled to host the upcoming 2022 Big Sky Indoor Track and Field Championship on May 11-14, 2022 at the Holt Arena.

This year’s Simplot Games was scheduled for Feb. 17-19, 2021, before the final announcement was made back in November that the event would be postponed for a year. The new date for the

43rd Simplot Games is Feb. 17-19, 2022, at the Holt Arena. The Simplot Games is the chief event when it comes to indoor track and field at the high school level in the U.S., attracting over 2000 athletes from across nineteen states, as well as athletes from as far as Canada and Australia. The obligation to keep all these high school

athletes safe from potential health risks prompted the organizers of the Simplot Games to move the event up until next year. This will be the first year in 42 years that the Simplot Games have not been held, leaving a gap for many ambitious young athletes who have come to expect the Simplot Games each year.

Featured: Taylor Meeks Photo Courtesy of Idaho State Athletics

ISU and U of I Conclude ‘Battle of the Domes’ With Draw Trevor Delaney Sports Editor The Battle of the Domes commenced on Saturday, February 20th at the Reed’s Gym, with the Idaho State Volleyball team playing the University of Idaho in their 5th year of the annual skirmish.

Idaho State took the lead for the Battle of the Domes on Saturday with a 3-2 win against Idaho. Leading the Bengals in kills in Saturday’s match with 23 was Idaho

State junior Raegan Kunz, who managed to score nearly twice as many kills as the next runner-up on the team. Topping the charts for aces for Idaho State was Green River native Andri Dewey, a redshirt sophomore who scored 6 spotless aces. Dewey also led in assists for the game with 53, adding to her growing reputation of leading the team in assists overall. Former Kuna Kaveman Mahala Bradburn and current Idaho State junior made the most digs for the Bengals on Saturday with 18, followed closely

Featured: Louise Lallament Photo Courtesy of Idaho State Athletics

with 16 digs by both Dewey and freshman Kennedee Tracy.

When the Bengals returned to the court to face off against the Vandals again on Sunday night, they started out with a 25-18 win over Idaho in the first set.

This point gap would be made up by the Vandals on the next set, with the Bengals falling behind by two. With three more sets to go, the match was neck and neck at times before Idaho’s final win of 3-2 for the match. After the first set, the widest point

gap at the end of any set was 3. While Idaho State ended with a 10 point total lead of 87 over Idaho’s 77 points, this wasn’t enough to win the sets. Tracy made 21 kills this game for the Bengals, followed by junior Sadie Gardner with 14 kills. Dewey was at it again this game with 54 assists.

The Bengals are scheduled to play again next weekend against Northwest Nazarene on Friday, Feb. 12 and Saturday, Feb. 13 at the ISU Reed’s Gym.

The Bengal at Idaho State University

10 February 2021 • Page 8

OPINION

Jacob Gutridge | Editor-in-Chief Contact: bgchief@isu.edu

Amanda Gorman: Poet Extraordinaire Lesley Brey Reporter

of power, people of many backgrounds resonated with Gorman’s call to look for the light.

She is the youngest person to ever be honored as poet laureate during an American inauguration.

She is the first poet to speak during a Super Bowl.

She graduated cum laude from Harvard University.

Her two upcoming books are at the top of the Amazon bestseller list, with sales in the millions, despite still being in the preorder phase.

Moreover, she is only 22.

She is Amanda Gorman, a rising star in American poetry whose legacy is just beginning.

According to her website, Gorman’s interest in poetry and writing started young.

While growing up in Los Angeles, she struggled with both an auditory processing disorder as well as a speech impediment, but she didn’t allow that to deter her from her deep love of reading and writing.

With the help of her mother, who is an English teacher, she was able to thrive and soon began publishing her work.

In 2014, at the age of 16, she was nominated as the poet laureate of Los Angeles, and in the following year she published her first collection of poetry “The One for Whom Food is Not Enough”. The job of a poet laureate is to compose poetry for events on an official basis.

Gorman follows a strong tradition of Black poetry in America. Her work focuses on feminism, marginalization and on the experience of diaspora within Black communities. Diaspora is the state of living outside one’s homeland. For many Black Americans, the diaspora was forced upon them when their ancestors were kidnapped and forcibly brought to the United States as slaves.

“Poetry is the lens we use to interrogate the history we stand on and the future we stand for. It’s no coincidence that at the base of the Statue of Liberty, there is a poem. Our instinct is to turn to poetry when we’re looking to communicate a spirit that is larger than ourselves. Whenever I’m writing, I’m looking at the history of words. The specific history of words in the inaugural poem was: We have seen the ways in which language has been violated and used to dehumanize. How can I reclaim English so we can see it as a source of hope, purification and consciousness?” said Gorman about her work, in an interview published by the New York Times.

Gorman’s inaugural poem, “The Hill we Climb,” made international waves for its hopeful tone and powerful message. Especially coming off of a turbulent transition

“When day comes we step out of the shade / aflame and unafraid / the new dawn blooms as we free it / For there is always light / if only we’re brave enough to see it / If only we’re brave enough to be it.”

According to the Associated Press, an inaugural poet is a feature distinctive to democratic inaugurations. Gorman now stands shoulder to shoulder with poets like the acclaimed Maya Angelou, who presented “On the Pulse of Morning,” for Bill Clinton’s inauguration in 1993 and Robert Frost who presented “The Gift Outright,” for John F. Kennedy in 1961.

“[The inauguration is a] huge step for me to be part of a moment that has such historicity in it. And for me, [I’m] just trying to do justice for the moment, trying to do justice to the incredible inaugural poets who’ve come before me,” Gorman said in an interview with CNN. Gorman was contacted in December to begin writing her inaugural poem, however, the capital riots of January 6th largely inspired the tone of the piece.

“What that informed me as a poet is the importance of writing the poem with honesty and writing a poem that didn’t turn a blind eye to that division and discourse that we saw, but really shed light on it.

That’s something that I really stood by in this poem and have been proud of -- in that it doesn’t gloss over all that America is and

all that we’ve been challenged with,” said Gorman.

Gorman’s work extends beyond poetry into political activism. Her ultimate goal is to eventually run for president herself, something she mentions within her inaugural poem.

In a New York Times interview, she explained “Especially for girls of color, we’re treated as lightning or gold in the pan — we’re not treated as things that are going to last. You really have to crown yourself with the belief that what I’m about and what I’m here for is way beyond this moment. I’m learning that I am not lightning that strikes once. I am the hurricane that comes every single year, and you can expect to see me again soon.”

Featured: Amanda Gorman Photo Courtesy of Wiki Commons

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