Inside this Issue
Debate Wins National Championship | Page 2
How to Own Pets in College | Page 5
The Bengal
isubengal.com 1 April 2021
Bengals at UC Davis | Page 6
Volume 46 Issue 26
The Independent Voice at Idaho State University Since 1910
Asian American Hate Crime in America Jack Sherlock Reporter The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a slew of unique responses and attitudes from varying demographics across the globe. Within the United States in particular, the failure to recognize the pandemic for what it is paired with defiance to the safety guidelines established by the CDC has placed us on an international stage for observation by the global community, often resulting in feelings of mockery, ridicule and shame. While this is embarrassing enough for those in America who are following guidelines and conveying solidarity during these difficult times, a much darker and more heinous outcome has been observed by social scientists since the start of the pandemic -- a dramatic rise in Asian-American hate crimes. New York City and Los Angeles are two of the largest cities in the country, both by population density and by the range of cultural diversity offered. Researchers from the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism (CSHE) found that within these two meccas for diversity, there was a massive wave of hate crimes with the intended action of portraying an anti-Asian agenda from March and April of 2020 to the present day. The CSHE provides a supporting statistic, showing that there was specifically a 150% increase of anti-Asian hate crimes within the past year, calculated by an astounding 3,800 separate incidents. Some are refusing to recognize this data from the CSHE as factual, assuming that the limited social interactions established by the CDC would actually cause a significant decrease in hate crimes across the board. Per the same study by the CSHE, the organization offers a statement of rebuttal, explaining how hate crimes committed within other demographics across the country have indeed fallen, that is where the opposition is correct. However, these demographic differences of hate crime rates have actually “highlighted and cre-
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ated opportunities to witness the rise in anti-Asian-motivated hate crimes’’ by those outside of the CDC limitations. In a separate study, Karthick Ramakrishnan, founder and director of the demographic data and policy research-focused nonprofit, AAPI Data, explains that these outcomes are not entirely attributed to political rhetoric, but it was a “major role in fostering hate” in this amount. Many witnessed the rhetoric used by former United States President, Donald J. Trump, when the COVID-19 pandemic first arrived in the U.S. and as it continued to plague the nation. This rhetoric was flooded with stereotypical jabs and racist, highly-offensive language. The terms “Chinese-virus”, “China virus” and “Kung-Flu” are just a few of the many derogatory terms that were used by the former presidential administration to delegitimize the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic. While this piece does not intend to be an active stance for or against the former administration specifically, the research shows that around the time of this kind of rhetoric being used is when the beginning of this rise in hate began to take off. Moving on from the beginning of this rise in hate crime to the start of a movement in response, we review one of the most recent tragedies in America to date -- the Atlanta Spa shootings, an attack that is up for debate on whether it was racially motivated or can be called a hate crime. On March 16th of 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia, three salons were targeted by an active shooter. What do these salons have in common, you may ask? What was the motive? Well, they were all owned, operated, and managed by Asian-American citizens. While the motive is not confirmed as racially motivated by prosecutors, there were eight people brutally Continued on Page 2
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The Bengal at Idaho State University
1 April 2021 • Page 2
NEWS
Logan Ramsey | News Editor Contact: bgnews@isu.edu
Bengal Debate Team Wins National Championship
Kyran Cates Reporter College debate has the ability to inspire future politicians, educators and leaders of the postgraduate world through constructive competition. From March 18 through March 21, Idaho State University’s debate team competed virtually at the Pi Kappa Delta National Comprehensive Tournament, which is one of the largest debate tournaments in the country. ISU’s top competitors, including Kaden Marchetti, Colter Barker, Joseph Tyler, Jazlynn Carranza, Alyson Tyler and Abbey Vaughn demonstrated great prowess in their respective debates. Most of the competitors advanced past their preliminary rounds into octofinals, quarterfinals and final rounds.
Most impressively, senior computer science major Kaden Marchetti and freshman computer science major Colter Barker won the national championship in a public forum debate, a two versus two debate format. This was the second consecutive year that ISU’s debate team earned this title. Andy Christensen, assistant director of the ISU debate team said, “This tournament was a COVID-19 casualty last year, canceled just two weeks before heading to San Diego to try for national titles. I was so grateful all of our participants did well this weekend, and it’s particularly exciting that the public forum pair made it to the final round to recapture their title.” This year, the National Comprehensive Tournament was held virtually due to
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COVID-19, but that didn’t stop The Bengal debate team from giving it their all and debating with the utmost eloquence to receive several awards and recognitions at a national level. Marchetti is graduating in May with a bachelor’s degree in computer science, meaning the final round of competition at the National Comprehensive Tournament was his last competitive round, bringing an end to his seven-year debate career. The team will be disheartened to see him go, but with such promising younger members, they should bounce back in time for the next debate season. When asked about Marchetti and Barker, sophomore political science major Jazlynn Carranza said, “It’s always so fun to watch Kaden’s process when developing cases. He and Colter work in such unison, both phenomenal debaters!” Barker has had incredible successes in his first year of college debate and throughout his high school speech and debate career, including qualifying for the National Speech and Debate Tournament in Dallas, Texas back in 2019. Now, having the title of a national public forum champion, he can continue pushing his teammates to work hard, stay motivated and refine their debating skills. In addition to a national title, ISU’s debate team received several other awards and recognitions. Idaho State University received the fourth place sweepstakes award for small squad entries, meaning that even though the team was small, they proved they have what it takes to compete with the other 70 universities in the tournament. Debate gives students the opportunity to educate themselves on new issues, consider both sides of every argument and improve their communication skills in their everyday lives. From developing arguments to practicing speeches, teamwork is one of the biggest aspects when it comes to competitions.
“The team really pulled closer together in the face of COVID-19. It takes a real team effort, a lot of sacrifice, training, and endurance to win these kinds of competitions,” said Sarah Partlow-Lefeve, head coach of the debate team. While Marchetti and Barkers’ victory was the highlight of the tournament for the team, other competitors had achievements of their own. Junior computer science major Joseph Tyler advanced to the quarterfinal round in varsity International Parliamentary debate, and in varsity extemporaneous speaking. Meanwhile, Jazlynn Carranza progressed to the octofinals round in the junior varsity international parliamentary debate. For superior speaking quality, Marchetti and Barker were ranked first and second speakers in the public forum, and Tyler was ranked the seventh speaker in the varsity parliamentary division. Finally, Marchetti was also given the Pi Kappa Delta All-American Award for excellence in debate as well as academic achievement, personal development and civic engagement, which is quite rare. “I’m so sad to watch Kaden end his 7-year debate career, but happy he ended it on a happy note as a two-time national public forum champion,” added Carranza. Debate is often credited with encouraging people to become more comfortable expressing their own ideas, questioning things they’ve always accepted as true, and defending their beliefs with facts and statistics. Critical thinking becomes a constant facet of debaters’ lives in almost no time. The truth is beyond important in today’s world, which is why ISU’s debate team should be applauded for their efforts to shine a light on injustice across the world. In short, congratulations to the Bengal Debate Team for their successes at the Pi Kappa Delta National Comprehensive Tournament.
American-Asian Hate Crime, Continued from Page 1 murdered that day and six of the lives lost were the lives of people with Asian heritage, identity, or status. The echoes of this event resonated throughout the country and started “Stop Asian Hate”, a new movement that rose shortly after this horrendous incident. Now, although it is not yet confirmed whether or not this attack was racially motivated by the shooter per the law, the outcry and call to action is mainly attributed to the disrespect towards those with Asian identity from the local police department in the area, as they say that the attacker was “having a bad day”. This poor statement was made by Cpt. Jay Baker of the Cherokee County Sheriff’s office. Active participants in the “Stop Asian Hate” movement are calling out the Cherokee County law enforcement captain for making “insensitive, justifying statements” seemingly in defense of the shooter and his motive. With further investigation by individuals all over social media, people tracked a post liked by Cpt. Baker that further established a history of disconnect and insensitivity towards the Asian-American community. The post contained an image of a t-shirt using the same rhetoric discussed earlier, designed in a similar brand and font style as Corona beer; the t-shirt reads “COVID-19, Imported Virus from Chy-na.” This type of insensitivity is condemned by political activists and justice seekers across the country, and they think there is no debate whether or not the shooter should be charged with a hate crime, even if the attacker was justified in his action by a law enforcement official with a publicly posted statement that is prejudiced and insensitive.
Following this event, the nation-wide cries for justice, action, safety, and advocacy are matched by ISU President Kevin Satterlee, who sent out a university wide statement on March 22nd titled “Confronting Hate, Racism, and Bigotry.” In this announcement, President Satterlee recalls a rather divisive and unsettling time a year ago, where we witnessed racial violence and further calls for action resulting from this violence. Satterlee continues by addressing sympathies to the families of those who have lost loved ones in the Atlanta shootings, and goes on to highlight the environment we are expected to retain and thrive in at Idaho State University. Satterlee discusses how the principles discussed a year ago regarding the Bengal community and their expected response when faced with hatred, bigotry, and racism are “just as applicable today.” Satterlee continues to say “This tragedy is one more terrifying reminder of hatred and violence in our nation directed at people because of their race, ethnicity, gender, or religion”, followed by a unifying statement explaining how we as a university join the voices of those across the country in their mourning, disappointment, and call for change. To donate, become actively involved, or to remain informed on the efforts towards combating Asian American - Pacific Islander (AAPI) hate crimes visit an AAPI established organization page or profile today.
Page 3 • 1 April 2021
The Bengal at Idaho State University
NEWS
Logan Ramsey | News Editor Contact: bgnews@isu.edu
Newly Elected Executives Seek to Increase ASISU Presence Logan Ramsey News Editor Students submitted their votes and elected two new executives to the Associated Students of Idaho State University (ASISU), juniors Zane Webb and Ailie Maclean of the Amplify Party as President and Vice President. Their terms will begin at the start of summer, and the soon-to-be executive officers are hoping to build a more connected campus community. Lack of student engagement was one of Webb’s motivating factors in deciding to run for president. He was previously approached by Logan Schmidt, a past president of ASISU, who suggested he run. This led him to run as a Senator in 2020. Webb lost the race but took it as a learning experience. Then during the Fall 2020 semester, as many activities were greatly scaled back due to the pandemic, Webb became frustrated with the lack of student involvement on campus, “Which is completely understandable under the circumstances, but that still doesn’t mean that there wasn’t a hole that needed to be filled, and for the following year, I wanted to be a part of that hole to help fill the gap.” Maclean decided that she wanted to run for office when she went and saw her first ASISU meeting and saw how the process worked. She thought to herself, “Wow, I’d really like to be a part of this decisionmaking process and I’d love to try and help make ISU the best that it can be.” As executives of ASISU, their jobs will be to represent the student body to the administration and advocate for the policies students want to see. Webb and Maclean want to see a larger ASISU presence on campus, and for more students to recognize what it is and see it as a resource. “I think we’re going to take a more aggressive stance when it comes to our positions this upcoming year than maybe we’ve seen in the past,” Maclean said.
Maclean attributed two main factors to the Amplify party’s campaign success, as all of their senate candidates won their respective elections. The first was their extensive campaign advertising, and the second was their platform ideas, which got the attention of students. “I think we had really structured goals and ideas, and I think that it kind of helped students realize that we’re serious about our positions and about being elected,” Maclean said. One of the ways they hope to connect campus is by fulfilling one of their main campaign promises, establishing a student community app for Idaho State University. They’re still in the concept phase of creating the app, but something they know they would like to include is a comprehensive list of clubs and organizations to make it easier for students to find that information. “There are so many directions you could take the app and so many features you could roll out, however, if you overcomplicate things, then it’s just going to be another platform students don’t use,” Webb said. Webb and Maclean want to keep the app simple. They said that they might reach out to other universities and see what their platform might look like, or they could meet with student affairs and combine it with their already existing app. More details should follow as they move ahead in the development process. Another way they hope to bring the students closer together is by establishing a community garden on campus. This is also in the development stages, but they already started on a trial run to get a better idea of the logistics involved. Not only would this provide a community space for students to interact, but it would also help them live more sustainable lives. Another initiative they’re in support of is a Sustainability Petition proposed by ISU students Rituraj Yadav and Emma Watts. This petition aims to commit ISU to take action to create a more sustainable
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future for the university. Webb and Maclean want the student body to know that they’re committed to taking action in their term as executives. “We want to see real change, and we’ve been taking the right steps to see that change occur…” Webb said. “(We’re)
showing the students that we’re going to buy in and that we can make this university even better, and with their help, the sky’s the limit. So, just by creating that snowball effect, we’re going to build a huge amount of snow by the end of our term hopefully.”
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The Bengal at Idaho State University
1 April 2021• Page 4
LIFE
Kaitlyn Hart | Life Editor Contact: bglife@isu.edu
How to Own Pets in College
Lesley Brey Reporter Spiders, and snakes, and rats, oh my! While some may consider this a list of pests, for college students looking for animal companionship, it may be a list of pets. Idaho State University is far from unique fin its “no pets” in student housing policy. This policy prohibits most animals unless they qualify as an accommodation for a disability. For many who grew up with pets back home, moving to college also means moving away from lifelong furry companions. However, just because you’re focusing on school doesn’t mean having an animal
is completely off the table. Many students have found a way to have their cake and eat it too by expanding on the definition of a pet. Meanwhile, others have found off-campus housing that has more understanding pet-tolerant policies. In a poll conducted by The Bengal on Instagram, 62% of respondents said they were pet-owning college students. If you’re going to have a pet on campus, the first thing to be aware of is the specific wording of the law. In the “Standards of Residence” manual, ISU outlines its guidelines for animals as, “No pets allowed, except for fish and special ADA certified care animals. Aquariums that are balanced and are 20-gallons or less in size are permitted. Violation of the pet policy may result
in a fine to the resident.” Although fish may not be as cuddly as the more traditional cat or dog, they are still interesting to watch. Alternatively, some students have interpreted this policy to mean any animal that can safely live in a 20-gallon tank, such as the aforementioned spiders, snakes and even salamanders. One anonymous student said, “I have salamanders because they are able to live comfortably within that environment. I have it set up so that it is a bioactive enclosure, there are plants and leaf litter and various animals that break down waste, so it is a self-contained ecosystem. It gives me a piece of the natural world in my living situation. I’m not particularly wor-
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ried about the policy because what they are worried about is animals that create a disturbance for other students, like unauthorized cats and dogs. My salamanders create the same level of disturbance as a fish would, so I believe I can justify it to the university.” When living off-campus, the rules can be a little less restrictive. Many property management companies in town allow small pets if the tenant pays an extra pet fee monthly. Here, the problems that student-pet-owners face are similar to what many of us were used to back at home: feeding, cleaning and making time to play. On Instagram, several students shared the issues they faced. Instagram user Kidakaroo said their biggest concern was “Remembering to spend time with [their pet].” Meanwhile, user Itsallthesametome said it was “Being away from [their pet] all day.” User Emmasnotcool summarized these struggles, saying, “[Finding] enough playtime between work and school and school work.” If you’re considering getting a pet, there are a few things to keep in mind before you buy. Pets are long-term commitments, with many having life spans nearly triple the amount of time you’ll spend in college. You wouldn’t just be buying a pet for now, but for at least 10 years ostensibly. Consider the needs of whatever kind of animal you’re interested in, and whether these can be met within your current schedule and lifestyle. A good rule of thumb is to think about owning a pet like having another 3-credit course added to your schedule every semester. If just thinking about taking 18 credits makes you overwhelmed, that’s probably a good sign that you’re not in the position to get a pet. “During busy weeks with school, it’s hard to find quality time to spend loving my cats. They want attention when I’m trying to do work, they want to help me with my assignments, but I usually have to kick them out of the room to focus. However, on lazy days there’s nothing nicer than being able to cuddle up with them on my bed,” said Ari Herrera, a junior biology major, who lives off-campus.
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Page 5 •1 April 2021
The Bengal at Idaho State University
Kaitlyn Hart | Life Editor Contact: bglife@isu.edu
How to Know if Graduate School is Right for You Chloe Reid Reporter Spring graduations are right around the corner. As exciting as starting a new chapter in your life can be, it can also be very intimidating. Considering your options after graduation, whether it be in a few weeks or a few years, can be overwhelming to any college student. Whether you might be considering trying to jumpstart your career by landing a job right after college or thinking about applying for a graduate school after acquiring your degree, there’s a field of possibilities for upcoming college graduates to consider. The concept of grad school can seem a bit confusing at first. Why would you need to continue your education further after you’ve graduated? Isn’t the first college degree enough? In some cases, no. For a simple explanation, grad school is a chance to further your education in a specific field after graduation. It helps you further understand your career path in a way that wasn’t fully taught throughout the typical four years of college. So how do you know if grad school is a good match for you? You’re certain of what you want to do in the future Grad school is a great way to expand your knowledge and skills in the field you’ve studied throughout your first four years. Grad school is very specialized in comparison to a traditional college, meaning that changing majors is very rare. In grad school, classes are very focused on one topic to assist in learning more about a specific field of study. If you’ve found yourself tossing around majors throughout your time in college, or find it difficult to truly feel passionate about one major or another, applying to a grad school might not be your best bet.
Your desired job requires an advanced degree For some career paths, a simple bachelor’s degree in your major will suffice. However, this doesn’t apply to all. For careers in the medical, law, finance and social service fields, an advanced degree is most likely required. If you’ve been studying to become a doctor, lawyer, psychologist or economist, you’ll most likely need further education. If researching your desired career path shows that the field requires a master’s or doctoral degree, grad school will most likely be the best path to take. You’re ready for a more rigorous education Heading into the job field directly after graduation might not be for everyone. For those who enjoyed the college experience and want a chance to further their education in a topic they love, grad school is a great choice. However, grad school does come with more challenging academics compared to the traditional first four years. Truly consider your options before deciding and make sure you have a genuine interest in going. Traditionally, depending on the field of study, grad schools can require an additional 2 to 7 years to graduate. Grades in grad school will also be a bit more challenging to maintain. In most experiences, a “B” grade can be considered the same satisfactory level as a “C” grade would in a four-year college. While the typical minimum GPA requirement for grad school is a 3.0, some law or doctoral schools can require a competitive GPA of 3.5 or above.
Besides just using grad school as a way to achieve a more advanced degree, it’s also a great way to become more knowledgeable in the career path you hope to pursue in the future. You’ve considered the costs Undeniably, grad school will add a greater amount of expense after college. According to Petersons, a college assistance website, someone who obtained a master’s degree will obtain an average of $40,000 more a year than someone with a bachelor’s degree. However, this is relying on averages, and the actual difference of income may increase or decrease depending on the person. With this in mind, on average, grad school in total costs about $30,000-$40,000 annually to
You want expanded knowledge of your desired career path Like previously mentioned, grad school provides career-specific courses in comparison to a four-year college and can assist in furthering your knowledge on the major you received your degree in.
LIFE
attend, whether it be a public or private school. Depending on how long you attend grad school, the total cost of attending could range anywhere from $80,000 to $280,000. Because of this, several people who have attended grad school have been faced with the harsh reality of loans that are hard to pay off. However, this fact shouldn’t completely disenfranchise you from considering the possibility of grad school. Although additional income for graduates varies, grad school has proven to be successful for many and the cost shouldn’t act as a complete barrier from attending. If you’re still unsure about the ability to pay off the additional expenses, maybe put further consideration into attending.
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The Bengal at Idaho State University
25 March 2021 • Page 6
SPORTS
Trevor Delaney | Sports Editor Contact: bgsports@isu.edu
Bengals Lose Tight Game at UC Davis, 27-31 Trevor Delaney Sports Editor The Bengals came close to beating their Aggie opponents in Saturdays’ game at UC Davis, with the Aggies taking their pivotal win over ISU in the fourth quarter with a touchdown at just eight seconds left on the clock. With a close score throughout the game, Idaho State gained a winning streak of 27-24 with 3:47 left in the fourth quarter. The Bengals lost this ground they had gained over the Aggies, taking home a loss at a final score of 27-31. ISU has never won a game against UC Davis, but this time they came objectively closer to a victory against the Aggies than they ever had previously. With Saturday’s loss added to the record, the Bengals are looking at season score of 1-3 in Big Sky play so far. The Idaho State football team will play its last home game of the season at 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 3, at the Holt Arena in Pocatello. This will be a part of the Battle of the Domes series played against the University of Idaho, and the last chance Bengals fans can catch a game in-person this season.
Photo Courtesy of Idaho State Athletics
ISU Women’s Basketball Team Plays Kentucky in NCAA, Loses 63-71 Trevor Delaney Sports Editor The Bengals went the distance winning the Big Sky Championship, earning their place at a spot in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to play against the University of Kentucky Wildcats at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas on Sunday, March 21. This opportunity to play and earn a chance to get to the
next round of the NCAA was certainly well earned by all teams that advanced through the rankings in order to qualify. To see college athletes from all over the country compete at this level is always something to remember, and history will recollect this game as well. The Bengals were leading at the end of the first quarter, with a score of 1812. Idaho State soon lost its lead and by the end of the second quarter, was down
six points at 24 points to Kentucky’s 30 points. This point gap grew larger by the end of the third quarter, with ISU trailing by 16 points with a score of 31-47 on the board. Slowly but surely, throughout the fourth quart the Bengals chipped away at the point gap that Kentucky had managed to gain, with ISU ending the game with a final score of 63-71. With only an eight point gap at the final buzzer, even this loss shows the obvious work that the Bengals
put in as a team this season to make it to where they were. The Bengals finished their season off with a final season score of 22-4 for overall play, as well as a 15-2 score for Big Sky play, and a 14-0 undefeated home game record.
Featured: Diaba Konate Photo Courtesy of Idaho State Athletics
Page 7 • 25 March 2021
The Bengal at Idaho State University
Trevor Delaney | Sports Editor Contact: bgsports@isu.edu
Bengals Fall to Weber State Brandon Davis Reporter This past weekend the Weber State Wildcats softball team hosted the Idaho State Bengals in a three-game series with the Bengal losing all three games. The first game was a close one, 6-8; the next game with a score at 0-19; and the final game of the series ending 1-7. With this, The Bengals record is 6-13 for the season and 0-3 in Big Sky Conference play. The first game in the series started strong with Idaho State scoring first with Isabel Cargill hitting a single, bringing in J.J. Martinez. After this, over the course of the next four innings, Weber State scored eight runs taking an 8-1 lead heading into the sixth. The Bengals could have taken the beating and just moved on, but instead, they chose to go back hard, and not let up. The sixth inning was a great display by The Bengals scoring five runs at the top of the sixth bringing the game to a very winnable position at 6-8. They
closed out the sixth allowing no hits on the board. The seventh inning continued with the Bengals’ high-intensity play, but despite the tying run, Weber State prevented the comeback as ISU grounded out, ending the inning and the game. Both teams had nine runs in the game, Cargill and Shea Perkins led the Bengals with two hits each. Game two didn’t quite have the highs of Game One. Weber State got up early and kept the lead strong, scoring two in the first inning and 10 in the next. The game was cut short in the fifth inning when Weber State took their 19-0 lead leading to a run-rule victory. Game three rounded out the series with another disappointing performance from the Bengals. Weber State took an early lead, scoring in every inning until the fifth. Weber State managed to keep the Bengals scoreless once again until the top of the seventh inning, when, with the bases loaded Weber State walked the batter leading to the only Bengal run. ISU
SPORTS had six hits in the game with two coming from Kaylee Butterworth. On four innings pitched, Mareena Ramirez had three strikeouts. “We’ve got work to do,” said Coach Cristal Brown after the game. “It’s still early in conference but we need to pull it together quickly. Looking forward to doing that at
home next weekend.” Next week ISU plays at home, for the first time since 2019, against Southern Utah University. With that The Bengals look to snap their seven-game losing streak and get some much needed conference wins.
Featured: Frankie Tago Photo Courtesy of Idaho State Athletics
Idaho State Soccer Takes Double Header Loss to Northern Arizona Trevor Delaney Sports Editor The Idaho State Bengals headed down to Flagstaff, Arizona this past weekend to take on the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks, coming home with two defeats to show for their efforts. On Friday, March 26, the Bengals played their first game of the two-game series against Northern Arizona, with ISU coming out with a loss of 1-2. Idaho State Head Coach Debs Brereton commented on Friday’s game, “Fantastic effort today, we continue to improve each
game. This team is so resilient and builds on every performance. We looked much better going forward and created several very god chances. It’s only a matter of time until the team are rewarded for their relentless efforts.” “We enjoyed much of the possession and our quality ball movement allowed us to create some dangerous attacks. Kaylyn Buchanan delivered a brilliant cross that was met from our cool and calm Caitlin Crist,” Coach Brereton added. “She is excellent in the air and opened up her Bengal account in a commanding way. Our defense continued to be well
Photo Courtesy of Idaho State Athletics
organized and kept NAU, who have scored the most goals in our division, at bay.” On Sunday, Mar. 28, the two teams came back to face each other again, this time with Idaho State taking a loss with a final score of 0-2 for the game. This would bring ISU to a score of 0-2 for the twogame series in Flagstaff, with a season score of 0-4 for Big Sky play. “I’m very proud of the effort the payers gave this weekend to implement our game plan,” said Brereton. “Their attitude and response to going a goal down early on in both games was brilliant. Nau has many upperclassmen and they put us
under a lot of pressure. Credit to them for capitalizing on their chances. This was a huge learning weekend for our young team and we will get back to work this week to prepare for our final home games against Weber next weekend. We still have so much to play for and we will continue to build on every performance.” The Bengals play next against the Weber State Wildcats at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 2, in Pocatello, in the first of a twogame home series against Weber State.
The Bengal at Idaho State University
1 April 2021 • Page 8
OPINION
Jacob Gutridge | Editor-in-Chief Contact: bgchief@isu.edu
We’re Burnin’ Up
And not in the fun way that the Jonas Brothers intended
Kaitlyn Hart Life Editor Every night when I finally feel like I’ve stretched my brain to its limit and can finally justify getting some sleep after finding addresses for graduation announcements and finishing my final projects in a state of panic, the only way I can convince myself to legitimately rest is to pull the blankets over my head as if I’m somehow hiding from all of the stress, responsibilities and fear of failure thanks to this horrible, dreadful, no good spring 2021 semester. Personally, I have never felt this kind of stress. It feels heavier than I can ever remember. We’re living through a pandemic and scrambling to get vaccinated to keep ourselves and our communities healthy. As seniors, we’re looking forward to graduation and the chance to show the world what we’ve got, while also trying to get all of our ducks in a row. We’re finishing up internships with hopes of a full-time offer; otherwise, we’re clambering to find a job that will pay us anywhere near our worth. Not to mention, every single one of us, no matter our grade-level, is dealing with our personal lives that can cause enough stress to take down an elephant itself. “My wife just had a baby and I’m trying to finish my thesis while working full time,” says ISU graduate student, Andrew Smith. And on top of all of that, we are living through this semester without our usual spring break. This year, Idaho State’s spring break was pushed back until the week of April 26th, two days after Spring commencement. This means that most seniors won’t get a spring break to recharge their minds and prepare them for the gigantic life change we are about to experience. We will essentially be left to continue struggling through our mental exhaustion, literally until the day we graduate. For some of us, our classes don’t even end before graduation! After we walk across that stage and seemingly complete our degrees, we still have more work to do! I never realized how much spring break is worth until we no longer had one. Our professors are struggling too, trying to lighten our workload as much as they can, while still teaching us as much as they can gather, simultaneously watching us through Zoom, most of us with our cameras off to hide our stress-caused frown lines and the fact that we could barely get out of bed this morning.
Wanting to make sure I’m not the only one experiencing this life-altering feeling of despair during these last couple weeks of the semester, I took to The Bengal Newspaper Instagram page to see what my fellow students felt. Am I the only one who is wondering if it’s even worth it at this point? The answer is no. Through the use of a Yes/No poll, I asked the question, “Do you feel more burned out this semester than any other?” Out of 56 answers, 55 people voted, “Yes”. It’s true, college is supposed to be stressful. It is supposed to teach you the meaning of hard work, boost your work ethic and push you to your limit. But this semester, many of us feel like we are being pushed past our limit. “Not having our usual spring break has made it difficult because I have to continue just plowing through assignments one week after the next,” says ISU junior and public relations major, Taylor Kurz. “It takes a lot more perseverance to be dedicated to a class over Zoom. I was used to the comfort of being around people and it made it easier to be driven.” As a senior, many of us have at least had
some kind of build-up to prepare for large amounts of stress, but this is truly (don’t hate me for using this word) unprecedented. We’ve dealt with deadlines, stressedout professors and difficult classes before, so we have developed the coping mechanisms and can have them ready to go at a moment’s notice. But for our ISU freshman, I can’t imagine what it is like to just now be beginning your college career. If you’re a freshman right now, or even a sophomore, please give yourself some slack. It’s not always going to be this hard. Underclassmen this year have been put in a very delicate situation, many of them being away from home for the first time, which is scary enough. “Because of my fear of contracting COVID-19, I have taken multiple online classes,” says ISU theatre major, Nathan Templeton. “I do better with in-person instruction but I had to make the difficult decision of putting my health over my education.” In no world, should any of us have to choose whether we want to receive higher education, or possibly die trying. Throughout these next couple of weeks,
I am begging you, please do all that you can to take care of yourself. If that means asking your professor for an extension, do it. If that means going home for the weekend to recharge and see your loved ones, do it (safely). If it means making an appointment with the school counselors to get some stress off your shoulders, please do it! According to ISU’s Mental Health page, “All students who are enrolled in the current semester (part-time or full-time) are eligible for free, confidential counseling services.” Please, please, please take advantage of the mental health services on campus if you feel like it will help you in any way. If you are in crisis, please call, 1-800273-TALK(8255). You can call these numbers to make an appointment (in-person or over the phone) with the Counseling Center: Pocatello: (208) 282-2130 Idaho Falls: (208) 282-7750 Meridian: (208) 373-1719 Don’t let this semester win, and please for the love of everything, take care of yourself.
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