Volume 46, Issue 13 [11/18/20] - The Bengal Newspaper

Inside this Issue

Homelessness in Bannock County| Page 2

Ruth Bader Ginsburg Class| Page 3

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” | Page 7

The Bengal

isubengal.com 18 November 2020

Volume 46 Issue 13

The Independent Voice at Idaho State University Since 1910

ISU History Professor Named 2020 Innovative Educator Joanna Orban Copy Editor Idaho State University history professor, Justin Dolan Stover, a doctorate in history was recently honored by the Idaho State Board of Education. Stover was named the 2020 Innovative Educator for Social and Behavioral Ways of Knowing. According to a press release by ISU, “Starting in 2019, each year Idaho’s General Education Committee acknowledges educators who are dedicated to general education in Idaho and pursue meaningful innovations in their teaching.”

The 2020 award was presented virtually to Stover amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’m honored,” said Stover. “To be recognized by students, peers and the State Board validates the efforts I’ve taken to create dynamic lectures, alter delivery methods to meet various student needs and revise course content to include the latest research and interpretations.”

Stover, who has taught at ISU since 2012, completed his doctorate at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland. He specializes in modern European history and Irish history. The class for which he was nominated for the Innovative Educator Award, was History 1106 Modern European History.

“Modern Europe has evolved since I first taught it in 2012. The base goals remain the same-to teach the course of modern European history-but the focus, materials, assessments, projects and delivery methods have changed to meet the needs of students,” said Stover.

According to Stover, his education in Europe has also influenced his teaching style.

“My own education in Ireland, research and conference presentations throughout Europe, and general exposure to history through travel is truly communicated in the classroom.”

Please Recycle

As a professor, Stover makes an effort to keep his classes interesting and applicable. His method for teaching history involves structuring the class as a big question in history while using each lecture to support smaller bits of evidence.

“I’m giving 110 percent,” said Stover. Stover also seeks to keep his classes more conversational to increase student interaction.

According to Zackery Heern, the chair of ISU’s history department, “I nominated Dr. Stover for this award because of his commitment to students. He brings history to life, and he cares deeply about student success.”

Like Heern, ISU History student Moriah Gillespie also finds Stover incredibly deserving of this award, “I was a Health Administration student who was ‘required’ to take a history course and happened upon one of Dr. Stover’s courses. What I didn’t know is his teaching would not only influence me to change majors but seek a master’s in history as well. The classroom comes alive with Dr. Stover, his teaching methods are beyond reproach, his wisdom-exciting, his interaction with students-impeccable. There is no one more deserving,” said Gillespie.

Many ISU students, like Gillespie, might view history classes simply as a “required” class that they have to take on their way to get whatever degree they are seeking. Regardless of the students’ majors, Stover encourages students to take a history class.

Continued on Page 2

Cover Photo Courtesy of Dr. Justin Dolan Stover

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The Bengal at Idaho State University

11 November 2020 • Page 2

NEWS

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

Homelessness in Bannock County

Brandon Oram | Photo Editor Logan Ramsey News Editor One of the effects the pandemic brought as it has spread across the country has been an increase in housing insecurity, leading to a higher homeless population.

Data on homelessness in 2020 is not widely available considering the year isn’t over, but communities have already felt the effects of this, and Bannock County is no exception.

It could also be difficult for a newly homeless person to find accessible information on what community resources are available to them. This could and already has had deadly consequences.

A homeless man in his fifties was found dead by the Pocatello Police Department on Oct. 24 and the Bannock County Coroner’s office ruled that the man likely died of exposure. The man was found in Simplot Square in the 100 block of South Arthur Avenue, less than a mile from Aid For Friends, a homeless shelter in Pocatello. The man was able to be identified, but the PPD have not released that information publicly.

“In this day and age, there should be no reason that somebody freezes to death when we have all of these buildings that could facilitate at least a night’s sleep,” said Stephanie Edwards, President of the Public Health Student Association (PHSA).

Melissa Caudle, an instructor at Idaho State University in the College of Community and Public Health and the advisor of the PHSA, said, “It’s really hard to say what the barriers were,” to this man receiving the help he needed because of the myriad of issues he could’ve been facing.

Caudle said that he might not have known where the shelter was located, or he could’ve been facing transportation issues, or he might’ve had concerns about COVID-19, or all of the above.

BJ Stensland, Executive Director of Aid For Friends, said that what causes someone to become homeless could be a combination of mental health issues, physical issues, a loss of employment, cost of hospitalization, a split up of family, or they could have never had a family.

Stensland said that before the pandemic, Aid For Friends didn’t have to keep a waiting list, but the population they’re seeing now exceeds a normal capacity.

Normally there could be anywhere from 30 to 35 people waiting for shelter.

Edwards, a property manager in Pocatello, said, “I can tell you first hand, no, Pocatello does not have the proper capacities, procedures, protocol, any of

provides housing to veterans and family services for victims of domestic violence.

Aid For Friends is the primary housing facility in Pocatello.

Stensland said that people who lose their housing will often stay with their friends or family, and Aid For Friends ends up being a last resort.

“You have to think about if you get into a rough spot. Do you have a support system?

That’s the one thing that separates those that come to our shelter, they don’t have that support system,” Stensland said.

And the state government has not put any resources to strengthening Idaho’s existing support systems for vulnerable populations.

“I’ve never received a grant, or any

Photo Courtesy of PixaBay that in place.”

There are several agencies in Pocatello that facilitate services for vulnerable populations. Bannock Youth Foundation, located at 620 W Fremont St, assists runaway youth. SouthEastern Idaho Community Action Agency (SEICAA)

money directly from the state of Idaho to operate,” Stensland said.

The Idaho Housing and Finance Association (IHFA) is the independent organization that allocates funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to shelters, including Aid For

Friends. According to Jason Lantz, Director of Marketing and Communications for the IHFA, although the Governor appoints their board of directors, the Idaho state government provides no funding to the association.

“So, no, (the state government) doesn’t give us enough (funding). Anything would be helpful,” Stensland said.

Despite the state’s lack of engagement, Aid For Friends is making moves to relocate the shelter, which will allow them to more than double their shelter capacity.

It has already moved to a temporary location to provide isolated housing accommodations to protect against COVID-19 infections. Once the pandemic is over, Aid For Friends plans to move its operations permanently into the larger building, bringing their capacity from 34 to 40 people up to 74 to 90 people.

The new location will allow them to be ADA accessible with all of their services on one floor. The facility will have a dining area with an industrialized kitchen, a career center with access to the internet, common areas for socializing, privacy and a mini laundromat.

“It’s going to be a major upgrade for us,” Stensland said.

It’s not certain when the shelter will officially open, as the pandemic has to be over before they can reintroduce congregate living, but Stensland hopes for it to be open in the spring.

“We need to realize that this is a community effort. It didn’t come about by one agency doing it on their own, but it brought in many many partners and supporters. We’ll need volunteers like we didn’t before helping us fix meals, to help with the donation room, there will be a lot more that we can do with that facility,” Stensland said.

ISU History Professor, Continued From Page 1 “STEM classes address the question of ‘how?’ but humanities and social sciences pursue the ‘why?’ history classes, in particular, examine human beings, who are on the whole passionate, emotional and brash creatures. This unpredictability is fascinating.”

As with many professors all across the world, Stover’s usual method of teaching was thrown for a loop when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. “My adjustment is not being able to see students face-to-face,” said Stover. As the pandemic has yet to be resolved, Stover will continue to teach his classes

in the hybrid method with some students being in person and others tuning in via Zoom for the 2021 Spring Semester.

However, before next semester begins Stover would like to remind students to, “Be kind to yourselves. Be patient with yourselves. Enjoy a well-deserved autumn break and winter holiday.”

Stover is teaching three classes next semester including Modern European History (HIST 1106), World War I (HIST 4466) and HIST 6620, which is a research/writing seminar for graduate students.

His Modern European History class, for

which he received the award covers Objective Six of the general education curriculum required at ISU. After taking Stover’s course students will, “Understand and appreciate similarities and differences among and between individuals, cultures, or societies across space and time.”

Although Stover received this award, he has no plans to become complacent in his teaching. Going forward, he has several goals he would like to achieve. They include refining the courses he already teaches by implementing the most up to date resources as well as taking up the

help on other classes that currently aren’t offered by the history department, including a history of modern Britain.

“Each class is an opportunity for the human story to unfold, and I can feel a rise in the energy of the class when we’re developing an important point. I love lecturing and interacting with students as they develop an understanding of the subject, and it’s exciting to see students make connections between the past and its influence on the development of our current world,” said Stover.

Page 3 • 11 November 2020

The Bengal at Idaho State University

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

RBG Law and Legacy Class to be Held at ISU

NEWS

Photo Courtesy of Wiki Commons Featured: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Lesley Brey Reporter In the wake of a historic election, the face of American politics is quickly changing. One of the largest shifts has been within the Supreme Court, with the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg with her subsequent replacement to be Justice Amy Coney-Barrett.

There is no telling what the fallout will mean for U.S. constitutional law, but if you wanted to know how we got to this point Idaho State University is offering a class entitled RBG: Law and Legacy this spring semester.

This three-credit, 3000 level political science class is available without prerequisites and will cover topics ranging from Justice Ginsburg’s time on the circuit courts, her political advocacy, her judicial philosophies, the rise of her cult of personality and reflections on her legacy as a champion of women’s rights. It is a web course taught by ISU’s own Dr. Edward Kammerer, an east coast native who has not only worked as an attorney but who also has his Ph.D. in law and public policy.

As this is considered a special topics course, next semester will be your only chance to take it. At the time of writing, there are only 11 seats left available.

“A lot of people know about her as the ‘Notorious RBG,’ there’s keychains and memes and pins. She became this pop-culture icon, but there’s a deep body of work that I don’t think people always appreciate; that’s what I’m really excited to get people

thinking about,” said Kammerer.

Justice Ginsburg began her law career in 1960 after attaining her degree from Columbia University. She worked in research, spent some time as a law clerk and even became a tenured professor by 1969.

However, she began making waves in 1972 when she started working with the American Civil Liberties Union.

“She started out as a women’s rights advocate, but she really took off working with the women’s rights law project of the ACLU, laying the foundation for our understanding of what the equal protection clause covers,” said Kammerer.

Over the next decade, Ginsburg would fight a series of high profile court cases focusing on the law’s treatment of women, achieving many victories while still facing losses.

“Justice Ginsburg as an attorney was really adept at highlighting how laws that seemed to help women also hurt them and hurt men,” said Kammerer.

The expansion of the circuit courts in 1978 resulted in a push to nominate more judges from minority backgrounds. Justice Ginsburg was subsequently nominated to the courts by President Jimmy Carter in 1980.

The focus of the course is going to be on the two big facets of her career: her legal advocacy work and her time as a justice.

The transition between her work as an attorney and her work as a justice highlights many unique features of her judicial philosophy, many of which are still being debated today.

Photo Courtesy of Wiki Commons Featured: Ruth Bader Ginsburg

This course offers an important perspective, especially in the months following her death with the longevity of her legacy now in question. Many of her landmark opinions stand to be overturned in the following years, leaving legal scholars to grapple with the aftermath.

“Is that legacy, is that advocacy work that she did to give us this framework for analyzing the equal protection clause, is that going to stay in place? Is that going to be dismantled? Is it going to be altered?” asks Kammerer.

These are only a few questions the course will be reflecting on. That isn’t to say that Justice Ginsburg’s legacy is a perfect one; she faced opposition from a variety of angles, and not all of her rulings were popular. She rarely shied away from

expressing her opinions, a trait which at times put her in conflict with her usual allies. Infamously, she critiqued the legal reasoning behind Roe V. Wade, a case that happened before her time, finding it weak and vulnerable to overhaul.

Regardless of whether she was loved or hated, it is hard to deny that she was a legal giant. This course offers an opportunity for students to think critically about the open-ended questions her legacy poses.

“Justice Ginsburg really is a transformative person in the legal world. She warrants examination. This is a pivotal moment to look at what her legacy means as it is being contested,” said Kammerer.

So, if you need another three credits this semester, try out RBG: Law and Legacy, Pols 3350, CRN 28090.

The Bengal at Idaho State University

11 November 2020 • Page 4

NEWS

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

Women’s Basketball Ties for First Place Finish in Coaches’ Poll Idaho State Athletics Submitted Content The Idaho State women’s basketball team has tied with Idaho for a first place finish in the coaches’ poll and finished second in the media preseason polls that was released by the Big Sky Conference on Wednesday.

“The recognition of being picked first in any poll is nice,” said Head Coach Seton Sobolewski. “It’s a reflection of the work we’ve put in, but there is still a lot of work to do to earn the top spot. I feel there is going to be more parity this year and Big Sky play is going to be tough especially under the circumstances.”

Idaho State tied with in-state rivals Idaho for a first place finish in the coaches’ poll while going on to finish a close second in the media poll. Idaho received 16 first place votes in the media poll and four first place votes in the coaches’ poll. The Bengals received two first place votes in

the media poll and two in the coaches poll.

Northern Arizona finished third in both polls while Montana State and Northern Colorado took fourth and fifth respectively.

In the media poll, Portland State finished sixth, just ahead of Montana. In the coaches poll’ Montana finished ahead of Portland State for a sixth place finish.

Southern Utah would finish eighth in both polls to allow Eastern Washington and Sacramento State to fight for ninth and tenth place. In the media poll, EWU finished ninth while Sac State finished 10th. In the coaches’ poll, Sacramento State pulled ahead of EWU to take ninth.

Weber State finished out the voting in 11th place.

The Bengals finished 18-13 during the 2019-20 season with a 13-7 mark in Big Sky Conference play. The team finished third in league play and advanced to the conference tournament semifinals before falling to Idaho, 66-51.

Brandon Oram | Photo Editor Featured: Diaba Konate

No In-Person Fans for Idaho State Men’s and Women’s Basketball Idaho State Athletics Submitted Content

Photo Courtesy of ISU Athletics

The Idaho State University Department of Athletics has announced that there will be no in-person fans at Reed Gym to start the 2020-21 basketball season due to the current COVID-19 pandemic.

The University will continue to monitor the landscape of the pandemic with the intention of allowing spectators if the situation changes and conditions allow.

“We’ve been working in conjunction with the University Health Committee and the District Health Department to determine the safest way to proceed with fans in the stands,” said Athletic Director Pauline Thiros. “Ultimately, as cases are continuing to rise and the State of Idaho returns to Stage 2, the most prudent course of action is to eliminate additional risk to community and student-athletes.

We will begin our season without fans in Reed Gym. It was a very difficult decision, but one we know is in the best interest of the health and safety of our fans, staff, and student-athletes.”

ISU Athletics has not renewed season tickets for men’s and women’s basketball for the 2020-21 season due to the uncertainty created by the pandemic.

All Big Sky Conference games will be available live on Pluto TV. All home games air on channel 1011 and Big Sky road games will be on the school-specified channel released the week of the game.

Pluto TV can be accessed by downloading the free Pluto TV app on your mobile device or tablet or by going to pluto.tv on your computer. Viewers may also access the link online from the men’s and women’s basketball schedules at ISUBengals.com.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Idaho State will not send the local radio crew to road basketball games, instead, Jerry Miller and Mark Liptak will remotely call away games.

To listen to all men’s and women’s basketball games, home and away fans should log on to https://portal. stretchinternet.com/idast/. As customary, ISU Women’s Basketball games will be available on KISU FM at 91.1 in Pocatello, 91.3 in Idaho Falls, and 88.1 in Rexburg.

Bengal Basketball Head Coaches Ryan Looney and Seton Sobolewski, along with selected student athletes, will host a Bengal Chalk Talk via Zoom on December 10th at 7pm to check in with fans and provide an update as teams finish up the preseason and approach Big Sky Conference competition. The public is invited to join this event at https://isu.zoom.us/j/81007666400 and may email Ted Gambles at gambted@isu. edu to receive a passcode.

Page 5 • 11 November 2020

The Bengal at Idaho State University

LIFE

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

Out-of-the-Ordinary Thanksgiving Dishes to Try This Year Kaitlyn Hart Life Editor I’m about to lay some truth on you, turkey isn’t that good. I’m more of a sweet potato casserole, stuffing and cranberries kind of girl myself if I’m being completely honest.

Now sure, the seasoning on a turkey can really change the game, but then it’s just the skin that tastes good and you’re sitting there like a barbaric wolf eating the skin of a dead bird. Which I guess is what we kind of end up doing every Thanksgiving, anyway.

This year I decided that I want to spice up Thanksgiving and try some dishes I’ve never had before. 2020 has been a hellscape to say the very least, so why not throw together some new and exciting, unique dishes for one of the only Thanksgivings (hopefully) that we won’t be around our extended family and friends. That way, if it’s gross, it doesn’t matter because nobody will know! Thanks, COVID! Fried Mashed Potato Balls Don’t even tell me that this doesn’t sound like something that would barely make it to the table before Thanksgiving dinner.

Fried to crispy perfection and filled with soft and buttery mashed potatoes mixed with cooked bacon, cheddar, chives and garlic powder, and seasoned with salt and pepper these sound impossible to hate.

Find the full recipe by searching “Fried Mashed Potato Balls” on Delish.com!

Bacon and Cheese Brussels Sprouts Casserole I’ve gotta be honest here, I have never understood why people hate brussels sprouts so much. How dare you direct all of that negative energy onto these beautiful vegetables that can be cooked literally however you want. And with bacon and cheese? No. It’s gotta be fake. Personally, I don’t think this is safe to make for Thanksgiving because I’m genuinely afraid that I would eat the entire pan, but if you think that you have enough self-restraint, Godspeed.

Find the full recipe by searching “Creamy Cheesy Brussels Sprouts with Bacon” on Diethood.com!

Apple Pie Salsa and Cinnamon Sugar Chips I don’t think I’ve ever been this excited about a recipe before. It includes all of my favorite things. Chips and salsa, apples and cinnamon and Mexican food. Okay without context that sounds pretty gross so I’ll break it down a bit. Inside of the salsa you put Granny Smith apples, lemon juice, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, vanilla and whipped cream (optional). Then you make your cinnamon chips and bam, Instagram ready and in my mouth ready.

Find the full recipe by searching “Apple Pie Salsa And Cinnamon Sugar Chips” on FrostingAndASmile.com!

Green Bean Casserole with Onion Rings Yeah. You did read that right. No need to go back and proofread, this is literally green bean casserole with onion rings. Normally green bean casserole isn’t the first thing I’m reaching for at the Thanksgiving dinner table, but dump some home-breaded and fried onion rings on top and just hand me the platter now, thank you.

Find the full recipe by searching “Green Bean Casserole with Onion Rings” on Delish.com!

Cornbread Stuffing Muffins with Apple and Pancetta I am a sucker for making food into other foods. The idea of taking a square piece of cornbread, one of the world’s greatest and most luxurious treasures, and stuffing which is the best Thanksgiving side dish, and jamming it full of sweet and crispy baked apples with pecans, baked herbs and pancetta, is something that I imagine came directly from the mind of God. Not to mention, they’re really fricken cute.

Find the full recipe by searching “Cornbread Stuffing Muffins with Apple and Pancetta on ASpicyPerspective.com!

Pull-Apart Garlic Butter Bread Wreath Aside from the food and festivities (socially-distanced this year, I hope), the beautiful winter aura and the happiness people feel by simply experiencing the holidays, the next best thing about this time of the year is decorating! And this pull-apart garlic butter bread wreath is both delicious and decorative. What more could you ask for? It’s garlic bread and it’s beautiful!

Find the full recipe by searching “PullApart Garlic Butter Bread Wreath” on HalfBakedHarvest.com!

Cranberry Baked Brie This is a staple in my household and something I begin to crave at exactly 12 a.m on November 1st. I apologize, that was a lie, I still ask my mom to make this on my birthday, and my birthday is in July. A warm and gooey wheel of brie cheese coated in a layer of cranberry sauce either cold or hot, however, you prefer, served on top of a piece of bread, a cracker, (or how I like it, a spoon), is enough to make you want to make one just for yourself.

Find the full recipe by searching “Cranberry Baked Brie” on AverieCooks.com!

This year might look a little weird with a substantially reduced number of people together for the holidays, but it’s important to make the best of a tough situation. Make your favorite foods, try some new things and be especially grateful this year for your loved ones who are safe, happy and healthy at home.

Photo Courtesy of A Spicy Perspective

Photo Courtesy of Half Baked Harvest

The Bengal at Idaho State University

11 November 2020 • Page 6

LIFE

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

Stay in the Holiday Spirit While Remaining on Campus

Chloe Reid Reporter With holiday break just around the corner, traveling for many students and faculty is on the upcoming agenda. However, with COVID-19 cases spiking across eastern Idaho, limiting travel is becoming a more important thought to consider.

Although the holiday season is going to look a little different this year, that doesn’t mean that the excitement and tradition surrounding it have to go away. For students planning on staying in their dorms/student housing this holiday break, there’s plenty of ways to lift your spirits and continue celebrating the holiday season.

still perfectly easy to acquire them. Local stores such as Hobby Lobby, Walmart, and Home Depot are currently selling miniature trees perfect for dorm or room spaces for around $5 to $20.

Smell Some Pine Pine/evergreen scents are readily available during the holidays and carry some health benefits with them. Whether you’d like to venture out and get a pine tree from a farm this holiday season, to something as simple as getting essential oil or candles of the holiday scent, smelling traditional pine scents such as evergreen or spruce can help in reducing stress and calming rocky emotions.

Making/Decorating Gingerbread Houses Gingerbread houses are a wholesome holiday trend that is easy for anyone to do. Gingerbread kits are starting to pop up in grocery stores as we get closer to the holidays and are an amazing and festive way to show your holiday creativity.

Holiday Zoom Meetings If you’re unable to see your family for the holidays or have friends visit from out of town, Zoom calls are always available and are an easy way to see the ones you love during the holidays to make alone time seem a little less lonely.

Listen to Christmas Music Playlists There’s no better way to get into the Christmas spirit than spending the day listening to classic Christmas tunes. Songs such as Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You”, Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas”, and Dean Martin’s “Let it Snow!” are just a few suggestions to get you started.

Mailing Gifts/Cards Despite some not getting to visit with loved ones during the holidays this year, mailing gifts and cards instead is a good way to still show those close to you that you’re still keeping them in your thoughts during the break. Candles, cozy socks, gift cards, and blankets are cheap yet effective gifts that can be sent to just about anyone in your circle.

Watch Christmas Movies The holiday break comes with a lot of free days, and Christmas movies are a perfect and festive way to spend that time. Get cozy with some blankets and candles and enjoy classics such as “Frosty the Snowman”, “The Polar Express”, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and more.

Go Sledding Pocatello has a ton of good sledding hills , including one on campus just above the South Complex housing. Getting out and enjoying the snow in a fun and energyboosting way is a great method of lifting your holiday spirits.

Decorating Your Living Space Customizing your room/apartment for the holidays is an easy and simple way to add some holiday spirit to your living area. Dollar stores are always stocked with seasonal decorations, making it easy to decorate without breaking the bank.

Get a Tree There’s no bigger symbol of Christmas than the classic Christmas tree itself, and for those of us living in smaller spaces, it’s

Charity Work Christmas time is known as the season of giving. While this season might be a bit different, plenty of local food banks and assisted living communities are in need of help, especially during the challenges of COVID-19. Visit the Idaho Food Bank’s website, idahofoodbank.org as well as volunteermatch.org for local volunteer work opportunities for the holiday season.

Local Events Local events are a wonderful way to get in the spirit of the holidays without traveling far from home this year. Throughout eastern Idaho, several holiday-based events will be hosted this year that accommodate socialdistancing guidelines and allow people to still enjoy the spirit of the holidays in a separate format.

Christmas Night Lights Parade Historic Old Town will still be hosting its annual Christmas Night Lights Parade this year but in a newly-introduced drivethrough format. ISU Credit Union will be sponsoring the parade on Saturday, November 27th from 6 to 8 pm.

Photo Courtesy of Idaho State University

Photo Courtesy of PixaBay

Page 7 • 11 November 2020

The Bengal at Idaho State University

LIFE

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

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” Amid COVID-19 Andrea Diaz Reporter The Idaho State University theatre department recently performed “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, a play by William Shakespeare. The play follows four Athenians, two men and two women, that fall in love with each other and are subjected to trickery by the fairies in the forest. This play was certainly unique as far as the plot, characters and the added aspect of masks and social distancing amid the play.

The two female characters are Helena (played by Rachel Guerra) and Hermia (played by Tapaynga Hill) and the two male characters are Demetrius (played by Devon Burningham) and Lysander (played by Preston Edwards).

Hermia is in love with Lysander and Helena is in love with Demetrius, but Demetrius is not in love with Helena. Hermia’s father, Egeus, insists that she marry Demetrius and her choice is to either marry him or become a nun. Lysander and Hermia elope into the woods, but before that, they tell Helena who then tells Demetrius about their plans. Demetrius heads into the woods to find them and stop them with Helena following him.

In the woods, the four are subjected to love potions to help them fall in love with one another by the fairy king Oberon (played by Tanner Morton) and his servant, Puck (played by Hope Fitzgerald). The fairy queen, Titania (played by Stephanie Lathrop), is also subjected to this trickery. After many mix-ups with the potions and people falling in love with the wrong people, all is eventually made right and Hermia marries Lysander and Helena marries Demetrius.

A theater group is also set to perform at this wedding, which they do horribly. They are intended to be the comedic relief with their intentionally poor acting and they truly made me laugh.

Some performances especially stood out

to me. Rachel Gurrera, who plays Helena, and Hope Fitzgerald, who plays Puck were especially fantastic. They seemed to steal every scene they were in and they played their characters very well. Gurerra played the part of the hopeful romantic always clinging onto Demetrius desperate for love, perfectly and Fitzgerald played the mischievous and playful little Puck with such enthusiasm that was spot on.

The production itself was an interesting one as all the actors wore masks the entire play. According to the playbill for the play, director, Norm Schroder says, “In the early summer, I developed a concept to frame the show and explain why we would be wearing masks and following some strange staging practices. We’d set the show in “Athens Township, U.S.A.” a fictional rural village in the upper midwest.”

Due to the setting, the four Athenians and the amateur theatre company were dressed in more modern clothing. A couple of other things that were added due to the pandemic was an added character named “COVID-19 safety officer” played by Ava Wilkey that would go around and give the actors hand sanitizer and jokes about wearing a mask.

The masks did muffle some of the actors’ speaking and in some scenes, it was hard to hear what they were saying.

I watched the play over the YouTube livestream and it was better than I expected. The camera would transition to different angles depending on what side of the stage the scene was taking place and it would also zoom in and out to give the viewer a better look at what was going on. These transitions were smooth and helped me get a better viewing experience.

However, I do wish that there was a camera that could have been closer so I could better see the actors. The lack of being able to see the actors left something to be desired.

Overall, I have been to many plays in person and love the atmosphere that viewing a play in person gives. I did lose a lot of that

Photo Courtesy of Idaho State University Featured: Emmaline Morris, Katherine Ware, and Elaine Bell

experience by viewing it over the livestream. However, if you would prefer to view the play in person the ISU Theatre Department is allowing a limited number of people in the theater.

This performance of “A Midsummer’s Night Dream” by the ISU theatre department was one of creativity and adaptability.

It showed the department’s ability to create a great performance amidst a pandemic, and do it well. The fact that they could change the setting and create a new character and blend them in so seamlessly with the performance just proves that. After all, the show must go on!

Photo Courtesy of Idaho State University Featured: Tanner Morton and Stephanie Lathrop

The Bengal at Idaho State University

11 November 2020 • Page 8

OPINION

Dylon Harrison | Managing Editor Contact: bgeditor@isu.edu

The Pandemic Highlights the Importance of the Arts Dylon Harrison Managing Editor I’ve written about why arts are important in the past. It’s a topic that has always been very near to my heart. In fact, I wrote my senior paper on the subject in high school. However, I never would have been able to imagine how important they would be during a global pandemic.

At this point, we’ve been living with COVID-19 for about eight months. No doubt, during that time we’ve all found ourselves bored at some point. It’s likely that when we found ourselves bored, we turned to something to do with the arts to provide our entertainment, especially at the beginning of the pandemic when everything was closed and there were no sports.

Art and artists make up a huge part of our daily entertainment. Whether you’re listening to music, watching your favorite show, reading a book or playing a video game, artists are the reason that you are able to do so.

It is often easy to overlook the importance that the arts play in our society. I cannot count how many times in my life that I have heard arts referred to as just a hobby or heard an artist be told that they need a real job.

The simple truth of it is, a job in the arts is a real job. Millions of people are employed in some artistic occupation, and each piece of art we consume likely had a team of artists working towards the end result.

A perfect example of this can be found in the end credits of any movie. No one likes to watch the credits for movies because they take a long time to get through, but think about that. The reason they take so long is because an insane amount of people had to put in the time and effort to make that one movie happen.

For books and music, you obviously have the writer of whatever it is, but you don’t see the behind the scenes work of the editors, marketers, producers or the many other people that work on the project before it gets released to the public.

So many artists, especially live performance artists, have been without work since the pandemic started, and that is absolutely tragic. We rely on entertainment to get us through the day but forget about the people providing it when they are in need.

I’m a theatre major. I have friends that are out in the world trying to find jobs in the theatre industry as I sit writing this.

Many of them can’t find work right now, and that has nothing to do with the talent they bring forth.

We all know that making a career in the

arts is difficult. That’s why so many people don’t view it as a legitimate career path.

The COVID-19 pandemic is only making it harder to make a living for those who choose to follow that path.

So I beg of you, as you sit at home in quarantine playing video games, watching Netflix, or listening to your favorite playlist while you work out, consider all of the artists that worked to make that an option for you.

Appreciate them. Thank them if you know them, and if you can, find ways to help artists who might be struggling to find work during these difficult times.

Photo Courtesy of Idaho State University

Photo Courtesy of Idaho State University Featured: Rachel Guerra and Devon Burningham

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