Monday | October 29, 2018 | Volume 89 | Issue 26 The Signpost Weber State University

UTION POLLUTION llution Pollution Pollution Pollution N POLLUTION ollution Pollution Pollution Pollution UTION POLLUTION llution Pollution Pollution Pollution N POLLUTION ollution Pollution Pollution Pollution Nllution POLLUTION POLLUTION POLLUTION Pollution LLUTION POLLUTION POLLUTION ION POLLUTION POLLUTION Pollution Pollution ollution Pollution N POLLUTION POLLUTION POLLUTION POLLUTION POLLUTION POLLUTION Pollution Pollution LLUTION POLLUTION POLLUTION ION POLLUTION POLLUTION Pollution Nllution POLLUTION POLLUTION POLLUTION POLLUTION POLLUTION POLLUTION Pollution Pollution LLUTION POLLUTION POLLUTION ION POLLUTION POLLUTION ollution Pollution N POLLUTION POLLUTION POLLUTION POLLUTION POLLUTION POLLUTION Pollution Pollution LLUTION POLLUTION POLLUTION ION POLLUTION POLLUTION llution Pollution POLLUTION POLLUTION POLLUTION Pollution Pollution ION POLLUTION POLLUTION ollution Pollution POLLUTION POLLUTION POLLUTION Pollution Pollution TION llutionPOLLUTION Pollution POLLUTION POLLUTION POLLUTION POLLUTION POLLUTION Pollution Pollution TION POLLUTION ollution Pollution POLLUTION POLLUTION Pollution Pollution POLLUTION POLLUTION POLLUTION llutionPOLLUTION Pollution POLLUTION POLLUTION TION Pollution Pollution POLLUTION POLLUTION POLLUTION ollution Pollution Pollution PollutionPOLLUTION POLLUTION ION POLLUTION nllution Pollution Pollution Pollution Pollution Pollution Pollution Pollution UTION POLLUTION POLLUTION ON POLLUTION n Pollution Pollution Pollution UTION POLLUTION POLLUTION N POLLUTION POLLUTION POLLUTION POLLUTION POLLUTION N POLLUTION POLLUTION N POLLUTION POLLUTION POLLUTION POLLUTION N POLLUTION POLLUTION POLLUTION POLLUTION POLLUTION N POLLUTION POLLUTION LLUTION POLLUTION OLLUTION POLLUTION POLLUTION Monday | October 29, 2018 | Volume 89 | Issue 26

NEW IPCC

ROLLS OUT NUMBERS ON CLIMATE CATASTROPHE

MADISON OSBORN | The Signpost

WSU DEBATE COACH INSPIRES STUDENTS AND FEATURE FILM

NEWS » PAGE 4

WILDCATS, LUMBERJACKS AND GRIZZLIES, OH MY!

SPORTS » PAGE 7

2 | MyWeberMedia.com | October 29, 2018

WSU AND OGDEN EVENTS

RELATIVE TRUTH

UCHA FUTURITY AND AGED EVENT

By DARYN STEED A&E Editor

November 2: View the art of Collin Chandler, Mark Seawell and Christ Miller, featured in Carriage House Gallery Photography by Camille and Stephen Cain. The Eccles Art Center will display their artwork with a reception held for the artists and public on Nov. 2 from 5 to 8 p.m. The exhibit continues through Nov. 30 and regular gallery hours are weekday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

October 29 – November 2: Come to a free community event to watch the sport of cutting, a contest between a horse and rider, and a cow. It is the only equine sport where the horse must work on its own, relying on strength, agility and intelligence.

It is also the only equine sport where the competitors assist their opponents. The event takes place at Golden Spike Event Center riding arena every day this week from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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PAINT POURING

EURYDICE

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November 5: Artist Melissa Seamons will be offering a paint pouring Open Studio demonstration workshop at the Eccles Art Center. Participants should bring their own canvases and tuition is $15. Pre-registration is requested as space is limited. To register, visit ogden4arts.org. The class will take place on Nov. 5 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. pixabay.com

TURKEY TRIATHLON & 5K TROT November 3: WSU Campus Recreation will be putting on the 14th annual Turkey Triathlon. This includes a five-kilometer run, a ten-kilometer bike ride, a 300-yard swim and a reverse sprint distance. The race will circle the campus and takes place on November 3. Contact Rebecca Mabile at rebeccamabile@weber.edu with questions or visit https:// www.weber.edu/races.

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November 2 – 4: This weekend, watch the journey of Orpheus desperate to reunite with his lover Eurydice. Playwright Sarah Ruhl wrote Eurydice, covering the characters’ journey through the underworld. Eurydice meets several bizarre figures and her beloved father. The show is directed by Nicole Finney and features performances by Katie Evans and Enrique Garibay. The play is acceptable for audiences over age 13.

Tickets are available for $20 at www.goodcotheatre. com and at the door before each performance. pixabay.com

MyWeberMedia.com | October 29, 2018 | 3

JOSHUA WINEHOLT | The Signpost

‘Cats successfully block an attempted spike by the Cougars.

WSU JUNIOR NO. 1 IN HITTING PERCENTAGE

By KAYLA WINN Correspondent

The Weber State University volleyball team has enjoyed a resurgent season in Big Sky Conference play. They currently sit at 8–3, good for second place in the conference.

One athlete who has helped the Wildcats this season is junior middle blocker Hannah Hill-DeYoung. With hard work, dedication and determination, Hill-DeYoung is now top in the nation in hitting percentage.

WSU head coach Jeremiah Larsen noticed the diligence and commitment by Hill-DeYoung and continues to see improvement. He says she is at a good spot right now

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but there are always some ways to get better.

“She works hard, she competes,” Larsen said. “The things that she did to be where she’s at right now is pretty impressive because she wasn’t where she’s at right now a year ago.”

Hill-DeYoung has refined her stats over the years. Beginning with her freshman year in 2016, she finished with a .310 in hitting percentage with 12 kills from 29 attacks.

She struggled as a sophomore with a hitting percentage at only .221. Her current hitting percentage stands at a .458 with 136 kills so far on the season, with seven regular-season matches to play. “(She knows the) value of hard work,” Larsen said. “She’s doing a really good job

in what’s in front of her and taking what they give her. She’s resilient.”

The journey has not always been easy for Hill-DeYoung. She tore her ACL during high school and was unsure what her volleyball career looked like.

Hill-DeYoung is using this breakout season as motivation and reminds herself every day that she has a purpose on the team.

“I know that because I worked hard, I’ve practiced so much that I will be able to do the things I need to do,” Hill De-Young said.

“I don’t find pressure simply because I can rely on my teammates and know my teammates are going to do their job, and in return, I can do mine.”

Sophomore outside hitter Rylin Roberts

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has seen the consistency and stability HillDeYoung brings to the Wildcats. Roberts defines Hill-DeYoung as a team player and the ability to inspire others.

“I think she is a really good example,” Roberts said. “The things that she does isn’t necessarily in or under the spotlight, but she works hard whether someone is watching or not.”

Coach Larsen and Hill-DeYoung understand there are areas where she can improve, but both are looking toward the positives. With motivation from her teammates and coaches, she has continued to push the Wildcats to victory.

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4 | MyWeberMedia.com | October 29, 2018

PROFESSOR PROFILE:

FROM THE

DEBATE SCENE TO

S I LV E R MONIKA CLARKE | The Signpost

SCREEN

MyWeberMedia.com | October 29, 2018 | 5

Their topic of debate was different ways to produce energy to create electricity. Of course, the low-hanging fruits Ryan Wash, communication professor of nuclear power, crude oil, hydrogen and debate coach for Weber State Uni- power and solar power came up, but versity, won the National Debate Tourna- Wash and his partner decided to take it ment back in 2013, in and of itself a feat. another way.

Breaking records while doing it was even “Crude oil doesn’t help us get out of bigger. Debating as a member of the first bed in the morning,” Wash said. “The black, openly queer team guaranteed he other debaters were arguing about how and his partner Elijah Smith would draw power cars and grids and things of that national attention. nature and not how we really energize Due to his collegiate debate success, a soul.” studios like We’re Not Brothers, AnnaWash described how he and Smith purna Pictures and Plan B, which pro- were determined to broaden the scope duced “Moonlight” and “World War Z,” and make it less rigid, taking the prompt have all been in discussion about mak- in a non-traditional way. ing the movie about him.

“We were not ‘topAt the 2013 ical,’” he said. “We championship, were vehement against which Wash noted sticking to the rigidity was actually hosted of classic debate.”

by WSU, Wash deHowever, the judges bated for Emporia determined them to College in Kansas. be the most relevant Smith was from and thought-provoking New Jersey. Toones in the room. gether, they broke Afterward, Wash’s a record when path to coaching at they won both the WSU wasn’t immeCross Examination diate. He graduated Association and Emporia in comNational Debate munication with an Tournament chamemphasis in public pionships, which relations, and he no one had ever went right on to RYAN WASH done before. graduate school but WSU Debate Coach The explosion said he left because began immedihe wasn’t prepared. ately; Wash said He worked for a he was being conwhile until Rutgers tacted in any way University hired him people could reach as a debate coach. him. Fans encourWash was ready to aged him to write win again, and he a book, or that took a black team to a movie should the championship be made about title. this revolutionary He decided to finmoment. ish his master’s deNPR reached gree, and out of all out and spotlightthe universities vying ed him in an hour for his attention, he long podcast, enpicked Weber State. titled “Debatable,” He finished his Master of Professiongoing deeper into the details of the al Communication at WSU last year two competitions and how he and his while writing the script for the film to partner were able to take both of them. be made about his life and working as During the interview, Wash called the an adjunct professor and coach of the community out on racism, homophobia WSU debate team. and sexism.

“I am only 28,” he said, jokingly. “I After that, things really took off, and burn the candle at both ends, and I the story went viral. spend a lot of money at Bath and Body

By HANNAH OLSEN News Reporter

“I burn the candle at both ends, and I spend a lot of money at Bath and Body Works.”

Works.”

Wash wrote the majority of the script himself. He and co-writers Daniel Barnz, of We’re Not Brothers, and Ned Zeman are in collaboration with Plan B, Annapurna, MACRO and We’re Not Brothers to get it started.

Wash is happy with the script but said that it was extremely difficult to get done. They wrote over 7000 pages total for a script that is now somewhere around 120 pages.

Although legally he cannot say much about the actual content of the movie, he was able to say what the theme is set to be. “(It’s) inspired by the Wiz,” Wash said, “which is black version of the Wizard of Oz. It’s about easing on down the road together, about not tabling our differences.”

Wash spent a week in California talking to two studios a day, including Netflix and Amazon, when the movie was in its early stages. He figured there is already about 3.5 million dollars in the bank for this movie, but the studios have decided a film like this will likely cost closer to the 7-10 million dollar range.

However, Wash said they may be in search of a new studio. Annapurna, who they initially decided on, has been encoutnering financial difficulties, and they don’t want the story sucked up in the collapse of a studio.

“I actually don’t care if the movie comes out or not,” Wash, who has executive producer credit, said. “The day they start filming, I get the majority of the money I will receive from the film.”

However, Wash’s life isn’t all the movie these days; he still coaches the WSU debate team, of course.

“We have a three-pronged approach,” Wash said. “Academic debate, every weekend, all over; community engagement, having the tough-to-have conversations and service.”

On Nov. 14, Wash has scheduled a debate against the Rwandan debate team on the topic of genocide after managing to get into contact with an old debate opponent and securing them a visit. On Nov. 15, the Rwandan team has agreed to a cultural showcase for the Wildcats.

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6 | MyWeberMedia.com | October 29, 2018

SPREADING

LOVE TO

By TIANA PACK Reporter

Stop the Hate, an event series hosted by the Center for Diversity and Unity, aims to increase public awareness on a variety of issues. Events are created to foster inclusivity and challenge destructive social stigmas.

The first event, Abuse is Not Only Physical, was held on Sept. 20. A guest speaker from Safe at Weber came and lead a workshop on resources available to those who are involved in an abusive relationship.

The second event, titled No More Skeletons: Clearing the Cobwebs Surrounding Mental Health Stigmas, was held on Oct. 18. Steve Vigil, a licensed clinical social worker, lead a discussion on mental illness.

Tamara Robinette from the counseling center also joined the discussion and provid-

ed insight on resources available to WSU students.

Stop the Hate chair, Makayla Wilson, has a passion for the subjects discussed and loves being involved in the Stop the Hate events.

“The Stop the Hate series is intended to educate individuals both on and off campus about problems that aren’t talked about and issues that have been swept under the rug,” Wilson said. “It’s my job to make sure that I bring those issues and problems to light and get the discussion started.”

The first two events in the series were attended by students and members of the community who came to learn more about these important topics.

“The last few events have been full of wonderful discussions, sharing of experiences and plenty of questions,” Wilson

said. “I am a strong believer that the people who show up are there for a reason. If only two people were to come, I would carry on with the event because you never know.

Those two people may need it more than I think.”

The final event of the series, Stop the Hate: Hyper Mask-ulinity, will be held on Nov. 15 in the Center for Unity and Diversity at noon.

“The Hyper Mask-ulinity event is going to be jam packed with great information,” Wilson said. “This topic is one that I am so very passionate about. We are going to discuss what hyper masculinity is, who it affects and how it affects them.”

The Hyper Mask-ulinity event is free and open to the public.

Wilson believes these events have the power to make a difference in people’s

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lives. When it comes to tough topics, she has found knowledge is power and creating an environment of inclusivity makes all the difference.

“I want these events to help people understand that they are not alone,” Wilson said. “If they’ve suffered from an abusive relationship, I understand. I’ve been there, too. If you are affected by mental illness, or feel a connection with any of the upcoming events, you are not alone. Even if you don’t personally deal with anything we discuss and simply want to learn more, that’s okay, too.”

Wilson emphasized these events are a judgment free, safe environment where stories and questions are encouraged and voices are heard.

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Free & Open To The Public WSU Shepherd Union Atrium

Nov. 1, 2018 6-9 PM

Come celebrate Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) with us! There will be live music, Ballet Folklorico, food, entertainment, face painting, workshops and more!

MyWeberMedia.com | October 29, 2018 || 7

Taylor Scadlock takes possession of the ball for the Wildcats.

WILDCATS SET

TO DEFEND

HOME PITCH

By JOE TRAUB Sports Reporter

It’s playoff time for the Weber State University women’s soccer team.

The Wildcats finished the regular season by winning the Big Sky Conference championship and will host the conference tournament beginning Oct. 31. WSU head coach Tim Crompton said his team is looking forward to defending their home turf.

“There is a normality to what you’re doing on a day-to-day basis,” Crompton said.

“The girls are confident. There are a couple teams in the tournament that they would like to play again.”

The ‘Cats went 7–1–1 in conference play.

They received a first-round bye and will host the winner of a first-round matchup between Northern Arizona University and the University of Montana.

WSU sophomore defender Haley Thomas said she believes her team matches up well with NAU. “When it comes to NAU, our style of play is similar,” Thomas said. “They like to put it down in play as we do. Montana tries to boot the ball over the top and get lucky.”

When the Wildcats take the field Nov. 2, it will be 14 days since they last played

a game. Crompton thinks the layoff will benefit his team.

“It should be helpful,” Crompton said.

“You get towards the end of the season, and you need rest. The girls are beat up.

We played the last three games with injuries to starters.”

Weber State will be making their first appearance in the Big Sky tournament since 2015. The ‘Cats have not won a playoff game since 2013, when they advanced to the NCAA Women’s College Cup. Senior midfielder Chansi Crompton, Tim’s daughter, has been with the Wildcats since 2012. She said the opportunity to host the tournament in her final year is special.

“I’ve never hosted, and I’ve been here a while,” Chansi Crompton said. “I remember coming when I was little, and the atmosphere is really cool. We are excited and ready to go.”

The tournament will kick off at the Wildcat Soccer Field on Oct. 31. The University of Northern Colorado will battle Eastern Washington in the first game of the day for the right to take on the University of Idaho Vandals two days later.

The Lumberjacks and Grizzlies contest

will take place at 3 p.m., with the winner awaiting the Wildcats at the same time on Nov. 2. The championship game will be held Nov. 4 at noon.

Tim Crompton said the tournament will come down to a matter of his squad staying focused.

“Every team that is in the tournament presents challenges or create problems that you have to overcome,” Tim Crompton said. “Each one is different. You have to be

prepared to deal with whatever is in front of you.”

Weber State hosted both Northern Arizona and Montana in the regular season. The matchup with the Lumberjacks resulted in a scoreless tie, while the ‘Cats knocked off the Grizzlies 2–1 on Senior Day. WSU’s only loss in conference play came in a 2–0 defeat at Idaho in the penultimate game of the regular season.

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NATIVE

13TH ANNUAL

BELLA TORRES | The Signpost

SYMPOSIUM DON’T YOU STILL...? CHANGING THE WAY WE SEE NATIVE AMERICA

Nov

5

Nov

8

SUNRISE CEREMONY WITH RIOS PACHECO WORKSHOP: HISTORY, CULTURE, FOODS AND LANGUAGE OF THE NORTHWEST SHOSHONE

Keynote Speaker MATIKA WILBUR: CHANGING THE WAY WE SEE NATIVE AMERICA LUNCHEON & DISCUSSION

Nov

15

FILM SCREENING AND DISCUSSION:

RUMBLE: THE INDIANS WHO ROCKED THE WORLD RSVP at weber.edu/diversity

Center for Multicultural Excellence • Diversity and Inclusive Programs American Indian Council • Office of the President

8 | MyWeberMedia.com| October 29, 2018

MyWeberMedia.com | October 29, 2018 | 9

By WESTON LEE

S&T Reporter

Nearly 99 percent of the world’s coral reefs are expected to be killed off according to an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report released Oct. 8.

These consequences, outlined among others including an ice-free Arctic Ocean once per decade, are expected to occur within 80 years unless “rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society” take place in land, energy, industry, buildings, transport and cities before 2030 according to the IPCC. With these changes, it’s estimated that the planet would still lose 70 to 90 percent of coral reefs.

Aimee Urbina, a Weber State University environmental ambassador, said she is concerned about climate change and is actively involved on campus to promote sustainability.

“I think it’s scary and important because we see the effects of climate change right now,” said Urbina. “We see it with climate refugees and natural disasters. Hurricanes happen year-round. It’s scary because of the massive effect on populations living in the coast of those zones.”

Urbina said the idea that the world could be uninhabitable by the time her 4-year-old brother turns 14 is extremely disconcerting.

“I’m 21, and I feel I have already lived my whole life in comparison to my little brother,” Urbina said.

“That’s why I think it has such an urgency because it is also the future generations and what they are going to get in return for our actions, the actions done by the

generations before them. That’s my biggest fear.”

Urbina said the best thing we can do individually is to recycle and increase our energy efficiency.

“For example, are you driving when you know you shouldn’t be driving to the mall to get that one shirt because do you really need that one shirt? “ Urbina said. “Little actions like that can spread into your circle of friends and family members. You may think they are little actions, but they can spread to others like the domino effect.”

Dr. Alice Mulder, associate professor in geography and director of WSU’s Sustainability Practices and Research Center (SPARC), said climate change awareness is important for everyone.

“It’s incredibly important to learn and do something about,” Mulder said. “It ultimately impacts all of us.”

Mulder said the impacts vary globally, specifying temperatures are increasing in the already sweltering sub-Saharan region of Africa.

“Many of the people who are most affected by climate change are those who are least responsible for the causes of it,” Mulder said.

“The release of greenhouse gases is primarily emitted by the United States and China. We are all connected and engaged in the causes of climate change because they’re tied with fossil fuel use, which are embedded in our daily lives, in our infrastructures and how we’ve dominantly obtained our energy.”

Mulder said things like the clothing we wear, what we eat and everyday energy consumption such as home electricity can make a difference.

“It seems small, but collectively, they add up,” Mulder said. “We could reduce our emissions if people practiced common energy conservation. We are heading into an election very soon and we need to put people in positions and places of policy-making that are tuned into this issue and recognize will do something about it.”

Dr. Dan Bedford, geography department professor and honors program director, said climate change is already fundamentally transforming lives all around the world.

“The two recent hurricanes that we’ve had, Hurricane Florence and Hurricane Michael, the years before Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Maria — these hurricanes are occurring in a context in which there are warmer ocean waters and warmer atmosphere that can hold more moisture,” Bedford said.

“The chances of epically damaging storms like Florence and Michael have gone up because of climate change. That is a fact.”

Bedford said that at this point, the science is clear, and there is nothing to debate.

“If you live on the coast, obviously, then you have serious worries on your hands, but here where you don’t, our insurance premiums are related to what happens in hurricane prone areas,” Bedford said.

“Climate change is already affecting us here as it’s affecting storms, as well as droughts and heat waves here in the intermountain west.

Bedford said this summer’s wildfires were also evidence of climate change.

“Snow melt is getting lower.

Whether we see more or less precipitation is unclear, but we will

see less snow because it’s warming here,” Bedford said.

Bedford said that merely attending WSU is a great way for students to make an impact on climate change and energy efficiency.

“Weber State University is a state leader, and in many cases a national leader when it comes to sustainable campus operations,” Bedford said. “They’ve taken a whole lot of smart steps to bring sustainable and renewable energy up and our carbon emissions down. They may not know it, but students are reducing their carbon footprint here.”

Bedford addressed the recent IPCC report, clarifying that it doesn’t necessarily contain any new information, and that it functions more as an urgent warning than new science.

“It’s always difficult to change,” Bedford said. “Everything we’re used to involves fossil fuels and carbon emissions. Fuel was an incredible advance in human progress.

Fortunately, the renewable technology is advancing very quickly, and if we stand in the way of renewable energy, it will go against what’s most economically sensible.”

Bedford said international and domestic politics are one of the biggest roadblocks to worldwide energy reform.

“Frankly, we have an industry that has a vested interest in not changing” Bedford said. “There is abundant evidence that shows people in those industries engaged in misinformation. That has made change quite difficult.”

Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com MADISON OSBORN | The Signpost

10 | MyWeberMedia.com| October 29, 2018

DARYN STEED Columnist

It’s 2010, and I’m sitting behind a big desk with a list of sins to confess. My day of reckoning has come. The man on the other side of the desk is graying and gentle and walks me through a line of questions that seem better suited for adults in marriage counseling.

He’s concerned – he tells me – and we have a lot of work to do.

In the moment, I’m grateful.

This load is off my shoulders, and he’s going to help me.

The man is my Mormon bishop, and he seems unbothered that I’m only 14 and so clearly uncomfortable. Every

time I go back to his office, he has new advice. Because nothing seems to be working, he shifts slowly from concern to tough love. God can’t love me as long as I keep sinning, he tells me. I’m old enough to know better.

This goes on for months. He reads from a list of questions I can hardly believe are allowed: “Why do you masturbate?

Do you do it with one finger or two? Do you do it while you watch movies? When do you masturbate? Where do you masturbate?”

I answer all his questions.

By the end of our sessions, I’m usually curled into the chair, my face red, feeling embarrassed and weak and worthless. He tells me I’m dirty, but God can make all things clean, and we go our separate ways.

I spend the rest of the year in scrambled disarray. I can’t stick to any of the goals the bishop gives me. I grow anxious and

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incredibly depressed. I feel disconnected from my church and the God who’s supposed to love me unconditionally.

Eventually, the thought of his office makes me feel sick.

I begin to avoid him in the church hallways and I stop meeting with him. The church clerk calls to say the bishop is thinking of me, and don’t I want to keep talking with him?

But I want the bishop to stop thinking of me.

I tell my young woman’s leader there’s no point in me coming to church, and maybe there’s no point to living anymore. She’s alarmed, so she notifies the bishop.

I drag my feet to his office, where he tells me there’s no reason to be upset because he just wants to help me. I begin to just tell him what he wants to hear because I don’t want his probing questions that always leave me feeling exposed or his advice that cuts

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more than it heals.

The next year, the bishop is released, and a new man is called. He looks remarkably similar to the last: tall, gray, comfortably overweight. He calls me in because he wants to meet with all the youth. He can smell my fear. He notices my shaking hands and looks worried about me.

I summon my list of sins, because I’m shameful and he needs to know. He listens with furrowed brows. He tells me I have nothing to be embarrassed about. He says he’s sorry that I ever felt bad, and we never have to talk about this again. I’m so surprised, I nearly start crying. Every time I go back to his office, he ignores that list of questions. I never find the words to thank him or even consider how strange it is that I feel he needs to be thanked for not investigating my sexual life.

When you’re told there is only one person who can fix your problems, and that person is locked in a room behind a big desk, you can’t help but think he’ll make all the bad things go away. At 14, I told him things I never would have even felt comfortable discussing with my parents or closest friends.

The Mormon church has created a culture in which members put trust in their leaders and should never question that trust. I spent seven years thinking my bishop was an anomaly, that most people probably didn’t have to go through what I did.

In 2017, I was sitting in the Signpost office when someone brought me a flyer for a protest

in Salt Lake. The headline read “Protect LDS Children.” My initial reaction was to scoff, sure the protest was in reference to protecting LDS children from same-sex marriage or some other ridiculous notion of superiority.

But as I read, I grew almost instantly emotional. A group of people were protesting sexually-explicit questions from bishops to children. That was the first day I ever considered this was a widespread problem and not something that had only happened to me.

Sam Young, a former LDS bishop, is the man behind Protect LDS Children. After his daughter told him about explicit questions asked to her while she was a teenager, he posted to Facebook, asking if others had similar experiences. When he realized this was a common practice, he decided to take action.

Young began writing about the policy on his blog. He started a petition to garner support from other members. He held a march to the church office building in Salt Lake City. He created a website for Protect LDS Children in which members could post personal experiences from the policy.

He believed most members were unaware, as he had been, that these explicit questions were common practice. He thought once a spotlight was put on the harmful policy, the church would realize the potential damage and fix the policy.

As you may or may not know, he was wrong. The Church stuck by the policy, and members stuck by their leaders.

MyWeberMedia.com | October 29, 2018 | 11

“In our church, I didn’t realize how strong the culture was that you don’t use your common sense unless Salt Lake has given no direction,” Young said. “If Salt Lake has given direction, common sense goes out the window. You support and sustain whatever they say.”

Young hoped spiritual leaders from other religions would give support to his cause. He was shocked to find that most leaders were hesitant to oppose the Mormon church.

In one instance, Young contacted a leader from a different religion and asked for their support. Though they supported Young’s cause, the leader said they were active in the interfaith ministry in Salt Lake, and the Mormon church spread enough money around that they couldn’t offend the Mormon church.

Young hoped a hunger strike would bring enough pressure for the Church to change the policy. The strike garnered national attention and Young amassed a petition with a hundred thou-

sand signatures opposing the policy.

With pressure mounting on church leadership, the church decided to change the policy for one-on-one interviews. Now, the child can choose to bring another adult into the room with them. The Church never addressed the problem of sexually-explicit questions, and Young doesn’t think the new policy will change anything.

“Most kids are not going to ask for someone else to be in that room,” Young said. “There’s not only peer pressure, but trust and relationship issues. You don’t want the bishop to think you don’t trust him.”

Young believes he faces such passionate opposition because Mormon culture is to follow apostles and their teachings, even when they could be wrong.

Though Young was never criticizing Mormon doctrine, members of the church equated his protest with opposition to the church as a whole. Church leaders also interpreted his protest

this way.

With the policy changed and public pressure dissipating, the church brushed the problem of sexually-explicit questions to the side and excommunicated Young.

So here we are, a year after Young began his protest. Every day, more children are subjected to one-on-one interviews.

The church is seemingly determined to ignore the stories of interviews gone wrong.

Kip Eliason committed suicide when he was 16 years old because of the stresses that resulted when his church bishop told him that masturbation was sinful.

An eight-year-old girl was molested by her bishop during her baptismal interview.

Hundreds of letters on the Protect LDS Children website detail more lifelong traumas and anxieties stemming from these one-on-one meetings.

Young decided to appeal his excommunication. It’s likely that nothing will come from his

“The church is seemingly determined to ignore the stories of interviews gone wrong.”

appeal, but Young hopes it will bring more awareness to the harmful policy. He was excommunicated, after all, in the name of trying to protect children from potential abuse.

It’s hard not to read Young’s excommunication as an endorsement from the church for the policy. The Church hasn’t discussed why it allows men who have no formal training to engage in potentially harmful dialogue with children as young as eight.

I’m left to consider the people who will likely be erased from Mormon history: John D. Lee, who orchestrated the Mormon Meadows Massacre; Orson Pratt, a Mormon apostle who married teenage girls in his fifties; and now Sam Young, a man the church would probably like us to forget.

The Church might never recognize the efforts of Young to protect LDS children from traumatizing situations. But he did help one girl, reaching from states away to let her know that

she’s not alone. It may not be enough, but it is a place to start.

The following are questions that have been and continue to be asked in one-on-one interviews with children: What type of pornography do you watch?

Do you know what a vagina is?

Were your nipples hard?

Did you know that once boys reach a certain level of arousal, they have no choice but to keep going, that they can no longer stop their sexual advances?

Describe the sexual positions you engaged in.

Was she shaved?

Where did he ejaculate?

Did he penetrate you?

The following are questions asked to rape victims: Did you like it?

What did you do to egg him on?

What were you wearing?

Did you orgasm?

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12 | MyWeberMedia.com | October 29, 2018

By KAREN VALDEZ & CAMERON GIFFORD Weber State University became the first college in Utah to host a student-run live fact checking event on Oct. 17.

Students, faculty and members of the community tuned into Utah’s 1st Congressional District Debate where candidates Rob Bishop, Lee Castillo and Eric Eliason were given the floor to answer questions.

These questions came not only from the debate commissioner but from a University of Utah professor and student.

WSU students weren’t just watching the debate, however, as a team of about 20 students acted as team captains for tables of volunteers fact-checking statements in real time.

The students met to brainstorm different topics that would potentially be discussed during the debate and volunteered for topics to captain. They then spent over a month conducting research and creating annotated bibliographies they could refer to during the debate.

Several Weber State student organizations worked together to make the event possible: Studio 76, Ogden Peak Communications, an independent study investigative journalism class, the American Democracy Project (ADP) and the Signpost.

WSU’s student-run firm, Ogden Peak Communications, was responsible for advertising for the event both on and off campus through posters and social media.

Kymberlee Smith, one of the students involved with Ogden Peak Communication, was involved with making sure as many people knew about the event as possible.

“We took over Weber State’s official social media page to try and reach more students,” Smith said.

Community members were invited to a watch party for the debate hosted at the Weber County Library. As the community watched the broadcast, Studio 76 students were busy producing a live pre- and

CORRESPONDENTS

post-show stream to bookend the debate through Facebook Live.

The Center for Community Engaged Learning (CCEL) was the main host and sponsor for this event as it reflected of their theme of the year, “Matter of Fact?”

The idea for the event came from Teresa Martinez, the program coordinator for CCEL. “When we saw the 2016 Presidential debate and what NPR did with their fact checking, I thought, ‘Why can’t Weber State students do that?’ With our theme of ‘Matter of Fact?’ and the engaged learning series, it was a perfect fit,” Martinez said in an interview on the live broadcast.

Students researched and responded to the candidates’ statements, marking them as true, mostly true, partly true, partly false, false, not verifiable or pure opinion.

Although not every topic these students researched was discussed during the debate, students used social media to

answer as many questions as they could and used the hashtags #MatterOfFact and #WeberFactCheck to engage with online viewers.

One of the goals for this fact checking event was to inform the public about holding candidates accountable to the things they say and stressing the importance of being an educated voter when going to the polls on Nov. 6.

CCEL will be sending out a complete transcript of the fact check event, annotated with statements checked both during and after the debate.

Dr. Leah Murray, the co-adviser for the American Democracy Project and political science professor at WSU stressed the importance of exercising your civic duty as a voter.

“Democracy depends on an informed, engaged citizenry,” Murray said.

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Multiple resources were used to check remarks during the debate, and then were verified by facilitators before posting to the live Facebook video on the CCEL Facebook page.

KELLY WATKINS | The Signpost

MyWeberMedia.com | October 29, 2018 | 13

AFTER THE DUST HAD SETTLED, TRANSCRIPTS WERE REVIEWED AND STATEMENTS HAD BEEN TALLIED, THE NUMBERS SHOWED THREE DISTINCT CANDIDATES WITH THREE DISTINCT MEASURES OF TRUTHFULNESS. Topics checked covered everything from the EPA, government spending and public lands to DACA, Trump administration tariffs and the state of Utah’s water levels.

Castillo was the most truthful overall based on the responses given during the debate.

Fourteen total statements were checked: 11 true, two mostly true and one not verifiable.

Eliason was, for the most part, similarly truthful: seven true, one mostly true, one mostly false and three not verifiable; 12 statements checked in total.

Bishop was by far the most varied, though he had the most false statements: two true, one mostly true, two mostly false, one false, three not verifiable and one pure opinion.

Viewing and social media analytics were provided by Ogden Peak Communications. Over 5,000 people were reached through Facebook in some form with posts about the event, with more than 2,100 video views and at least 1,000 engagements (as of Oct. 25).

The post has garnered over 103 reactions (thumbs up, emoticons, etc.) and 134 comments. Additional data is still being compiled and will be updated online when it’s made available.

14 | MyWeberMedia.com | October 29, 2018

POET LAUREATE FINDS CREATIVITY IN TRAGEDY

By TORI WALTZ News Reporter

“What is the power of art to represent some of the worst things that can happen to us?” Paisley Rekdal, a University of Utah english professor and esteemed poet, asked the audience at a poetry reading on Oct. 24.

Rekdal is the mind behind collections, “Imaginary Vessels,” “The Invention of the Kaleidoscope” and “The Night My Mother Met Bruce Lee.” She’s been honored with a National Endowment of the Arts, a Pushcart Prize, a Guggenheim Fellowship and is currently the Utah Poet Laureate.

While sharing her pieces with students in the Stewart Library at Weber State University, a common theme emerged as Rekdal revealed her inspiration behind certain works.

“What I was really writing about was a

sexual assault,” Rekdal said. “I had recently lost a man who was very dear to me who had also been raped as a child.”

Drawing on her own experiences, as well as those of her loved ones, she highlighted the haunting and traumatic reality of living as a survivor of sexual abuse.

“The heart of the book ‘Nightingale’ is a series of poems that explore violation and violence,” she said in reference to her latest collection, which is expected to release in spring 2019.

From the time she was a child to the present day, Rekdal said she always had an affiliation for feminine culture and the embracing of sexuality, an interest stemming from her idolization of American actress Mae West.

“The ways in which she depicted men and the ways in which she characterized them in her films was often that they were

disposable,” Rekdal said. “I loved that there was something a little bit strange or maybe dangerous about the feminism that she was supporting.”

Devoting an entire series to West, Rekdal incorporated elements of the actress into her work, which included West’s iconic mannerisms and radical views.

“We wouldn’t have gotten people like Madonna or Marilyn Monroe without Mae West, without her very overt, playful sexuality and her very outrageous ideas of femininity,” Rekdal said. “When I was doing this series, I wanted to capture both her sense of humor and her voice.”

Using creative writing as a means of expression, Rekdal has since become fascinated by the art and practice of poetry.

“The sonnet allows for a sort of paradoxical thinking,” she said. “I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to articulate this,

Paisley Rekdal speaks to students about drawing on past trauma to create poetry.

but I think in the end what I’m writing is always outside or beyond language.”

As a love letter to her passion, Rekdal created the website “Mapping Salt Lake City” in an attempt to chart the work of writers, poets, literary presses and journals throughout Utah.

“The project came about because I was very inspired by Rebecca Solnit’s ‘Infinite City’,” Rekdal said. “It had writers and cartographers basically create this communal project about the unusual histories of San Francisco, and I thought Salt Lake would be perfect for that.”

The website invites all who are interested to add their own voices to the project.

Submissions may include oral histories or interviews with Salt Lake City residents, multimedia essays, personal or historical maps and many others.

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VICTORIA WALTZ | The Signpost

HELP WANTED

MyWeberMedia.com | October 29, 2018 | 15

FEATURED JOB

FEATURED JOB

OUTDOOR PROGRAM-MARKETING SPECIALIST

TYPEWELL TRANSCRIBER/STUDENT OFFICE WORKER

The position performs the following functions and duties: • The Outdoor Program Marketing Specialist will work solely on marketing and graphic design projects for the Weber State Outdoor Program, a program area of the Campus Recreation Department.

• The position will be assigned tasks by the Outdoor Program Coordinator and Assistant Coordinators.

The position performs the following functions and duties: • Provide communication access and notes to deaf and hard-of-hearing students.

• The trained transcriber will use sophisticated software on notebook computers to listen to class lectures and discussions and rapidly record the inforamtion in complete English sentences, to be video simultanelously by student readers.

$10.00

Requisition Number: H00035P

Student Writer Marketing and Communicatons Dir Off $10.00 Requisition Number: H00045P Tech Team Leader Student Lab Support $12.00 Requisition Number: H00518P

Statics and Strengths of Materials Tutor Engineering Technology $10.00 Requistion Number: H00512P

Level 2 Lab Technician Student Lab Support $11.00 Requisition Number: H00517P Aquatics/Safety-Water Safety Instructor Campus Recreation $9.50 Requisition Number: H00239P MLS Lab/Teaching Assistants Medical Lab Science $12.00 Requisition Number: H00036P

THE SIGNPOST TEAM

Operations Office/ Access Assistant Bookstore Computer Sales $8.75 Requisition Number: H00499P

Student Office Assistant Chemistry $8.50 Requistion Number: H00152P Research Assistant for Chemistry Laboratory Chemistry $8.50-9.00 Requistion Number: H00151P Electronic Systems and Repair Hourly Electrical Systems

• The transcriber will also voice comments and quesitons posed by deaf students, as needed.

Requisition Number: H00043P

$10.00 Requistion Number: H00390P Testing Proctor Testing Center $ varies Requistion Number: H00142P Lab Aid Respiratory Therapy $15.00 Requistion Number: H00148P Admissions Student Aid Admissions Office $9.00 Requistion Number: H00280P Accounts Clerk Bursar Clerk $9.50 Requistion Number: H00179P

Editor-in-Chief Harrison Epstein harrisonepstein@mail.weber.edu

News Editor Nic Muranaka nicholasmuranaka@mail.weber.edu

S&T Editor Zac Watts zdwatts@gmail.com

Office Manager Chloe Walker chloewalker@mail.weber.edu

Graphics Editor Samantha Van Orman samanthalvanorman@gmail.com

Asst. News Editor-Diversity Jennifer Guzman jenniferguzman1@weber.edu

Webmaster Nate Beach nathanbeach@mail.weber.edu

Ad Manager KC Sanders kcsanders@weber.edu

Photo Editor Sara Parker saraparker2@mail.weber.edu

Sports Editor Brandon May brandonmay1@mail.weber.edu

Social Media Manager Chloe Walker chloewalker@mail.weber.edu

Chief Copy Editor Cole Eckhardt eckhardtco@gmail.com

A&E Editor Daryn Steed darynsteed@mail.weber.edu

Adviser Jean Norman jeannorman@weber.edu

The Signpost is a student publication, written, edited and drafted by Weber State University students. Student fees fund the printing of this publication. Opinions or positions voiced are not necessarily endorsed by the university. The Signpost reserves the right to edit for reasons of space and libel and to refuse to print any letters. Letters should be submitted online to thesignpost@weber.edu and read letter to the Editor in the subject box. Letters should not exceed 350 words.

16 | MyWeberMedia.com | October 29, 2018

BUSINESS IDEA? PITCH IT, PROFIT

By ALEXA NIELSON News Reporter

Starting businesses takes money; Weber State University’s Wildcat Seed Fund is here to help.

The Wildcat Seed Fund is for budding entrepreneurs with early-stage concepts or ventures that need funding to progress to the next stage. WSU takes no equity in the business, and recipients aren’t expected to pay the money back; it’s like a grant. Students and faculty with business ideas can pitch for anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars.

The first distribution of funds took place on Oct. 24 and was run by James Taylor, the director of WSU’s Office of Sponsored Projects & Technology Commercialization.

The event was reminiscent of the TV show Shark Tank but instead of business owners picking who to back, the audience decided which presenters got funding and how much they got.

Presenters began with an “opportunity quest,” which was a five-minute pitch video/

presentation, followed by a few minutes of Q&A. After this process, the top five competitors were also entered into a competition at the University of Utah, where the top three places will receive thousands of dollars and first place will be entered into an international competition in China.

First to pitch was student Tanner Peck, along with an associate of his, a student from the University of Utah. Peck owns a real estate sign installation and removal company. Their clients place orders online, and they deliver and install the post within a day.

In 2017, the company made $16,313, but this year, in 2018, it has made $74,571, and Peck was quick to remind everyone that the year isn’t over yet. Peck emphasized his company’s lower prices and quicker turnaround time than competitors as reasons his company deserves funding.

The next Seed Fund meeting will take place at the Fireplace Lounge in the Shepherd Union building on Nov. 18.

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