The Signpost: EXAMINING NEW TEST PROCEDURES >> PAGE 06 - CULTURE>> PAGE 3 BONNEVILLE MUSIC FEST GONE

Friday | September 18, 2020 | Volume 93 | Issue 8

>>PAGE 06 CULTURE» PAGE 3

pixabay.com

THE SIGNPOST ARCHIVES

BONNEVILLE MUSIC FEST GONE VIRTUAL

02 | MyWeberMedia.com| September 18, 2020

By KIERSTYNN KING Reporter

Every year during Homecoming week, WSU announces Homecoming royalty. Despite the virtual nature of this year’s Homecoming week, Oct. 3-10, the tradition will continue.

“Royalty has been around for quite some time - back in the 50’s and 60’s all the sororities and social clubs on campus had their own

royalties for different things,” Nancy Collinwood, executive director of Alumni Relations, said.

Today, WSU’s Homecoming royalty are nominated students who have been contributing in campus life, in the community or academically. They must also be a full-time junior or senior and have at least a 3.0 GPA. The WSU Alumni Association is now accepting nominations for 2020 royalty. Candidate submis-

sions are due Sept. 18. Those who submit nominations will be entered into a drawing to win a $50 Wildcat store gift card.

The winners will be announced Oct 5. during the virtual pep rally.

According to Rebecca Gibson, coordinator for Alumni Engagement, it’s customary for royalty winners to be announced by WSU Salutes, on the field during the homecoming game and then at the dance.

Among the Homecoming royalty

are also the Emeriti royalty, which is a couple who has graduated from Weber State 40 years ago or longer and have become great alumni and friends of the university.

Due to Covid-19, students will be presented virtually and attend virtual events. This year, only student royalty will be announced.

“We’re just going to try and link them in virtually as often as we can, we’re still hoping we can do some things to make it special for them,”

Collinwood said.

The 2019 royalty were Rachel Creer and Matthew Thorpe.

Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com

HOW FACE COVERINGS IMPACT SPREAD OF COVID-19 Asymptomatic COVID-19 Carrier

Uninfected Person

CHANCE OF TRANSMISSION

VERY HIGH HIGH MEDIUM LOW 6+ feet

VERY LOW VIRTUALLY NONE

HELP KEEP US ALL SAFER ON CAMPUS. visit

weber.edu/maskup for more info and updates

MyWeberMedia.com| September 18, 2020 | 03

$

Where do your student fees go?

Apply to serve on the

? $ ?

STUDENT FEE RECOMMENDATION

COMMITTEE to make recommendations for the distribution of your student fees

TO APPLY

m o n t h

Pick up an application at the Student Involvement & Leadership Office or online at weber.edu/studentaffairs

APPLICATION DEADLINE

4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020

Submit completed applications to Student Involvement & Leadership, Shepherd Union 326 or email to miloannphillips@weber.edu Questions: 801-626-6008

SEP 15 - OCT 15 weber.edu/diversity

Diversity and Inclusive Programs Access and Diversity Center for Multicultural Excellence Office of the President

For more information or to request accommodations in relation to a disability, contact Andrea Hernรกndez at andreahernandez2@weber.edu

pixabay.com

04 | MyWeberMedia.com| September 18, 2020

The Bonneville Chamber Music Festival became WSU’s first virtual-only concert on Sept. 12.

By CAITLYN NICHOLS Section Editor

As three Weber State professors performed to an empty hall and a virtual audience; the 14th annual Bonneville Chamber Music Festival became WSU’s first virtual-only concert.

Viktor Uzur, WSU cello professor and founder of the Bonneville Chamber Music Festival, had been planning the festival since September 2019. It was going to be as it typically was, featuring seven guest musicians from around the United States and the world.

The festival entails several events including master classes and trips for students to Salt Lake City and other universities.

When COVID-19 hit, Uzur had to start rethinking plans and preparing for changes. In mid-July, he decided that it would not be safe for the guest musicians to come to Utah for the festival.

Two of his WSU colleagues were available and willing to help on short notice: Shijun

Wang, piano professor, and Carey Campbell, musicology professor. With them, as well as with help of the Lindquist College of Arts and Humanities, sponsors and Browning Center personnel, it was possible to continue the festival on Sept. 12 through a live virtual performance on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.

“It was a very specific experience, but I think we all came together very well,” Uzur said.

Uzur first performed “Suite for solo cello No. 6” by Bach. A challenging piece for cellists, Uzur began practicing this piece during the summer while he was at home in quarantine instead of traveling abroad as he normally does.

He said he chose to perform it for the festival because he thought it would be a nice reflection of not only what he’s done, but what many musicians have gone through during quarantine and having to turn to soloist pieces.

The festival also celebrated Beethoven’s 250th birthday. In his honor, Wang joined

Uzur for a piano and cello duet performance of Beethoven’s “Seven Variations on ‘Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen’, from Mozart’s Opera ‘Magic Flute.’”

Campbell spoke between pieces to introduce the themes and the next song, delivering enticing descriptions and a little bit of the history surrounding the pieces. To honor Beethoven he touched on the musician’s legacy, from his traditional pieces to some of his “most complex and visionary works,” produced even after he became deaf, that defied tradition and convention.

On top of his happiness that everything in preparing and delivering the performance went well, Uzur said his favorite part of the festival was the opportunity that he had to just be a performing musician and focus on the music. He said that live performances are precious in their special charm and flow, that is different from pre-recorded performances, and in the different emotions and expressions they can induce.

Despite these challenging times, WSU’s department of performing arts continues on.

“Art continues and music continues,” Uzur said.

The performance is still available to watch on YouTube, titled “Bach in Solitude, Beethoven @250 - 14th Bonneville Chamber Music Festival.”

Preparations for the 15th annual Bonneville Chamber Festival in 2021 have already begun, and Uzur is excited for what he hopes will be a very special celebration held in the traditional, in-person way.

Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com

It’s Almost Here.

Weber Rec We’re ready for you!

Young Adult Pass Just $619 Prices Increase Sept. 9th

WEBER REC For more information go to Weber.edu/CampusRecreation or contact us at CampusRecreation@Weber.edu

Fall 2020

06 | MyWeberMedia.com| September 18, 2020

The Signpost Archives

PROCTORING PROCEDURES DURING THE PANDEMIC

Testing Center in Tracy Hall on WSU’s main campus.

By ADAM RUBIN Senior Reporter

Academic testing at WSU is available with a new, cutting-edge program for fall semester 2020, and while the testing options are unique to each faculty member’s course material, there has been preparation to ensure that WSU students maintain their academic integrity while test-taking at home or on campus.

On campus or off, testing has been a concern of WSU faculty members and staff since summer.

According to WSU’s Assistant Provost Eric Amsel, there are two options for taking tests this semester. Many students have already used the artificial intelligence-oriented program, Proctorio. And, depending on the needs of the faculty member’s course material, traditional testing centers will also be open for students.

“One option is to use the testing centers, themselves, have students sit at socially-distanced seats and take their tests as they always have,” Amsel said. “However, there are other electronic

testing options through Proctorio — if there are any noted behaviors that were suspicious it will raise a flag, then the exam videos themselves will be reviewed and evaluated, if there are any further concerns, the faculty member will be notified and asked to evaluate and make a final decision.”

Proctorio can flag activity as inconsequential as dropping a pencil or making a rapid movement, but that’s where the review process comes in to ensure there’s no cheating.

Tracey Smith, director of Testing

Services at WSU, shed some light on how the on-campus testing centers, and Proctorio, are operating this year—as well as when and where testing can be taken.

“There are four testing centers at the Ogden campus which are open, one at Davis and one at Morgan,” Smith said. “Some faculty prefer face-to-face proctoring for their particular exam types; some students prefer this as well.”

Physical testing centers on campus are open. They have been used more this semester for paper-based exams, although Proc-

MyWeberMedia.com| September 18, 2020 | 07

The Signpost Archives

Testing Center in Tracy Hall on WSU’s main campus.

torio can process paper exams.

The testing centers on campus are operating at less than one-half of the regular occupancy space.

They are regulated by a strict cleaning mandate, ensuring that every testing space is clean and ready for the next student to use.

Additionally, there’s some limited access.

“No testing centers are open on Sunday this semester,” Smith said. “The HUBs are closed as those exams are now on Proctorio, testing centers are open the same hours as previous semesters on

Saturdays, while Proctorio is available all weekend.”

WSU has made a joint effort to keep traditional testing centers open for student accessibility.

There are some aspects of the Proctorio testing program that may add additional perks, like

saving commuter time and allowing for students to take tests just about anywhere that they can access Wi-Fi. Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com

08 | MyWeberMedia.com| September 18, 2020

By MILES SHAW

day.

And with the pandemic threatening to cancel the pro football season all together, COVID-19 almost dealt all of us football fans that punishment. It wouldn’t have been for just a single week either.

A canceled season for a NFL fanatic like me is unthinkable, but by playing games with limited or no fans at all, and taking the proper precautions along with canceling the preseason, pro football finally was able to return.

A lot of the excitement surrounding this year comes from this past off-season, which saw much change around the National Football League.

It was exhilarating to see the results on Sunday of the

Columnist

As an avid fan of the NFL, it doesn’t get any better than football season. This past Sunday, when I turned on my TV, the excitement and pregame jitters couldn’t have been more real for me.

While I watched Scott Hanson, host of NFL RedZone, say the words “seven hours of commercial-free football starts now,” it was like the NFL’s theme music to my football-loving ears.

Back in elementary school, there was no greater punishment my parents could give me than forbidding me from watching football on Sunpexels.co

m

Football has restarted across the nation with 13 games on Sept. 13.

MyWeberMedia.com| September 18, 2020 | 09

league-altering off-season, which saw many legends and stars of the game go to different teams, either through free agency signings or head-scratching trades.

It will definitely take some time for me to get used to seeing Tom Brady play under a Buccaneers helmet and Cam Newton in a Patriots jersey, as those are sights I just never thought I’d see.

With these superstar players changing teams, it’s also a sign of a new era of star players coming into the league.

These last few seasons have really served as a transition period of sorts for the league, with new, young players coming in, and almost immediately — as rookies or second year players — becoming superstars. All the while, older star players have begun fading into the background of the game.

The Kansas City Chief’s Patrick Mahomes became the youngest NFL MVP when he won the award in 2018, after a record-breaking season in which he threw for a league-high 50 touchdown passes and was one play away from being in the Super Bowl.

But he was just getting started, and during Super Bowl LIV he led the Kansas City Chiefs in a comeback for the ages and defeated the San Francisco 49ers back in February.

Then to open this season on the NFL’s opening Thursday Night Football game, Mahomes threw for three touchdowns against Deshaun Watson and the Houston Texans.

Watson, who is just as dynamic in his own right, threw a touchdown and ran one in after an off-season in which he signed the second biggest contract in history, only behind Mahomes’ mega-deal.

Reigning MVP Lamar Jackson also played extraordinary on Sept.

13 destroying the Browns’ defense in a 30-point blowout win. During his season a year ago, in which he led the league in touchdown passes with 36 and became the youngest MVP ever, he led the Baltimore Ravens into the playoffs.

The young quarterback boom has definitely been great for the league, as it’s been refreshing and downright awesome to see the new superstar quarterbacks take over and play a more exciting style of football.

I know Tom Brady and Peyton Manning have their legions of fans and supporters, but there just isn’t a good argument to be made that in their primes they were anywhere close to being able to do what these guys are capable of doing.

The way the quarterbacks are playing today, it has to make every football fan sit back and think.

Why has the game not always been played this way?

A trail blazer and master of this style of play is former MVP quarterback Newton, who debuted — for the first time in his pro career outside of a Carolina Panthers uniform this past Sunday — for the New England Patriots.

Newton didn’t disappoint as he rode his new wave right over the Dolphins and to a victory in which he had two rushing touchdowns to go along with a scuffle with a few disgruntled Miami players after the game.

I couldn’t have been happier as a fan of Newton since his college days at Auburn that he had such a good start to the season after battling injuries during his last two seasons in Carolina, to go along with with poor wide receiver play and a coach who didn’t appreciate him.

The Arizona Cardinals emerged out of the smokey, Northern California haze with their young, dynamic quarterback and reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year Kyler Murray, who was making plays all over the field.

Murray and second year head coach Kliff Kingsbury showed off just what their team is capable of by beating the reigning NFC champion 49ers in the most exciting game of the day, which consisted of goal line

stands, crucial missed field goals and the game being decided in the final seconds.

The Cardinals featured off-season acquisition DeAndre Hopkins heavily, as he had his career high in catches during the game with fourteen to go along with 151 yards receiving. He also made the game-breaking play in the fourth quarter.

While Murray has been in MVP talks already for this season, many people have said it’s just hype and he and the Cardinals will struggle in their tough division. But after what I saw on Sunday, they look like a gridiron force to be reckoned with.

With the next generation of quarterbacks taking over this past week and dominating with jaw-dropping plays, it has really never been a better time to be a fan of pro football, as we are now in the era of the

complete, do-it-all quarterback.

However, as spectacular and revealing as this past weekend was in the NFL, it really made me realize if there’s one thing I’ve learned as a sports fan this year, it’s to not take sports being played for granted.

As we’ve seen with other sports here in 2020, they can be taken away in a flash, and be gone as fast as a Mahomes laser beam pass into the end zone, or a lightning strike of a touchdown run by Jackson.

Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com

10 | MyWeberMedia.com| September 18, 2020

By RAYMOND LUCAS Section Editor

In a perfect world, the Weber State Wildcats would be preparing for their Sept. 19 matchup in Cedar Falls, Iowa, against the Northern Iowa Panthers. Last year, WSU welcomed them to Stewart Stadium and beat them 29-17. This year, the game was canceled.

All over the country, college football schedules were either read canceled or postponed as every conference decided to cut some of the non-conference games from their slate as they looked to ease the spread of the coronavirus.

For the bigger conferences like the SEC, ACC, Big 10, Big 12 and PAC-12, these decisions were tough but not much of a setback, though Big 10 announced on Sept. 16 it would resume games on Oct. 24. For conferences like Big Sky, which resides in the FCS division, these cancellations were costly.

The five conferences listed above are called Power Five or Group of Five, commonly known as G5. G5 schools have a love-hate relationship with smaller schools. They love that they can

pay them, fill their non-conference schedule up and usually pick up an easy win. They hate that sometimes the smaller school goes out and gets the best of them. FBS schools have a love-hate relationship with FCS schools for that same reason.

Since the Wildcats became a top team in the FCS back in 2017, they’ve faced off with the California Golden Bears, Utah Utes, San Diego State Aztecs and Nevada Wolfpack. Coach Jay Hill and his teams have yet to secure a win over any of them despite some close contests.

This season he was supposed to get another shot at an FBS upset.

The Wildcats were supposed to travel to Laramie, Wyoming, and face off against the Wyoming Cowboys on Sept. 5. The Cowboys reside in the Mountain West conference and were set to pay WSU a guaranteed six figures but COVID-19 has snatched that opportunity away from the ‘Cats. No money, no FBS-FCS clash, no shot at catapulting the team’s respect on a national level.

Portland State University, which is a member of the Big Sky, was set to bring in $950,000

for the athletic department thanks to their matchups against the Arizona Wildcats and Oregon State Beavers during the 2020-21 football season; once the PAC-12 decided to cancel non-conference contests, PSU lost that opportunity.

By the time Aug. 7 was lost, hope surrounding college football was quickly fading and the Big Sky announced that they had made its decision regarding the upcoming football season.

“Due to continuing concerns related to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Big Sky Conference is postponing its fall 2020 football season to spring 2021. The conference’s Presidents’ Council convened Thursday and voted to move forward in this matter,” the conference said in a press release.

The decision was heart-wrenching but expected and pursuing a 2021 season is surprising and could very easily falter.

A normal college football season begins in August and ends in January. This happens every year and gives players and coaches enough time to physically and mentally recover from a demanding schedule.

Not only would playing football in the spring be unusual, but it could also be hopeless. The season is currently underway and should be finished by January, with other programs starting in the spring. This will create an off-season that is not in sync.

This would not only create an unfair advantage for teams that had extra rest, but it would be a health risk for players that had less rest.

“I would like to see this issue not disrupt fall 2021, it’s not worth it. We already lost one season, I don’t want to interrupt two,” Coach Hill told the Salt Lake Tribune.

As if things were not already difficult enough, the Pac-12 and Big Ten, who made the same decision to postpone until Spring, have actively been pursuing ways to start their season within the next couple of months.

On Sept. 16, the Big Ten announced that they would be beginning their season in late October after they received a unanimous vote within the conference. The Pac-12 targeted November as a potential date to begin the season if they decide that they want to play this fall.

Both of these decisions are great for the conference’s reputation but there are still problems that await every team once the 2021-22 off-season arrives.

The NCAA approved a proposal back in August that will grant all fall athletes with an ex-

tra year of eligibility, regardless if they play in games this season. While this is great for the athletes, this could lead to a stressful off-season for many athletic programs.

Every year, the biggest roster movements on the collegiate level come when seniors graduate and freshmen enroll. Out with the old, in with the new. Due to the NCAA’s decision, the old won’t be out, but the new will be in.

Athletic departments could be looking at an unprecedented disaster of an off-season because if they don’t dig into their pockets and gather money for extra scholarships, they’ll lose the players who they cannot afford to play.

If the program is not financially capable of increasing the number of scholarships they can give, they may be forced to cut players, which will not only break promises given to these athletes, but it will also break their hearts.

Now all hope isn’t lost for the future seasons, because outside of boosters, donations and getting paid to compete in games, there is a fairly obvious way to create revenue. Fans.

If full capacity is allowed at stadiums around the country during the 2021-22 football season, the financial impact of the nightmarish year of 2020 won’t be nearly as bad as it could be. But to get to that point, America will have a couple of tasks.

The first task is simple: it’s time to be more responsible during this pandemic. If we want to attend sports events, do what Waldo the Wildcat says and put your mask on.

The second task relies on the first. If we are able to attend sports events and you are able to afford it or do it, go support your team. They will need it. To Weber State fans, this one is vital.

The Wildcats have won three straight Big Sky championships.

A strong lesson that 2020 has taught has been that nothing should be taken for granted.

The Weber State football team has been taken for granted since 2017 and it was evident during last season’s quarterfinal game against the University of Montana. There were 6,422 people in the stands during that game which seems like a good turnout for the ‘Cats, until you realize that the maximum capacity of the stadium is 17,312.

Weber State fans have been passionate and supportive, but not enough have made an effort to be there. Next season, if everything

MyWeberMedia.com| September 18, 2020 | 11

are able too. A less than half-empty stadium during a playoff game against arch-rival Montana is not what will get the job done.

Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com

NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost

goes right, they’ll have an opportunity to influence the team’s future in a positive way but once again, they have to be there if they

Stewart Stadium is empty this fall due to COVID-19.

THE SIGNPOST TEAM

Editor-in-Chief Jennifer Greenlee jennifergreenlee@mail.weber.edu

Photo Editor Robert Lewis robertlewis7@mail.weber.edu

Sports Editor Raymond Lucas raymondlucas@mail.weber.edu

Managing Editor Daryn Steed darynsteed0@gmail.com

Asst. Photo Editor BriElle Harker brielleharker@mail.weber.edu

Asst. Sports Editor Miles Shaw milesshaw@mail.weber.edu

Chief Copy Editor Nic Muranaka nicholasmuranaka@weber.edu

Culture Editor Caitlyn Nichols caitlynnichols@mail.weber.edu

News Editor Marisa Nelson marisanelson@mail.weber.edu

Social Media Manager Kalli Prendergast kandidkalliP@gmail.com Webmaster David Morris david.lee.morris@gmail.com

Design & Graphics Editor Aubree Eckhardt aubreeeckhardt@mail.weber.edu Asst. Design & Graphics Editor Alli Rickards alexandrarickards@mail.weber.edu Videography Editor Sarah Earnshaw sarahearnshaw@mail.weber.edu

Asst. News Editor Francia Henriquez Benson fhenriquezbenson@weber.edu

Adviser Jean Norman jeannorman@ weber.edu Ad Manager KC Sanders kcsanders@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.

12 | MyWeberMedia.com| September 03, 2020

L A U T R I V

T N E D U T S S E C I V R E S

O P EX

9 16 - 1 r e b tem er

Sep

, answ to ideos v h c enter Wat s and n gift io t s azon que m A 0 10 win $ ! s d car

Learn

more

at

ffairs

weber.

denta edu/stu

WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY

SAVE LIVES AND MAKE UP TO $430 IN YOUR FIRST MONTH OF PLASMA DONATION There are 3 local donation centers for your convenience!

VISIT WWW.GRIFOLSPLASMA.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION!

Biomat USA Ogden 3073 Harrison Blvd.

Ogden, UT 84403 (801)392-2296

Biomat USA Clearfield 375 South State St. Clearfield, UT 84015 (801)825-1195

Biomat USA Roy 1951 W. 5400 S. Roy, UT 84067 (801)825-0111

Weber State Students! Make a difference in the lives of people who need plasma derived medications to live and make some extra money for your time!

THE D A LO N W O D

E E FR

CAMPUS

CASH

APP H S A US C P M A C • Featured Live Feed Deals

NEW EVERY DAY!

• All the coupons from the booklet!

• Filter deals by category!

• Map view for what’s around you!

NEW!