The Signpost: WSU IMPLEMENTS NEW STANDARDS FOR COVID-19 >>> SUGAR SKULLS AND ALTARS ON CAMPUS

Tuesday | November 10, 2020 | Volume 93 | Issue 23

SUGAR SKULLS AND ALTARS ON CAMPUS >>>PAGE 6

ISRAEL CAMPA | The Signpost

NEWS » PAGE 3

SPORTS » PAGE 9

GOV. ANNOUNCES NEW STANDARDS FOR COVID BATTLE

KICKIN’ IT FORWARD TO SPRING Wikimedia

WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY

02 | MyWeberMedia.com| November 10, 2020

DO YOU KNOW YOUR NEWS? 2. President-elect Joe Biden has on Nov. 9 after reaching 15 cases of made setting up his administra- the coronavirus? tion his top priority. What position 1. According to the Utah Depart- of leadership did Biden announce a. Ogden High School ment of Health along with the Salt was filled the morning of Nov. 9?

Lake Tribune, COVID-19 numbers b. Davis High School reached an all-time high in Utah a. secretary of state this past week, which led to Gov. c. Ben Lomond High School Gary Herbert’s new mandates for b. attorney general the state. How many new cases did d. None of the above the state report as of the evening of c. leader of coronavirus task force Nov. 8? d. chief of staff a. 3,000

By MARISA NELSON Section Editor

a. COVID-19 testing stations b. more small business buildings c. an extension of Weber State University d. FrontRunner Station

b. 2,386 c. 4,197 d. 200

4. Ogden City approved a $3 mil3. What local high school will lion purchase of land to build what have returned to online learning in the Ogden Business Depot?

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WEBER CAMPUS COVID CASE UPDATES 7 days: 35 14 days: 57 total: 243 DAVIS COUNTY

WEBER COUNTY

7 days: 1,549 total: 10,592

7 days: 1,120 total: 8,538

COVID CASE UPDATES

COVID CASE UPDATES

UTAH Total:

total: 132,621

WEBER CAMPUS

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COVID CASE UPDATES

ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS ON PAGE 11

MyWeberMedia.com| November 10, 2020 | 03

GOV. GARY HERBERT ANNOUNCES NEW MANDATES IN STRUGGLE WITH COVID-19 Editor-in-Chief

In an address to the state, Gov. Gary Herbert announced four new COVID-19 precautionary measures to be implemented in Utah. He also declared a state of emergency for Utah in response to the rising hospitalizations due to COVID-19. All measures go into effect at 1 p.m. on Nov. 9.

First, a state-wide mask mandate will be implemented. Businesses are now required to enforce mask wearing for their employees and post signage about wearing masks in stores or face fines by the Labor Commission.

Second, Herbert announced that casual social gatherings will need to be stopped for two weeks. During those two weeks, social gatherings must be limited to include individuals from the same household and no one else. Anyone organizing casual social events may be subject to prosecution and a $10,000 fine.

Restaurants will still be open for dine-in options, but only those in the same household will be able to dine together.

Third, all extracurricular activities will be stopped for the next two weeks, including high school and collegiate intramural sports, but not collegiate athletics outside

of intramural sports or high school playoffs or championships. All clubs and other activities are also subject to this ban for the next two weeks.

Fourth, college students who are attending in-person classes on campus or live in on-campus housing will be required to be tested weekly. Students will need to begin being tested weekly as soon as possible but no later than Jan. 1, 2021.

Herbert also said a program will eventually be put into place to test students who participate in extracurricular activities and those who are 35 or younger in the workplace. The health department will also be working on a plan to start testing high school teachers.

Herbert stressed that testing the younger population will help curb the spread of COVID-19, as that population has been responsible for the largest number of cases and the least responsible with social distancing and casual social gatherings The state will be using National Guard resources to help with contact tracing and working on the asymptomatic testing for those who will need to be tested weekly.

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By JENNIFER GREENLEE

Gov. Gary Herbert announces new COVID-19 regulations for the state, including a state-wide mask mandate.

By JENNIFER GREENLEE Editor-in-Chief

Starting on Nov. 16, Weber State University will have COVID-19 tests for the campus community to be tested on a weekly basis.

Gov. Gary Herbert announced on Nov. 8 that all universities would need to have a plan to implement weekly testing for all students attending in-person classes or living in on-campus housing, and WSU has reinforced that all students are expected to be tested weekly. “Our initial goal is to have every Weber State student living or working on campus and those attending classes in person this semester tested prior to the Thanksgiving break, and implement weekly testing of on-campus students no later than Jan. 1, 2021,� the email to students and faculty said.

Tests will be provided free of charge to all students on campus.

Students experiencing COVID-19 symptoms will need to fill out the self-reporting form, and the university will test symptomatic students Monday through Friday 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. in the Marriott Allied Health building.

Students who are not symptomatic will fill out a form on the weber.edu/coronavirus page to set up a time they will be tested.

Students will not be able to get a walk-in appointment. The test itself will be a self-administered lower nasal swab.

Asymptomatic students will be able to make their appointment on Monday, Wednesday or Friday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. or Tuesday or Thursday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The Davis Campus will eventually be available, and the location and times will be announced.

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WSU will start offering weekly tests for asymptomatic students on Nov. 16.

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WSU IMPLEMENTS NEW STANDARDS FOR COVID-19

WEBER CARES PANTRY NEEDS SOME LOVE

By JOSHUA KAMP

Reporter

The Weber Cares Pantry is asking for help to replenish its food supplies during a semester of low donations and high need for food security.

The pantry is available for students and any others with a Weber State University ID card to pick up free food supplies, no questions asked.

Since 2011, the Weber Cares program “has strived to increase healthy eating options, decrease food insecurity” and increase the ability of students to stay on the path to graduation, according to a handout for the pantry.

Normally staffed by several student volunteers, restrictions mean the pantry is currently being primarily staffed by just one: Rebecca Wolford, a freshman majoring in vocal performance. She receives the online requests, fills the orders and arranges pickup times.

“There is a lot of food insecurity on campus that we just do not see or realize,” Wolford said. “I want to stress that we are still open, and we do want to help people in any way we can.”

As a natural result of low campus activity, Weber Cares has not been getting the usual support but is still crucial to some students, faculty and staff who have been affected by uncertain times. Wolford said a majority of those who use the pantry right now are students living in the dorms.

One factor may be that this fall, on-campus eating options have been limited due to lower than normal student traffic. Stone Pizza, Noodle and the Wildcat Room closed when campus shut down in March and have not reopened since, and other restaurants in the food court are open for smaller windows

of time. Tres Habaneros is now closed on Fridays. Resident dining area, The Den, is open for dinner Monday though Friday and brunch and dinner on weekends.

In the past, students have reached out to organize food drives for Weber Cares.

“It has been really, really nice to get those donations,” Wolford said. “I wish we were able to have more volunteers and more people to help and serve.”

Also due to pandemic restrictions, the pantry has not been able to use refrigeration and has been limited to receiving and distributing nonperishables. Wolford hopes restrictions will end soon so the pantry will go back to having more options, and said that the pantry hopes to move from the current location in the student union to the library, where there will be more room for resources.

The pantry does not want students, faculty or staff to be hesitant in seeking needed help with food security due to embarrassment, perceived stigma or any other reason.

“There is zero judgment,” Wolford said. “We just want people to be able to get what they need.”

Nonperishable donations can be dropped off at the Center for Community Engaged Learning in the Shepherd Union Building Monday through Friday after contacting webercarespantry@weber.edu or 801-626-7737.

Orders can be made online at weber.edu/ ccel. All students and WSU personnel can receive up to 2 bags of food and resources each week. Those in need of same-day emergency food can contact ccel@weber.edu.

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Marissa Wolford | The Signpost

04 | MyWeberMedia.com| November 10, 2020

Weber Cares Food Pantry.

MyWeberMedia.com| November 10, 2020 | 05

By LISSETE LANDAVERDE

Reporter

Weber State University’s Diversity Programs celebrated Day of the Dead with altar displays on campus and multiple Zoom events on Nov. 1 and 2.

WSU Ballet Folklórico, the Hispanic Area Council and Latinos in Action led the Day of the Dead events. Community members were also brought in for the presentations.

The events consisted of lessons on creating altars, skull hand warmers, sugar skull cookies and Catrina face painting.

Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday in which people celebrate and honor the death of their loved ones. It is celebrated on the first and second days of November. While it is a Mexican holiday, it is also celebrated in other

countries throughout Central and South America.

As listed on Weber State’s Diversity Programs page, one of the main artifacts used in celebration are the altars. They are used to welcome spirits back to the living realm with offerings such as food, water, photos of the deceased and candles. Altars may also feature the spirits’ favorite items from when they were living.

There are three different levels to the altars which, from top to bottom, represent heaven, earth and the underworld.

Maria Lopez, a community member, set up an altar for her family members and family pets.

“Our indigenous ancestors believed that our pets, specifically the Xoloitzcuintle, would wait for us at the edge of Mictlán to help guide

us to Mictlán,” Lopez said.

Mictlán is the underworld in Aztec mythology, where most of the dead would arrive.

The holiday comes from both Catholic Spaniard and Aztec origins. The Catholic church celebrates All Souls day, in which they commemorate those who have passed. Meanwhile, the Aztecs would honor the spirits of their ancestors.

“In many of the indigenous Mexican tribes, death wasn’t seen as a sad thing. Death was seen as a sort of stage of life,” Salvador Ceja-Monroy, WSU student and Ballet Folklórico member said.

Other items used for altars are incense to keep evil spirits away, a salt dish to purify the soul and a path of flowers to guide the souls to the offerings.

There are different altars set up at WSU for

students and the public to view in the Shepherd Union Gallery. Housing and Residence Life also constructed one at Wildcat and University villages for residents to include and celebrate their loved ones. The altars will be on display through Nov. 9.

The celebration concluded with Yudy “La Catrina” Muñoz singing songs requested by the attendees.

One of the songs performed was Cielito Lindo composed by Quirino Mendoza y Cortés. It is a popular song in Mexico that has been covered by multiple artists. It talks about how one should sing instead of cry when they are sad, as singing can bring joy to the heart.

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BETTINA HANSEN | The Seattle Times/TNS

06 | MyWeberMedia.com| November 10, 2020

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf catches a 35-yard pass against San Francisco 49ers cornerback Emmanuel Moseley in the second quarter on Nov. 1 at CenturyLink Field in Seattle, Washington.

By TYLER HASLAM Columist

Every once in a while in professional sports, there are athletes who come along that can best be described as ‘freaks of nature.’

Athletes like LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Mike Trout can be described in this way.

For football, though, the first memory I have of seeing one of these types of athletes is when I watched receiver Calvin Johnson play for the Lions.

Johnson stood 6-foot, 5-inchest tall, weighed nearly 240 pounds and ran a

4.35 second forty-yard dash.

With those measurables, it’s understandable why he obtained the nickname Megatron.

When he played, he looked to be in a class of his own. He was virtually unstoppable. Johnson eventually went on to set the record for most receiving yards in a season in 2012.

Teams would put a safety over the top and double cover him on nearly every down, but he would still make plays. He was just too big and too fast, even for two defensive backs.

When Megatron decided to hang up his cleats and retire, I thought that

there would never be another player comparable to him. I was convinced I would never see an athlete like him on a football field again, especially at the receiver position.

Lo and behold, just four years after the retirement of Megatron, I think there’s a football player that is comparable to him.

That player’s name is D.K. Metcalf.

At 6-foot, 4-inches, 230 pounds with a 4.33 forty-yard dash time, Metcalf boasts measurables strikingly similar to Megatron’s. However, in some ways, Metcalf’s measurables are even better than Megatron’s were.

Metcalf’s 4.33 forty time is the fastest anyone over 225 pounds has ever run a forty-yard dash at the NFL draft combine.

In fact, it was Metcalf’s performance at the combine that caught everyone’s eye and put him on the radar of NFL teams. In addition to the historic time, Metcalf recorded 27 reps on the bench press (about the average for linemen and the best among all receivers), a 40.5 inch vertical jump and an 134 inch broad jump.

All of these are ridiculous numbers for a receiver with his kind of size.

DEAN RUTZ | The Seattle Times/TNS

DEAN RUTZ | The Seattle Times/TNS

MyWeberMedia.com| November 10, 2020 | 07

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver D.K. Metcalf catches a 54-yard pass and runs in for a touchdown in a game against New England Patriots on Sept. 20 at CenturyLink Field in Seattle, WA.

DK Metcalf pulls in a 36-yard pass that effectively seals the Seattle Seahawks; win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Jan. 5 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pa.

wFollowing his performance at the combine, Metcalf reportedly shot up in the mock drafts. Some even projected Metcalf to go in the top ten.

However, at the combine, Metcalf somewhat struggled on the three-cone drill and the 20-yard shuttle. These are the drills that supposedly measure agility. Apparently, some NFL general managers considered this to be a problem.

Much of the media expected Metcalf to still go very high in the draft, but this wasn’t the case. The first round of the 2019 NFL draft went by, and Metcalf still wasn’t selected by any teams.

Metcalf slipped all the way down to the last pick of the second round (64th

overall) where he was selected by the Seattle Seahawks. His fall in the draft had many members of the media scratching their heads and rushing to ask their sources why exactly Metcalf slipped so far.

The consensus reason for Metcalf’s slip was his poor tests in the agility drills at the combine. Executives and scouts were concerned that he wouldn’t be able to be an effective route runner in the NFL because of his below-average ability to get in and out of breaks.

Hearing this criticism, in hindsight, is hilarious and confusing to me. Did they just ignore the fact that he was otherworldly in his other tests?

That being said, through much of his

rookie season, it looked like Metcalf’s naysayers were correct. He looked like a second-round caliber player; good, not top-ten material.

The Seahawks made the playoffs and drew a first round matchup with the Eagles. In this game, Metcalf appeared to turn a corner, much to the chagrin of the rest of the NFL. Metcalf recorded seven catches for 160 yards and a touchdown and was the standout performer in a game that was primarily a defensive slug-fest.

This season, Metcalf’s second year in the league, he’s been terrifying defenses. Somewhat reminiscent of Calvin Johnson, Metcalf looks like a man in a game of boys.

So far this year, Metcalf has four catches and at least 92 yards in six of seven games and has scored one or more touchdowns in five of seven.

In addition to the production, Metcalf has seemingly averaged about one or more legitimately jaw-dropping plays per game.

Even in Metcalf’s worst game of the season against the Cardinals, where he recorded only two catches for 23 yards, he had arguably his most stunning play so far when he chased Cardinals safety Budda Baker down after the Se-

ahawks threw an interception. If you haven’t seen this play, go look it up on YouTube.

Metcalf, 22, is young and learning how to perfect his craft and still, at this point in his career, he is giving opposing defenses fits.

I’m not saying definitively this dude is going to be the next Calvin Johnson, who is arguably one of the best receivers of all-time.

He certainly has the necessary tools to get to that level though.

For the sake of the rest of the NFL, I hope what we’re seeing this year is the best of Metcalf. Because the possibility that he hasn’t reached his ceiling yet should send shivers down the spines of everyone in the league.

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Tribune News Service

08 | MyWeberMedia.com| November 10, 2020

Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper supervises a training camp practice session at the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon, Fla., on Sept. 14, 2018.

Cooper’s Lightning were unable to hold a third-period lead on Nov. 10, 2018, dropping a 6 to 4 contest against the Ottawa Senators.

By ALEC CIPOLLINI Columnist

As I continue this trend of looking back at this year’s champions and giving a breakdown of the events, we now shift our attention to the National Hockey League, where lightning finally struck.

For the past four or five seasons, I’ve thought of the Tampa Bay Lightning as the best team in the NHL. They have a lot of talent on their roster with players like Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman and Brayden Point, to name a few. It is truly one of the deepest rosters I have seen since I’ve been following the sport.

Last season, Tampa Bay was the best team in the league and tied the NHL record for most wins in a regular season with 62.

Like most hockey fans, I predicted them to be the Stanley Cup champions last year because, after such an excellent regular season, there was no reason to doubt them in the playoffs.

We were wrong.

In the first round of the 2019 playoffs, the Lightning took on the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Columbus had barely made the playoffs and had a much weaker roster than Tampa Bay. To everyone’s surprise, not only did Tampa Bay get eliminated but the Blue Jackets swept them, winning the series 4 to 0.

After winning 62 games before the playoffs, the Lightning’s historic season came to a disappointing end.

There was speculation that Jon Cooper, their head coach, should have been fired. In the six seasons he was in charge, he had no postseason success to show for it.

Tampa Bay’s decision to keep him around didn’t make much sense before, but it sure looks like it was the right decision now.

This season, they finished second in the Eastern Conference, right behind the Boston Bruins, who had eight more points than them when the global pandemic put the season on pause.

When games resumed at the bubble in Toronto, the Lightning went on a run, finally proving why they are one of the top teams in

the league.

Tampa Bay started the playoffs matched up with Columbus for the second year in a row.

There were questions about the Lightning before the playoffs began. How would the Lightning respond after getting swept last year? Which players need to make an impact for the team to be successful?

As soon as the puck dropped in Game 1, it was evident that this year’s Lightning was a different team.

Last year, it seemed like the players didn’t have the grit and passion that they needed to win but this year, Tampa Bay battled during every play.

If the puck was loose, there were one or two players chasing after it. If there was an opportunity to hit an opposing player, they did just that. If they needed to block a shot from the opposition, they got their bodies in front of it.

They wanted revenge. They were dissatisfied with their embarrassment at the hands of Columbus last season and wanted to prove a point.

Tampa Bay’s offensive pressure couldn’t be

stopped. They had the majority of possession while outshooting their opponents in almost every game.

This eventually helped the Lightning eliminate the Columbus Blue Jackets, Boston Bruins and New York Islanders to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals against the Dallas Stars.

Dallas hardly had any opportunities to score throughout the series due to the difficultly presented by Tampa Bay’s defense.

It also didn’t help that Lightning forwards Kucherov and Point played exceptionally well and led the playoffs in points; Kucherov had 34 while Point scored 33.

In the end, Tampa Bay went on to win the Stanley Cup after eliminating the Dallas Stars in a 4 to 2 series victory.

From being humiliated the year before to becoming NHL champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning have finally proven that they are the best team in the league.

Moving forward, we certainly should expect more from where that came from.

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MyWeberMedia.com| November 10, 2020 | 09

By TYLER HASLAM Reporter

The Big Sky Conference has released the revised women’s soccer schedule for the spring of 2021, months after the conference announced the postponement of all fall sports.

The season will run from March 12 through April 11. The schedule features a round-robin format and each team in the

conference will have an opportunity to face each other once.

Unlike past seasons, there will be no postseason tournament to determine the winner of the conference championship and the accompanying NCAA tournament bid.

Instead, the winner of the regular season will be crowned as champions and receive the automatic bid to play in the NCAA tournament, which will be held April 23 through May 11.

WSU opens its season on March 14, when

they play Idaho State on the road in Pocatello, Idaho. The Wildcats recorded a draw when they faced Idaho State in Ogden last season.

The ‘Cat’s home opener takes place on March 19 and features an in-state matchup with Southern Utah.

Other notable games include a home matchup against the defending Big Sky champion Northern Colorado on April 2, and a matchup against the preseason favorite Montana, also at home on April 4.

The Wildcats finished last season in 8th place and failed to qualify for the Big Sky tournament.

The Wildcats return with a lot of promising talent, including All-Conference defender Haley Thomas and All-Conference honorable mention Taylor Scadlock in the midfield. WSU was picked to finish 6th in the preseason coaches poll.

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SKI & SNOWBOARD RENTALS Coming November 2nd

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MyWeberMedia.com| November 10, 2020 | 11

DO YOU KNOW YOUR NEWS? QUIZ ANSWERS FROM PAGE 2

1) The correct answer is b, 2,386 new cases and one death. According to The Salt Lake Tribune, the past week was the highest in Utah since the pandemic began.

2) The correct answer is c, leader of

coronavirus task force. According to The New York Times, Biden is taking the virus very seriously and is also projected to choose his chief of staff later this week.

Examiner, a faculty member was also included in the 15-case count at the school.

The school is the third school to close in the Ogden School District.

3) The correct answer is a, Ogden High School. According to The Standard

4) The correct answer is d, FrontRunner station. According to The Standard

Examiner, the city council unanimously voted on Nov. 4 to buy the lot. The city will receive the money sometime in 2021, according to planning commission documents.

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President-elect Joe Biden has been primarily focused on getting a coronavirus task force put together.

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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.

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