The Signpost: HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH >>>PAGE 8 - SPORTS » PAGE 12 WOMEN’S SOCCER PAUSES FOR COVID-1

Tuesday | September 22, 2020 | Volume 93 | Issue 9

>>>PAGE 8 The Signpost Archives

NEWS » PAGE 3

SPORTS » PAGE 12

LEARNING UTAH’S ROLE IN WOMEN’S SUFFERAGE

WOMEN’S SOCCER PAUSES FOR COVID-19

LISSETE LANDAVERDE| The Signpost

ROBERT LEWIS| The Signpost

02 | MyWeberMedia.com| September 22, 2020

DO YOU KNOW YOUR NEWS? b. Arenda Lauretta Wright Allen

Asst. Section Editor

1. How many COVID-19 deaths did the United States have as of Sept. 21? a. 120,000

c. Kristine Gerhard Baker d. Amy Coney Barrett 3. In Botswana, mysterious deaths of elephants has been caused by ________.

b. 1,000,000 c. 75,000

a. COVID-19

d. 200,000

b. Cyanobacteria

2. Who is one of the front-runners to fill the seat left vacant by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg? a. Leslie Joyce Abrams

chist” cities for failing to stem crime in their areas? a. Salt Lake City, Los Angeles and Kansas City b. Sant Antonio, Denver and Phoenix c. Philadelphia, Houston and Las Vegas d. New York City, Portland and Seattle

c. Natural causes d. Hunters 4. What three cities have been named by the White House as “anar-

pixabay.com

By FRANCIA BENSON

Three cities have been called anarchists by the White House.

ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS ON PAGE 15

WEBER CAMPUS

COVID CASE UPDATES 7 days: 7 14 days: 12 total: 54 DAVIS COUNTY

WEBER COUNTY

7 days: 348 total: 4,686

7 days: 251 total: 3,944

COVID CASE UPDATES

COVID CASE UPDATES

UTAH

WEEKLY AVERAGE:

total: 63,772

WEBER CAMPUS

COVID CASE UPDATES

Join us for virtual and in-person events and involvement opportunities the first four weeks of school!

weber.edu/wildcatwelcome

MyWeberMedia.com| September 22, 2020 | 03

LISSETE LANDAVERDE | The Signpost

Laurel Thatcher Ulrich gave a lecture about the Utah Women’s Sufferage movement.

By LISSETE LANDAVERDE Reporter

Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and history professor at Harvard University, gave her presentation on the first women to vote in the United States on Sept. 3 through Zoom, followed by a Q&A Zoom session on Sept. 16 as part of the Beyond Suffrage lecture series.

The purpose of the lecture, titled “First in the Nation?: Utah Women in the National Suffrage Movement,” was to give a broader view of the suffrage movement up to the passage of the 19th Amendment.

While women in Utah and Wyoming were the first to vote in the modern sense of voting, it was women in New Jersey who had the ability to vote first.

The New Jersey state constitution gave rights to persons to vote rather than just men.

Some women began voting in the 1700s. This was due to the property ownership require-

ment for voting — to vote in New Jersey, at the time, a person needed to have at least 50 pounds in currency of owned real estate.

Because the state was under common law that governed marriage, many married women could not claim property, making them ineligible to vote. Women voting at the time were either single or widowed and had inherited property from their family.

Since the government could not verify if the women voting had actually inherited the property, they ended voting rights for women and freed slaves alike.

Holly Andrew, Union Station’s Museum and Education Curator, asked Ulrich why New Jersey’s female voters have been lost to history.

“I think it was forgotten because it ended, and I think it was probably also forgotten because it was complicated, and we don’t think about the right to vote quite the same way today as people thought about it in the 18th century,” Ulrich said.

Ulrich also mentioned women from Kentucky who had a particular right to vote regarding school bond elections if they were taxpayers, given the belief that women would have more interest in public schools.

The suffrage movement started up again through petitions against slavery and the removal of Indigenous Americans from tribal lands. When Congress started pushing back, they began organizing multiracial movements, such as the Anti-Slavery Movement.

In Utah, Representative George Julian introduced a bill to discourage polygamy in Utah and grant suffrage to women on March 15, 1869, but it failed. Women in Utah were not enfranchised until 1870.

Women who were part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the time did not think they were worthy of suffrage by defending polygamy.

Regarding the main question of the presentation, which asks who were the first in the

nation to vote, Ulrich says it is up to you to decide. While women in Wyoming were the first to enfranchise women in December 1869, the first ballot cast by a Wyoming woman was not until September 1870.

On the other hand, Utah women were enfranchised on Feb. 10, 1870, and the first ballot cast by a woman was two days later.

Ulrich ended her presentation saying it had been an opportunity to think more broadly about women’s long struggle for rights. “[It is] a struggle that, from the very beginning, was entangled with the issue of race and identity, a struggle that created winners and losers and despondency over many years of effort,” Ulrich said. “A struggle that I think we all know is not over yet. The rest is up to you.”

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04 | MyWeberMedia.com| September 22, 2020

NIC MURANAKA Columnist

Keanu Reeves recently returned to a decades-old franchise wherein he battles killer robots, thwarts death and, ultimately, saves the world.

The Bill and Ted franchise. The Matrix return is coming, but for now, this will have to do.

And yes, I did pay money and risk going out in public to see this movie in theaters.

The original Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure begins with the titular characters Bill S. Preston, Esq., played by Alex Winters, and Theodore “Ted” Logan, played by Keanu Reeves, about to fail their history class. The boys are anything but smart, and if they don’t pass a final project with A grades, they get F’s in the class and Ted’s dad — Hal Landon Jr. — sends him to military school.

They’re approached by the time-traveling Rufus, whom George Carlin portrays. Rufus informs the two that in the future, their garage band Wyld Stallyns brings on a golden age of peace and prosperity to the entire world through the power of music — but only if they pass their history class.

Rufus lends Bill and Ted the use of his time-traveling phone booth, and the two adventure throughout time, collecting historical figures who can help them give a killer presentation for their history class and secure them the A’s. They succeed, all while rescuing some medieval princesses from marrying some old weirdos. Obviously, the princesses

fall in love with the boys.

Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey, released in 1991, is pretty bogus; a bad guy from the future sends robot versions of Bill and Ted back to the past to kill them because he hates the awesome world Wyld Stallyns creates. The robots actually kill the friends, and Bill and Ted have to fight Death, played by William Sadler, in order to come back to life. They win, and Wyld Stallyns is set to save the world. Not much else really happens in this movie.

Clearly, the franchise is a gold mine of content; filmmakers knew they could make more money by returning to the franchise and leaning into the same sense of humor. In Bill and Ted Face the Music, Reeves and Winters reprise their roles as middle-50s versions of their characters who never really grew up; they still say excellent, they still call everyone dude and they still play air guitar when something goes their way.

Unfortunately, Wyld Stallyns hasn’t taken off in 2020. They’ve perverted their original 80s rock and roll sound with throat singing and theremin playing, which somehow hasn’t united the world in a golden age. They’re washed up and thinking about quitting the band, whose biggest fans are their own daughters (named, unsurprisingly, Theodora “Thea” Preston and Wilhelmina “Billie” Logan, played by Samara Weaving and Brigitte Lundy-Paine, respectively).

To really pile the pressure on, Rufus’ daughter — Kristen Schaal, one of the most endearing and annoying voices in animated T.V. as Louise on Bob’s Burgers and Mabel on Gravity Falls — comes to Bill and Ted and tells them that if Wyld Stallyns doesn’t perform the greatest song in the world by 7:17 p.m. that day, an event called the Convergence destroys all of time and space.

The final nail in the proverbial coffin? Bill and Ted’s princess wives have grown sick of their boyish husbands and go on a time-traveling journey of their own to see if a timeline exists where they’re happy with their husbands — they don’t find one.

Unable to write the song of their own power, Bill and Ted decide to just time travel to future versions of themselves and steal the song.

Meanwhile, the movie calls back some of the most enjoyable parts of its predecessors; Billie and Thea travel through time collecting great musicians so they can put together an A-list band and help their dads perform the universe-saving song, recalling their dad’s original time-traveling in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. The two mimic Winters’ and Reeves’ acting in the original film; Thea speaks eloquently and respectfully while still calling Mozart and Jimmie Hendricks dude, and Billie wanders around with her mouth agape in perpetual surprise for most of the movie.

Although the movie promised a return of Bill and Ted, Weaving and Lundy-Paine actually carry the movie. Their adventure drives most of the plot, and their interactions with the historical figures carry most of the humor; in one of the best scenes, Billie proves herself smarter than she looks when she discusses theoretical physics and time travel with Kid Cudi, who is in the movie and understands theoretical physics and time travel too.

The best part of the Bill and Ted franchise is its understanding of its own silliness. Blockbuster time travel movies — which we seem to be getting more of these days, from Avengers: Endgame to Tenet — are notoriously difficult to justify in real-world science. Tenet, for example, raises the grandfather paradox

in the movie and then explains it away by Robert Pattinson throwing up his hands and essentially saying, “Well, it doesn’t matter anyway.”

But the Bill and Ted franchise throws all the rules of time travel out the window; they can interact with other versions of themselves without consequences and they can bring objects from the past and future back to the present without negative ramifications. Trying to justify how Bill and Ted can interact with future versions of themselves would undermine the comedy of the films and make them needlessly complicated. The films don’t concern themselves with struggling to justify time travel; it just works, which means more time for saying dude and playing air guitar.

Now, the first two films really don’t try to do more than say dude and play air guitar, but this third and probably-not-final movie does put together a meaningful message at the end; family matters. The princesses come back at the end of the movie with the realization that they’re happy in their own timeline, with their goofball husbands, and Bill and Ted pass the mantle of Wyld Stallyns on to their remarkably-competent-given-the-gene-poolthey-came-from daughters. Yes, every movie ever has the theme of family mattering, but, particularly given the current ... everything ... with the world, maybe we need a film with a simple, heartfelt message.

As Bill and Ted say, be excellent to each other, and party on dudes.

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MyWeberMedia.com| September 22, 2020 | 05 Patti Perret/Orion Pictures/TNS

CAPTION Weber State University Police Department Chief.

Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter in the film “Bill & Ted Face The Music.”

06 | MyWeberMedia.com| September 22, 2020

WSU President Brad Mortensen led a campus town hall meeting via Zoom on Sept. 15 as part of Weber State’s ongoing strategic planning process to shape the university’s priorities and goals for the next five years.

The process, started in February 2020, is “an open and collaborative process that focuses on creative, realistic and measurable ways to plan for WSU’s future,” the WSU website says. Tuesday’s meeting identified several pressure points to be addressed during this process, including student affordability, how to adapt the university to a changing academic landscape and how to best serve Weber’s fast-growing number

of students of color.

Mortensen also addressed the current state of the university amidst the pandemic. “Compared to a lot of other schools, I think that we’re in good shape,” Mortensen said, addressing attendees.

“Financially, we are strong, and we have steady enrollment as we have mitigated all this, and that is all due to a lot of hard work by all of you.”

The Zoom meeting was eventually divided into breakout groups to better facilitate discussion between the large number of attendees regarding possible new mission and vision statements. The town hall then rejoined, and group leaders summarized the discussion to a panel consisting of President Mortensen, director of strategic initiatives Steven Richardson and Dr. John

Welty.

Welty of the AASCU-Penson center for professional development, an organization of former university presidents and chancellors, joined in the process to guide Weber State forward early in 2020. Welty previously served as president of California State University of Fresno and has engaged in other strategic planning processes for public universities in Utah.

“Our process needs to be positive and optimistic,” Welty said. “Obviously, we are in a very difficult time right now, but as President Mortensen has pointed out, I think Weber State is in a strong position to take advantage of [strategic planning] work that has been done in the past.”

Welty met with stakeholders of Weber State in April via Zoom as part of a constit-

uent feedback and research phase. Next steps will include task force planning, drafting and reviewing before a finalization of the university’s new strategies in January and February 2021.

“It’s my goal to help position us, to use the success we have right now, so that ten or 15 or 20 years from now Weber State continues to be strong and thrive,” Mortensen said.

The next strategic Zoom meeting will be held in October. Students with an interest in the future of Weber State have a voice in the planning process and are encouraged to attend.

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Strategic town hall meetings help create an open process for faculty and students to participate in.

JOSHUA KAMP | The Signpost

Reporter

JOSHUA KAMP | The Signpost

By JOSHUA KAMP

MyWeberMedia.com| September 08, 2020 | 07

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WSU plans to continue the fall 2020 course delivery plan into spring 2021.

By CAITLYN NICHOLS Section Editor

Weber State University announced its plan to continue the current flexible course delivery methods into spring 2021 on Sept. 17.

The decision was made after reviewing feedback from surveys sent out to students and faculty on Sept. 2 about their experiences with the first couple of weeks of fall 2020, as well as preferences for spring 2021. The university said it also reached out to other Utah institutions to inquire what was working for them.

The survey received 1,137 student responses and 304 faculty responses, and the feedback was positive regarding the first two weeks of the fall 2020 semester and the delivery of courses during that time.

The flexible course delivery methods provide students with a variety of options for their school scheduling needs and preferences while also limiting the campus crowds, providing socially-distanced class-

room spaces and establishing protocols for symptomatic faculty, staff and students.

In addition to the current system, there will be special consideration in regards to prioritizing face-to-face options for classes that benefit from in-person and hands-on instruction. Students also asked for multiple delivery options for classes so that each individual could have the choice of virtual, hybrid, online or face-to-face according to their preferences.

Additionally, faculty that choose the “flex” delivery method have been asked to provide a description of how the class will be structured before registration, so that students may know and take that into consideration when forming their schedules.

The university recognized that it is still early in fall semester, but said that making this decision now will help them be adequately prepared for spring semester and ensure that students can still begin to register for classes in October.

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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

08 | MyWeberMedia.com| September 22, 2020

By ANDRES RODRIGUEZ

Translator

El Mes Nacional de la Herencia Hispana fue proclamado por primera vez por el ex presidente George H. W. Bush el 14 de septiembre de 1989, para que los estadounidenses pudieran reconocer la influencia positiva de los hispanoamericanos a través de la historia y la cultura.

Según el sitio web oficial del Mes de la Herencia Hispana, “El Mes Nacional de la Herencia Hispana tradicionalmente honra las culturas y contribuciones de los hispanos y latinoamericanos mientras celebramos la herencia arraigada en todos los países de América Latina”.

Este año, el Mes de la Herencia Hispana comenzó el 15 de septiembre y dura hasta el 15 de octubre.

Los Programas de Diversidad e Inclusión y el Centro para la Excelencia Multicultural (CME) en WSU han preparado un mes de eventos en celebración de la herencia hispana para la universidad. Debido a que personas hispanas de diferentes países y de diferentes carreras asisten a Weber State, estos eventos han sido elegidos para atender una variedad de temas. Los eventos también se han creado y ajustado para que sean virtuales, permitiendo el distanciamiento social.

Los eventos incluyen una fiesta de baile virtual con el DJ Drew, un panel activista llamado “Cómo el colorismo afecta la comunidad hispana”, una exhibición de arte que muestra la cultura mexicana en

Utah, una clase de cocina hispana y un discurso de apertura del biotecnólogo Dr. Caicedo quien hablará sobre COVID-19 y la industria biofarmacéutica.

William Fernando Angel Amaya, senador hispano del Hispanic Area Council de WSU, dijo que seguir adelante con los eventos virtualmente tiene sus obstáculos, pero demuestra que Weber se preocupa por la población estudiantil.

“Con los tiempos actuales en los que vivimos, los eventos serán muy diferentes pero seguirán teniendo el mismo mensaje impactador que estos tuvieron en el pasado”, dijo Amaya. “Weber realmente se está esforzando y se está asegurando de que los estudiantes se sientan valorados y seguros aquí”.

En WSU hay recursos y organizaciones que ayudan a los estudiantes internacionales a navegar por la escuela, apoyándolos a sentirse productivos y a estar conectados con personas similares a ellos. Una de esas organizaciones es el Hispanic Area Council. HAC se esfuerza por ser inclusivo con todos los estudiantes de Weber State University.

La consejera de HAC, Mónica Rodríguez proviene de Colombia y siempre le ha apasionado trabajar con estudiantes multiculturales y sus familias.

Rodríguez dijo que es importante que el mes de la herencia hispana se celebre en WSU de esa manera HAC pueda tener un impacto positivo en los estudiantes y ayudarlos a darse cuenta de que los latinoamericanos

han tenido un impacto positivo en los Estados Unidos.

“Es una oportunidad para poder acoger, educar, defender y conectar como una comunidad”, dijo Rodríguez. “Tenemos un grupo efectivo de líderes que representan diferentes enfoques en el campus”.

Otra organización de este tipo es el Ballet Folklórico de WSU, un grupo de danza folclórica hispana que también “ayuda a los estudiantes a desarrollar habilidades de liderazgo mediante la tutoría, el asesoramiento, el servicio comunitario, el fortalecimiento de identidades culturales sólidas y la participación en actividades sociales”, según su sitio web.

María Vásquez, presidenta del Ballet Folklórico, dijo que es genial que el equipo de baile la ayude a aprender sobre diferentes países; los disfraces, los bailes y la música cuentan una historia que hace a la danza folclórica que sea única.

Aprender cosas nuevas sobre su cultura a través de HAC y el Ballet Folklórico es algo que tanto a Vásquez como a Amaya les apasiona.

Tienes que participar de una manera más extrema”, compartio Amaya. “Aquí en Estados Unidos es muy difícil mantener esas tradiciones, especialmente en un lugar como Utah. Esa es la razón por la que tenemos que aprender sobre nuestra historia y diferentes tradiciones, para poder traerlos a Weber State. Tenemos que inculcar eso en las generaciones que vendrán

después de nosotros “.

Estos grupos del campus también brindan comunidad y apoyo para estudiantes internacionales y multiculturales, como si furenan una segunda familia.

Vásquez dijo que puede ser difícil si está en clase y no sabe lo que significa cierta palabra pero se siente cómoda al hacerles preguntas a sus compañeros del Ballet Folklórico porque también pueden relacionarse con lo que ella está pasando.

Ellos son la comunidad en la que puede apoyarse sin sentirse juzgada.

“Tenemos las mismas luchas con una historia diferente”, dijo Vásquez. “Es una hermosa experiencia de aprendizaje participar. Si el inglés no es su primer idioma y está tratando de terminar su educación universitaria, puede ser un desafío, pero no es imposible. Es agradable tener personas que te apoyen “.

Involucrarse en clubes internacionales en el campus ayuda a los estudiantes a conocerse unos a otros.

Amaya dijo que su familia siempre se aseguraba de que el participara en la escuela y aprendiera sobre la historia y las tradiciones de otras culturas. Esa fue una de sus partes favoritas de participar de HAC. Aprender sobre todas las culturas es importante y puede ser beneficioso para todos los estudiantes.

Puede ayudar a aclarar conceptos erróneos sobre otros grupos culturales. Por ejemplo, diferentes culturas hispanas celebran diferentes fiestas y tienen diferentes tradiciones. Otro

ejemplo que Vásquez ha escuchado en el pasado es la idea de que todos los hispanos comen alimentos picantes, mientras que en realidad los colombianos y guatemaltecos no comen alimentos picantes.

En cuanto a aprender sobre las culturas hispanas, Rodríguez dijo que cualquiera puede unirse a HAC y asistir a sus reuniones. Vásquez insta a cualquier persona interesada en HAC a unirse, independientemente de su procedencia.

Vásquez dijo que es solo una cuestión de querer aprender sobre diferentes culturas y volverse más educado.

“Compartimos el idioma, pero al mismo tiempo, nuestras culturas y tradiciones son diferentes, y eso debería ser interesante de aprender”, dijo Vásquez. “Nuestras culturas son diferentes, pero estamos aquí el uno para el otro”.

Como comunidad hispana, Amaya insta a que más personas se involucren más para hablar sobre ciertos problemas dentro de la comunidad.

Amaya y Vasquez estuvieron de acuerdo en que WSU podría estar haciendo un mejor trabajo promocionando el reconocimiento del nombre entre HAC y otros clubes internacionales en el campus.

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Flags hang all around the Hispanic Heritage Festival.

The Signpost Archives

CAPTION Weber State University Police Department Chief.

The Signpost Archives

Miniature ags representing Hispanic nations line the stage during the 2012 Hispanic Heritage Month celebration on Oct. 11, on Camp Mabry in Austin, Texas. The celebration aims to acknowledge the contributions and achievements of Hispanic Americans in the Texas Military Forces and in the nation.

The Signpost Archives

MyWeberMedia.com| September 22, 2020 | 09

10 | MyWeberMedia.com| September 22, 2020

By ALLY NELSON Senior Reporter

National Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM) was first proclaimed by former President George H. W. Bush on Sept. 14, 1989, so Americans could recognize the positive influence of Hispanic Americans through history and culture.

According to the official Hispanic Heritage Month website, “National Hispanic Heritage Month traditionally honors the cultures and contributions of both Hispanic and Latino Americans as we celebrate heritage rooted in all Latin American countries.”

This year, Hispanic Heritage Month began

on Sept. 15 and lasts through Oct. 15.

The Diversity and Inclusive Programs and the Center for Multicultural Excellence at WSU have prepared a month’s worth of events in celebration of HHM for the university. Because Hispanic people from all different countries and different majors attend Weber State, these events have been chosen to cater to a variety of topics. Events have also been created and adjusted to be virtual, allowing for social distancing.

Events include a virtual dance party with DJ Drew, an activist panel called “How Colorism Affects The Hispanic Community,” an art exhibit showcasing Mexican culture in Utah, a hispanic cooking class and a keynote speech from Biotechnologist Dr. Caicedo, who will

speak about COVID-19 and the biopharma industry William Fernando Angel Amaya, Hispanic Senator for WSU’s Hispanic Area Council, said that going forward with events virtually has been known to have its obstacles, but it shows that Weber cares about the student population.

“With the current times we’re living in, events are gonna be a lot different, but they’re gonna still have the same impactful message that they’ve had in the past,” Amaya said. “Weber’s really putting in the effort and they are making sure that students feel valued and safe here.”

At WSU there are resources and organizations helpful for international students in

navigating school, feeling productive and connecting to those similar to them. One such organization is the Hispanic Area Council. The HAC strives for inclusiveness with every Weber State University student.

HAC advisor Monica Rodriguez is a Colombia native who has always had a love for working with multicultural students and their families.

Rodriguez said it’s important that HHM is celebrated at WSU so that the HAC can have a positive impact on students, and help them realize Latinx Americans have made a positive impact on America.

“It’s an opportunity to be able to embrace, educate, advocate and connect as a community,” Rodriguez said. “We have an existential

MyWeberMedia.com| September 22, 2020 | 11

a place like Utah. That’s the reason why we have to learn about our history and different traditions, so we can bring it to Weber State.

We have to instill that in the generations that come after us.”

These campus groups also provide community and support for international and multicultural students, like a second family.

Vasquez said it can be difficult if she’s in class and doesn’t know what a certain word means, but she feels comfortable asking her peers from the Ballet Folklorico her questions because they can relate to what she’s going through, as well. They are the community she’s able to lean on without feeling judged.

“We have the same struggles with a different story,” Vasquez said. “It’s a beautiful learning experience to be involved. If English isn’t your first language and you’re trying to finish your college education, it can be challenging, but it’s not impossible. It’s nice having people

rooting for you.”

Getting involved in international clubs on campus helps students to learn about each other. Amaya said his family always made sure he was involved in school and learned about the history and traditions of other cultures.

That was one of his favorite parts about being involved in the HAC. Learning about all cultures is important and can be beneficial to all students. It can help clarify misconceptions about other cultural groups. For example, different Hispanic cultures celebrate different holidays and have different traditions. Another example Vasquez has heard in the past is the assumption that every Hispanic eats spicy foods, while in fact Colombians and Guatemalans do not eat spicy food.

As far as learning about hispanic cultures, Rodriguez said anyone is welcome to join the HAC and attend their meetings. Vasquez

urges anyone who is interested in HAC to join, regardless of where they come from.

Vasquez said it’s just a matter of wanting to learn about different cultures and become more educated.

“We do share the language, but at the same time, our cultures and traditions are different, and that should be interesting to learn,” Vasquez said. “Our cultures are different, but we are here for each other.”

As a hispanic community, Amaya urges that more people get more involved to talk about certain issues within the community.

Amaya and Vasquez agreed that WSU could be doing a better job of advertising name recognition within the HAC and other international clubs on campus.

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AUBREE ECKHARDT | The Signpost

group of leaders that represent different interests on campus.”

Another such organization is WSU’s Ballet Folklorico, a hispanic folk dance group that also “helps students develop leadership skills by mentoring, advising, community service, strengthening strong cultural identities and engaging in social activities,” according to their website.

Maria Vasquez, Ballet Folklorico president, said it’s neat that the dance team helps her learn about different countries; the costumes, dances and music all tell a story, making Folklorico dance unique.

Learning new things about their culture through the HAC and Ballet Folklorico is something Vasquez and Amaya are both passionate about.

“You have to engage in a more extreme way,” Amaya said. “Here in the U.S. it’s really hard to keep those traditions, especially in

12 | MyWeberMedia.com| September 22, 2020

By JACE COOK Reporter

that the plan is to play in the spring, but Sanders has concerns about the weather. He says they would have to train in January to prepare for games in February, but they will not be able to play outdoors during that time.

They will have to play indoors, which means they will probably need to train off campus for a conference season and a championship, which feeds to the NCAA tournament.

“Our goal is to win the conference,” Sanders said. “We think it’s possible.”

The team might not have done as well as they wanted to last season, but they saw lots of good plays they think will move them in the right direction. They were also dealing with a coaching change last season, but with the time to review and practice, they believe they can come out of the conference to compete in the tournament.

Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com ROBERT LEWIS | The Signpost

The Weber State women’s soccer team is one of many teams affected by the Big Sky Conference’s decision to postpone the fall season. Because of the season’s postponement, the women will have only played one competitive game in 2020.

Although they won’t be playing games in the fall, the team is working hard. The women’s soccer head coach Craig Sanders said that the team has had an opportunity to do system analysis and look at how they want to play, which they normally don’t have time for.

Sanders doesn’t see the whole situation as necessarily bad; the downtime can help the team be better prepared for the season when it returns.

Games are expected in the spring, but that is assuming the coronavirus situation does not worsen. The team wants to keep everyone safe and not spread the coronavirus.

“We screen before every practice,” Sanders said. “We maintain all the protocols that we can while training.”

He says that during practice, the team wears masks if they are training within six feet. The team is also required to wear masks during team meetings.

“Thus far, we haven’t had anyone who has had any COVID problems,” Sanders said. “That’s been good for us.”

Sanders said the team holds each other accountable to following the protocols. He believes they have handled this coronavirus pandemic well so far.

Though the team’s fall season — which Sanders noted is their main championship season leading into Big Sky — has fallen apart, they are excited for spring.

The team has been notified There is no activity on the scoreboard due to COVID-19 haulting sports on WSU’s campus.

MyWeberMedia.com| September 22, 2020 | 13

By ADAM RUBIN Senior Reporter

WSU Physics Professor Dr. Adam Johnston was away from campus on sabbatical during the school’s shutdown. During that time, while coping with the pandemic like us all, he took time to reflect on and rethink education, why we have it, how we approach it and where it takes us as individuals and a community.

Johnston is a member of the state-wide educational committee, as well as the co-host of the nationally recognized Science At a Crossroads. His talk focused on education during the pandemic, a colorful topic.

Johnston explored a shift in his relationship with education during WSU’s Physics Department’s Weekly Science Seminars, which are

open to all WSU students, Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m. The title of this seminar was “Who Needs School?”

The lecture covered how COVID-19 sculpted Johnston’s thinking of both education and his relationship with his educating. He also spoke about active innovation for education, and that different formats of teaching should have a focused end goal.

“He (Johnston) has been awarded almost every major award that is available on campus,” said Dr. John Sohl, who currently hosts WSU’s weekly Science Seminars.

One attendee expressed concerns about different mindsets regarding education: actual learning versus simply something students have to endure before moving on to the next

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Rethinking education in the pandemic.

step in their lives. Discussion focused on how much science can actually be learned through at-home learning, and what that actually means as an educational opportunity in itself.

“I want people to learn science, so what does that mean for an at-home learning environment?” Johnston said.

The purpose of Johnston’s talk was to question his relationship and the wiser approach and role of education. He took a step back and re-questioned his why — and with what tools he is even teaching science in the first place.

According to Johnston, we are all obligated to make education personal for ourselves: first, by knowing why we’re learning, then ensuring that our education is constantly reinvented. He argued for this personalization

approach in lieu of simply translating face-toface class to online.

“You can’t put a train on a roadway,” Johnston said. “Education is something that we have control of. Rather than presuming that schools are going to be a certain way, it’s our duty make sure we know why we’re doing it, and then make sure we continue to reinvent it.”

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