The Signpost - Bill Nye Special Edition Monday | April 1, 2019 | Volume 89 | Issue 58 .pdf

Monday | April 1, 2019 | Volume 89 | Issue 58

2 | MyWeberMedia.com| March 28, 2019

WSU AND OGDEN EVENTS

BILL NYE

By ALYSON JOHNSON

ORCHESIS DANCE THEATRE PRESENTS: RESONANCE

Wikimedia Commons

Desk Editor

Weber State University’s Engaged Learning Series will wrap up the year of events by welcoming Bill Nye to the university. Those attending the event will have the opportunity to hear from one of the most well-known scientists in the world with more than 5,000 other students, faculty, staff and community members. The event will be held at the Dee Events Center on April 3 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Orchesis Dance Theatre will present a night of dance and choreography by students and faculty. Weber State’s Moving Company will also present the second part of a year-long collaboration with Music Professor Dr. Carey Campbell and Department of Visual Art and Design sculpture students. The concert will will be held April 4-6 at 7:30 p.m. in the Val A. Browning Center.

Tickets are $13 for adults, $8.25 for students and $11 for seniors.

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HISTORY FILM FESTIVAL As part of the 2018-2019 History Film Festival, WSU’s History Department will show the film “Gallipoli” in the Shepherd Union Wildcat Theatre on April 4 at 6 p.m. The film will wrap up the series focused on remembering and understanding WWI through film.

INDIGENOUS VOICES POW WOW The American Indian Council will host the annual Indigenous Voices Pow Wow on April 6 in the Shepherd Union Ballrooms. The pow wow offers a cultural platform for AIC members to showcase their leadership in the student led event. The event will begin at 11 a.m. and is free and open to the public.

Weber State University

THE BEAVER BELIEVERS Weber State University will host a film screening of the documentary “Beaver Believers” on April 1. The documentary tells the story of a group of activists who share the vision of restoring North American beavers to the American West and will be followed by a Q&A session with the director of the film, Sarah Koenigsberg. The film screening will be held in the Shepherd Union Wildcat Theatre from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

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Weber State University

THE KEYS TO

HUMAN EVOLUTION KELLY WATKINS | The Signpost

Author Brian Switek held up the skull of a hyena and asked the attendees to identify the unique features.

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By ASHLYND GREENWOOD Reporter

The Weber State University community was invited to learn about their evolutionary origins on March 28 with the 206 bones of Brian Switek.

Switek is the author of several critically acclaimed books about “lost worlds,” including his latest release, “Skeleton Keys: The Secret Life of Bone.” During his visit to WSU, he spoke about the human connection to other creatures through time, such as the Australopithecine skeleton Lucy, the Dometradon, Metaspringanon and Protofish.

“When I first read Brian’s book ‘My Beloved Brontosaurus,’ I was doing my PhD. I picked it up because I was very interested in Paleoecology. I think that what Brian does is a nice mix between Paleontology, Paleoecology and Geology,” Rebecka Brasso, zoology professor, said.

Switek demonstrated to students through a hyena skull that scientists can view a fossil and immediately understand the element that it fits into. From its diet, living conditions, health, the way it moves and its biomechanics, an organism’s remains can reveal to scientists many facts about the history and abilities of those who walked before humans.

“Even though paleontology is old, we are still able to learn so much about our ancestral past

and evolution as a species,” geography student Nathan Blue said. “It always gives me a certain drive to not give up on things, that maybe there always is something new to be learned.”

The world has certainly learned more with the discovery of Lucy, the hominin skeleton paleontologists dated to 3.4 million years ago.

Swistek explained that the jaws of the fossil are far bigger than the modern human due to the fact humans were more herbivorous in the past. This fact also relates to the rib cage, which is more funnel shaped in order to ferment plant materials.

According to Swistek, “bones allow us to manipulate the world in the way that we do.”

He went on to describe that the way humans eat, move, react to the natural environment and socialize are all things that make up the modern man and woman.

“The evolution of species are what we think of as major innovations, but they’re really just shades different from us. This is where bones come in to connect us to our history, the world around us and our place as humans in the world,” Swistek said. “After all, we are not separate from nature but an especially unusual manifestation of it.”

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Are you attending Bill Nye for class?

Want to collect engagement hours just for attending Bill Nye?

1. Download this app Welcome to Weber State, Bill Nye! Science major or not, everyone at Weber State is ecstatic to have Bill Nye visiting our very own campus. When the announcement was made of Mr. Nye’s visit, the child inside all of us jumped for joy at the opportunity to listen to the man who made science interesting and helped spark our joy of learning from a young age. When pursuing a degree in STEM, one can easily get caught up in the heavy workload and intense study that comes along with it; but every once in a while, opportunities like this come around and remind us all of the reason we chose this path - the love for science.

Science education at its best, is accessible. It isn’t riddled with difficult vocabulary and complex mechanisms. It inspires curiosity, the fuel of the scientific method. It embraces diversity with the understanding that without different points of view science is held back. The PBS program, Bill Nye the Science Guy , for many of us, was our first accessible form of science education. We developed a burning curiosity through Mr. Nye’s straightforward explanations of otherwise complex scientific properties, and for some of us we imagined ourselves in a scientific setting for the first time.

It is no secret that Mr. Nye is a strong supporter of women in science. When speaking of his mother’s career, Mr. Nye expressed these feelings, “I would remind us that half of the humans are girls or women. So then why don't we have all half of the scientists be women?

What the heck?“ As an organization that strives to encourage and empower women in STEM, The Scientista Foundation Chapter at Weber State applauds Mr. Nye’s stance and enthusiastically welcomes him to our campus.

Sincerely,

2. Complete the set up 3. Open the built-in QR code reader and scan this code!

Available to download on:

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JOSHUA WINEHOLT | The Signpost

Above: Journalist and author Ronan Farrow spoke at WSU for the Engaged Learning Series in January.

Below: Activist Jane Elliot spoke to WSU student in October, 2018.

MATTER OF FACT SERIES BRINGS IN BELLA TORRES | The Signpost

ACTIVISTS, AUTHORS AND

SCIENCE GUYS

By COLTON HEWARD Reporter

ALYSON JOHNSON Desk Editor

Weber State University's Engaged Learning Series prepares for the final event of the year with a sold-out lecture from Bill Nye, "the Science Guy." The series' theme of the year, "Matter of Fact," aimed at educating and engaging people from both the campus and the community with issues of public concern.

With several events each month, the Engaged Learning Series has brought a wide array of events and speakers from all over the country to Weber State's campus.

“The series is a huge collaboration with a lot of entities on campus where they learn the theme for the year and incorporate it,” Teresa Martinez, program director for the Engaged Learning Series said.

Once the theme for the year is made public, individuals across the university put plans in motion to contribute to the series.

Some of the events from this year in-

cluded the 20th Annual Diversity Conference with keynote speaker Jane Elliott; the live fact checking of Utah’s First Congressional District Debate; New York Times Bestselling Author David Grann; and Ronan Farrow, a writer for The New Yorker and recipient of the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service.

For the last event of the year, the Engaged Learning Series will host Bill Nye on April 3 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Dee Events Center.

“Bill Nye is the bookend to the 'Matter of Fact' series,” Martinez said.

After deciding on the “Matter of Fact” theme, Martinez said she knew she wanted to bring Nye to Weber State.

Nye is well-known in the world of science. He hosted several television shows, earned 18 Emmy Awards and wrote and published five books.

The event was originally planned to be held in the Austad Auditorium of the Browning Center, but word of the event spread so fast that tickets sold out within the first half hour.

Director of the Browning Center Jim Craig said from the beginning they worked with the Engaged Learning Series to get the day, time and location prepared for the event.

"It's important to bring people who are engaging and who so many generations have grown up with," Craig said. "(Nye) makes science accessible to people and gets people excited about possibilities."

Now that the event has moved to the Dee Events Center, the Browning Center will still be contributing lights and part of the stage for the show.

Since the move to the Dee Events Center, the show has sold out again, selling over 5,200 tickets – 3,000 of which are for Weber State students.

As the academic year comes to a close, Martinez said the planning and preparation for next year's Engaged Learning Series, “In My Shoes…," has already began.

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WSU STUDENTS AND

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'THE SCIENCE GUY'

By ALEXA NIELSON & KAINOA NUNEZ Reporters

Throughout history, famous scientists have influenced future generations in their understanding of the world. One of the most notable scientists of this generation has been Bill Nye. Nye is coming to speak at Weber State University as a part of the "Matter of Fact" Engaged Learning Series on April 3. The event is now at the Dee Events Center after tickets for the 1,400-seat Austad Auditorium, which went on sale on Feb. 27, sold out in the first 30 minutes.

Nye is best known for hosting “Bill Nye the Science Guy” on PBS. Nye became a comedy writer and performer.

From this, his first television series was born.

He graduated from Cornell University to

work as a mechanical engineer. He is also a successful author and comedian. Currently, he hosts the Netflix show "Bill Nye Saves the World."

Nye speaks at colleges regularly and is fighting to raise awareness of climate change and the value of critical thinking, science and reason.

Through his work, Nye has inspired students across the nation to care about science. He continues to the advances of science as the CEO of The Planetary Society, a non-profit space advocacy organization.

Issac Schraedel, a biochemistry major at WSU grew up watching Nye on television. “His show makes science fun and interesting. (He) impacted my life to view science in a different way than I normally would.”

A popular pastime in many science classes

in the U.S. involved watching Bill Nye episodes that relate to the class.

“I admire his tenacity and his ability to explain things for a child to understand,” Coleman Barnso, a medical laboratory science major, said.

In the episodes of his shows, Nye explains complex scientific concepts in accessible ways so viewers of all ages learn something new.

Nye began developing this skill as a tutor in high school and found he was able to easily explain varying concepts.

“He was very engaging and watching his videos made it clear to me to.” Gracie Campbell, a zoology major, said.

It doesn't take a scientist to figure out why so many are inspired by him.

MONIKA CLARKE | The Signpost

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Institute of Religion at Weber State University - Ogden Campus

Presents:

Jeff Flamm

CEO, WSU National Advisory Board member, former WSU SB Pres.

“Navigating Our Way through the Best and Worst of Times”

Wednesday Devotional April 3, 2019 12:30 - 1:15pm

In-

MyWeberMedia.com | April 2019| |77 MyWeberMedia.com | March 28,1,2019

By NIC MURANAKA Desk Editor

Marek Matyjasik researches chemical reactions with water and mineral surfaces. He has received the Fulbright Scholarship to go to Poland and teach geology.

Weber State University

Matt - e - yah - shick. That’s how you pronounce Dr. Marek Matyjasik’s last name, the first skill students at Warsaw University will have to practice when he travels there early next year as Weber State University’s 11th Fulbright Scholar in the past 20 years.

It won’t be the first time Matyjasik has been to Warsaw University; in fact, it’s somewhat of a homecoming for him. An alumnus, Matyjasik received his Master’s of Science degree from Warsaw University and taught there as a teaching assistant for four years.

During that time, Matyjasik worked as part of the Underground Solidarity Movement, saw the fall of communism in Poland and helped craft some of the democratic practices at Warsaw University. Matyjasik is excited to see the results of one of the world’s first democratic experiments years later, one that he took part in.

“I’m closing this chapter from 32 years ago,” Matyjasik said.

Matyjasik teaches in the Earth and Environmental Sciences department at WSU and also serves as the adviser for the Applied Environmental Geosciences major. His research interests primarily focus on water, which he sees as a part in all the earth sciences. He describes his interest stemming from both idealism and practicality.

“Water is something we all need,” Matyjasik said.

“But there’s also a lot of beauty to water: the clarity of it, the sound of running water. It has a poetic vision to it.”

One of Matyjasik’s students, Saige Carter, who is currently in Matyjasik’s Groundwater class, said that Matyjasik’s enthusiasm for teaching stood out to her as the most beneficial aspect of him as a teacher.

“You can tell he really loves it,” Carter said. “He thanks students for coming to class.”

Matyjasik sees teachers’ most important role as serving students to the best of their ability, which is why he appreciates the Earth and Environmental Sciences department’s commitment to quality teaching, department-wide. To best serve students himself, he helped secure a highly-competitive grant for scholarships for underrepresented students, which also includes a summer bridge program allowing professors to take students to national parks around the state. Matyjasik is enthusiastic about the chance for students to see places they never would have otherwise.

“We really care about the success of our students,” Matyjasik said.

That care is part of the reason Matyjasik applied for the Fulbright Scholarship in the first place. The program emphasizes collaborative learning; for him, collaborative learning is a natural part of being a scientist.

Of course, learning other teaching methods will help him in his primary goal as well.

“We (scientists) don’t want to do everything the same way all our life,” Matyjasik said. “We should learn different ways of teaching to best serve students.”

Some of Matyjasik’s students most appreciate teaching methods Matyjasik employs now, though.

Brooklyn Smont, another student in the Groundwa-

ter class, appreciated Matyjasik’s focus on learning.

Both her and student Michael Fifer described Matyjasik’s clarity in explanation as most beneficial in his teaching. Student Elizabeth Williams agreed.

“He breaks it (the subject material) into little chunks for those of us who aren’t as bright as he is,” Elizabeth Williams, also in the Groundwater class, said.

Many of Matyjasik’s students described an effective aspect of his teaching as his attention to demonstrating how the lessons would directly translate toward real-world application, particularly in a job in the field.

On March 27, Matyjasik had his Groundwater students modeling the way water drips down through the earth in a leaky aquifer, a layer of rock that contains groundwater.

“Why do we do boring labs?” he asked the class.

They replied that, for their coming project on March 30, they needed to understand the way a leaky aquifer looked. On March 30, the students would be digging a well and graphing whether the water leaked the same way, which would tell them whether the aquifer in that location was leaky or not. In essence, their lab had a predictive function and a real-world application to the project they were completing later that week, a project they might do in a job.

As for applying for the Fulbright award in the first place, Matyjasik described the process as long and complex but satisfying. He first wrote a proposal and secured letters of recommendation from professionals and a letter of support from the university. Then, his proposal had to be approved by a peer-reviewed board.

Finally, ambassadors and Fulbright members from the host country interviewed him and weighed the benefit of his proposed project. However, Matyjasik knew he’d apply at some point.

“It’s always been somewhere on my mind,” he said.

He knows some of the other recipients at WSU and said they all described the experience as extremely positive as well. He looks forward to the life-long commitment Fulbright recipients have to the foundation.

After his scholarship, he will review proposals for future applicants.

Once he’s through, though, Matyjasik fully intends to come back to Utah, which, in his opinion, is one of the top locations in the world to do the work he does.

Utah has easy access to the mountains, as well as national and state parks.

“Utah is a geological paradise on Earth,” he said. “I cannot imagine any other location where I’d be as happy or impactful.”

Matyjasik also described meetings he’d have with students in his adviser role where they’d describe why they were Applied Environmental Geoscience majors.

“They take classes because they want to, because it’s their dream,” he said.

Matyjasik’s devotion to teaching and his students runs deep. Many Fulbright Scholars have gone on to win Pulitzer and Nobel Prizes. Matyjasik’s biggest aspiration?

“Help students, as best I can,” he said.

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“WE SHOULD LEARN DIFFERENT WAYS OF TEACHING TO BEST SERVE STUDENTS.” “THEY TAKE CLASSES BECAUSE THEY WANT TO, BECAUSE IT’S THEIR DREAM.” “WE REALLY CARE ABOUT THE SUCCESS OF OUR STUDENTS.” – MAREK MATYJASIK

WSU PROFESSOR ATTAINS INTERNATIONAL ACCLAIM

FROM THE GROUND UP:

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BELLA TORRES | The Signpost

BELLA TORRES | The Signpost

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We Welcome New Wildcats

GET A FREE WSU Alumni Association

LICENSE PLATE FRAME when you visit the Lindquist Alumni Center. (southwest corner of Ogden campus)

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Kelly Watkins | The Signpost

Members of the community embraced after the vigil ended.

SALAM, PEACE: OGDEN MOURNS

CHRISTCHURCH VICTIMS

By DANYA GIL Desk Editor

“My innocence was gone when I saw a man live-streaming the slaughter of 50 worshipers in the Al Noor mosque in New Zealand,” Mary Khalaf, a Muslim-American who ran for Ogden City Council in 2017, said.

The Ogden community stood in solidarity with Christchurch, New Zealand, and the entire Muslim community to mourn and honor the 50 people killed and 50 wounded in two mosque shootings on March 15.

The diverse crowd came together at the Ogden Municipal Building on March 27 and shared anecdotes, wrote words of support, prayed and recited the names of victims.

Ogden’s community vigil allowed a safe space for anyone to speak about their thoughts and feelings. The Ogden City Diversity Commission attended to assist in educating Muslims and non-Muslims about effective ways to connect and bridge differences

Adrienne Andrews, WSU chief diversity officer, told fellow attendees that together they will continue to show up with love when met with hate.

“I’m emotional because you’re standing here together with our community, all members of our community,” Andrews told the crowd. “We are refusing hate and instead choosing love. People who hate do not want us to choose love.”

Imam Mohammed Al-Tigar, president and chair of the Islamic Center of Kuwait in South Ogden, thanked the Ogden community for standing with the Muslim community and making them feel welcomed.

Holding back tears, Al-Tigar thanked New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and the people of New Zealand for their “wonderful and sincere stance by the Muslim community.” He then contrasted Ardern’s leadership after the attack with Donald Trump’s rhetoric.

“The New Zealand Prime Minister truly showed the world how a true leader (should) act in a time of crisis. She has

won the hearts of not only the Muslims in New Zealand but all the Muslims all over the world,” Al-Tigar said. “I truly wish Mr. Trump will learn a thing or two from her.”

Before beginning a prayer, Al-Tigar asked the crowd if he could share some things about Islam.

According to Al-Tigar, Islam is the religion of prophets like Adam, Abraham, Noah, Moses and Jesus. Islam states there is only one true God who deserves to be worshiped. This God is the “creator, sustainer, provider, the one who gives life and the one who takes it.”

Al-Tigar denounced that Islam teaches hate or to attack the innocent.

“Perhaps you may have seen some Muslims that have done and committed some horrible crimes. They claim to be Muslim, but that is not the teaching of Islam,” Al-Tigar said.

“There is no way that our prophet will go and tell us to kill the innocent,” Al-Tigar said.

Inviting all to visit the Utah Islamic Center of Kuwait, Al-Tigar assured the doors

are always open to anyone. He said his prophet did not teach them to shove anyone away but rather to love one another.

“When you see one of us walking, it’s okay to take a look. We look different.

That’s okay,” Al-Tigar said.

“We are part of your community. I’ve been here since ‘93. I know no other place than Ogden. I graduated from Weber. I work down in Salt Lake. I pay my taxes. I am you. I look a little bit better, but I am you,” Al-Tigar said.

Al-Tigar led Ṣalāt al-Janāzah, the Islamic funeral prayer, in honor of the New Zealand victims. Attendees who wished to participate stood in a line in the direction of Mecca.

“These people came together that day to pray in hope of a better world,” Khalaf said. “So I ask that we take what their hope was, for a better world, and go out to our communities and take that light up so that their sacrifices are not in vain.”

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‘CATS SENIORS TURN PAGE, LOOK PRO Cornerback Jeremy Maxwell performs the vertical jump as part of Pro Day.

“THE SCOUTS TOLD ME TO STAY IN SHAPE BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF ROOKIES THAT COME IN AND JUST WOOF IT.” IOSUA OPETA WSU Athlete

JOSHUA WINEHOLT | The Signpost

By JOE TRAUB Desk Editor

Seniors on the Weber State University football team only had a short amount of time to dwell over a loss to the Maine Black Bears in the quarterfinals of the FCS Playoffs before they began to focus on the future.

On March 27, nine Wildcats took part in the annual pro day at the Marquardt Fieldhouse. Scouts from 24 NFL teams attended, ranging from the Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns to the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots.

The new Alliance of American Football league was also represented, as the Salt Lake Stallions had multiple scouts on hand.

Drills included bench press, vertical and broad jumps, a 40-yard dash along with agility and catching tests.

Weber State was led at pro day by offensive lineman Iosua Opeta, who has been regarded as an NFL Draft prospect for the last two seasons. Opeta also took part in the NFL Scouting Combine earlier in the month.

Opeta said he felt this was an opportunity to redeem himself for areas in which he underperformed at the combine.

“For me, this was just to correct on stuff that I didn’t test well at the combine,” Opeta said. “I retested the shuttle and knocked about three-tenths of a second off. I just wanted to show what I can do as an o-lineman.”

Other participants included wide receiver Darryl Denby, fullback Brady May, running back Treshawn Garrett, linebacker LeGrand Toia, cornerbacks Jeremy Maxwell and the sibling duo of Parker and Jordan Preator.

Toia said he was able to enjoy himself while not feeling extra pressure from the scouts in attendance.

“Having the coaches here watching us was enough support for me. I also looked at the NFL scouts like they were my coaches,”

MyWeberMedia.com | April 1, 2019 | 13

Toia said. “When they were telling me what to do, I just got that coach vibe from them and no intimidation.”

May felt confident about the drills he took part in but also acknowledged room for improvement.

“The bench press was my strength. I didn’t get my PR (personal record) today, so I was kind of bummed about it, but I still put up a decent number,” May said. “I felt pretty good about the vertical (jump) and knew I would do well catching the ball and doing some of the position work. I was looking forward to that more than anything.”

Even though May is uncertain of what his football future holds, he said he is trying to stay focused as he awaits an opportunity.

“After the season ended, I was feeling sorry for myself over Maine, but then it was right back to work,” May said. “There’s not a lot of down time. You have to get back and stay busy.”

With the draft approaching in less than a month, Opeta has a specific goal in mind.

“It’s unbelievable (how quick it is coming). Basically, I just need to get into football shape because as soon as the draft comes around and I’m on a team, it’s straight to rookie minicamp the next week,” Opeta said. “The scouts told me to stay in shape because there are a lot of rookies that come in and just woof it.”

The Wildcats were also represented by former starting quarterback Stefan Cantwell, who led the team to the first of backto-back Big Sky Conference championships and quarterfinal appearances in 2017. He threw passes to Denby, Garrett and May, while also firing interceptions to the defensive backs.

The draft will take place from April 25-27 in Nashville. Forty Weber State players have been previously drafted, most recently cornerback Taron Johnson going to the Buffalo Bills in the third round last year.

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Smith asked for volunteers from the audience to demonstrate how trafficking works within a relationship.

KELLY WATKINS | The Signpost

HUMAN TRAFFICKING HITS CLOSE TO HOME

By DANYA GIL Desk Editor

The youngest human trafficking victim in Utah is 9 years old. While many do not want to believe these things occur in their backyard, human trafficking is not exclusive to third world countries.

Allison Smith, education and outreach specialist for the Trafficking in Persons Program with the Refugee and Immigrant Center in Salt Lake City, discussed human trafficking to WSU students and Ogden community members for Women’s History Month.

Smith said 73 percent of people acknowledge human trafficking is widespread in the U.S., but 20 percent recognize that it happens within their community.

According to Fox 13, Lynnsie Reddish and Terrance Jones, an Ogden couple, were sentenced to one to 15 years in prison on Jan. 2018. The couple ran a “longterm sex trafficking operation” and were charged with 16 felony offenses.

Trafficking is surrounded by myths: “It couldn’t happen in my town” or “all trafficking cases are women bound by the hands.” These myths are not only false but lead to misinformed communities that cannot identify cases of trafficking when it’s right before their eyes.

The National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline identified more than 24,000 cases of human trafficking in the U.S. between Sept. 2012 and Sept.

2016. Of those, 13 percent of cases were men.

Generally, most of the public believes human trafficking occurs only when a man kidnaps a woman against her will, takes her to a different country and sells her. However, trafficking often happens between people who know and trust each other.

Sex trafficking recruitment tactics include false promises of a lucrative job, stability, education or a loving relationship, according to The Polaris Project. Intimate partners expose their counterparts to this world under the guise of a financially sta-

ble future. Parents have trafficked their children for money or drugs.

Smith compared sex and drug trafficking, saying traffickers do what they can to make the most money. Drug traffickers will push suppliers for more product.

Sex traffickers, on average, sell victims 25 times a day.

Marginalized people are frequently targeted for trafficking, including the homeless, runaways, members of the LGBTQ+ community, refugees and immigrants.

Some human trafficking victims do not see themselves as victims and believe it was their choice. Some victims do not leave if the opportunity arises, due largely to trauma bonding.

“In order to survive traumatic experiences, our brain’s neurobiology actually changes. It is a neurobiological coping mechanism, trauma bond,” Smith said.

“The goal of the brain is to increase the person’s sense of safety while decreasing their sense of pain.”

According to Smith, human trafficking has gone from the third largest illicit in-

dustry in the U.S. to the second, and it is rapidly approaching first.

Maria Oxandabarat, a WSU freshman, is learning about human trafficking in a women and gender studies class. She attended the lecture to see how she could help and get involved in the Ogden community to enact change.

“I pictured trafficking as something that is far away and not close to home,” Oxandabarat said. “Human trafficking can happen anywhere. It’s overwhelming that we don’t talk about this stuff enough.”

Stephanie Speicher, WSU assistant professor, told attendees to educate their friends, family and community.

“Be willing and open to share what you learned tonight. Knowledge is power,” Speicher said.

If you or someone you know needs help or you want to report a tip, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-3737888.

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