The Signpost - Weber State University Monday | April 8, 2019 | Volume 89 | Issue 59

Monday | April 8, 2019 | Volume 89 | Issue 59

!

L IL

B

BILL! !

L L I B BILL! BILL! BILL NYE MAKES WSU DEBUT >> PAGE 10

SPORTS » PAGE 4

DO SUPERSTITIONS MAKE OR BREAK A WILDCATS SEASON?

NEWS » PAGE 8

THE STRUGGLE IS REAL: STUDENTS RUN OUT OF TIME

2 | MyWeberMedia.com | April 8, 2019

WSU AND OGDEN EVENTS TAKE BACK THE NIGHT

OGDEN CLIMBING FESTIVAL

By ALYSON JOHNSON Desk Editor

The Outdoor Program at Weber State is hosting the 12th Annual Ogden Climbing Festival on Friday, April 12 to Saturday, April 13. The festival brings together climbers from a variety of different climbing disciplines. Registration will be Friday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at The Front Climbing Club and the competition will be that same night from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Saturday will be filled with trail projects, free food, education climbing clinics and keynote speakers. unsplash.com

A RAINBOW TO HEAVEN Weber State University’s LGBT Community and the College of Social Work will host a panel discussion on being part of the LGBTQ+ Community and the Mormon Church. The goal of the discussion is to promote inclusivity and understanding among the two groups.

The discussion will be held on April 10 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Shepherd Union Wildcat Theatre.

Weber State University

2019 CLUBS AND ORGS CARNIVAL Weber State University

Weber State’s Women’s Center will host Take Back the Night, a walk through Downtown Ogden to speak out against sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual abuse and all other forms of sexual violence. The march will be on April 12, starting at the Union Station at 6 p.m. Participants will meet back at Union Station after the march where community members will support victims and survivors.

Weber State’s Student Involvement and Leadership will host the 2019 Clubs and Orgs Carnival on April 10 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Carnival will also include free food and entertainment acts throughout the Shepherd Union building.

Weber State University

MyWeberMedia.com | April 8, 2019 | 3

KELLY WATKINS | The Signpost

Students from across the country attend the opening night banquet for the NULC.

NATIONAL UNDERGRADUATE LITERATURE CONFERENCE CELEBRATES 34 YEARS

By COLTON HEWARD & HANNAH OLSEN Reporters

Weber State University annually hosts the National Undergraduate Literature Conference, where, this year, over 150 students, teachers and writers from across the country gathered on March 28 to March 30.

Weber State has hosted NULC since its beginning in 1985 and has brought some of the most talented writers in the country to the university.

NULC began as a simple idea from one of Weber State’s English Professors, Mikel Vause, and one of his colleagues, Mike Meyer. Their goal was to create a conference where students could showcase their undergraduate work. Now, 34 years later, NULC continues to attract students that participate in the three-day conference.

This year, students presented at sessions focused on the topic, “Why I Write.” Students often write as a method of expressing themselves beyond the spoken word.

Sarah Vause, co-director of NULC, said it is the goal of the conference to give students the opportunity to share their stories. Sarah Vause is an instructor in the English department and the daughter of

co-founder Mikel Vause.

“Everybody has a story to tell,” Mikel Vause said.

Before students can attend NULC, they must submit their literature entries to the conference. From there, each entry is reviewed and either denied or accepted.

Most students submit multiple pieces of literature for consideration.

Mikel Vause never imagined that it would turn into what it is today. He said the biggest draw for students to participate is that it gives them an opportunity to showcase their work while meeting a variety of people.

“One, they get to network with their peers from around the country. And two, it gives students the opportunity to share their creativity in a professional academic setting,” Vause said.

This year’s NULC kicked off the conference with the opening banquet at the Timbermine Steakhouse. Participants enjoyed a meal and had the opportunity to hear from keynote speaker, Jesmyn Ward.

Ward is an accomplished writer and English professor at Tulane University. Ward was the first woman and person of color to receive two National Book Awards for fiction. She was also recently named by Time Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influen-

tial People in 2018.

Ward addressed attendees with words of encouragement, as well as an open Q&A afterwards. Ward talked of the heartache and tragedies that she faced and witnessed as an African American growing up in the American south.

Ward said it was through these life experiences that she found her love for writing.

“I was using literature not to escape reality, but to explore it,” she said.

Ward advised writers to be willing to write “the hard things.” Ward said that writing these “hard things” can often be scary and difficult, but as you learn to embrace the hard in life, you will grow as a writer.

Ward also stressed the importance of not being afraid of failure.

“Trying and failing has taught me many important lessons,” Ward said.

Attendees showed their appreciation for Ward’s words by giving her a standing ovation as she concluded her speech.

The two additional keynote authors spread across the three days were Michelle Kuo and Tom McAllister.

Kuo, a teacher, advocate and lawyer, was the keynote March 29.

As a lawyer she worked for undocumented immigrants in Oakland. She is a daugh-

ter of immigrants from Taiwan. Her cases were focused on eviction, abusive housing conditions, wage theft and threats of deportation.

“Reading with Patrick” is Kuo’s first book. The book is a memoir about teaching literature in a rural jail.

McAllister’s evening keynote on March 29 focused on his book, “How to be Safe,” which follows the teacher of a high school after she is falsely identified as a mass shooter. When the teenage boy responsible for the shooting is identified, the town descends into mania.

“Everyone had guns, even the people that didn’t have guns,” McAllister read from his book. “If we didn’t have guns, how would we stop people with guns?

That’s the logic.”

NULC is held annually during spring semester at WSU. Students can submit their work during the fall semester before NULC for a chance to present at the conference in 2020.

“Every year we wonder how the conference is going to get any better, but every year it seems to do just that,” Vause said.

Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com

4 | MyWeberMedia.com | April 8, 2019

SUPERSTITIONS:

Jaiamoni Welch-Coleman waiting for a pass from fellow teammates.

AN ATHLETE'S MENTALITY

BELLA TORRES | The Signpost

By COLTON PACK Reporter

Kyzer Armendariz decides how to chew his gum depending who's at bat. William Fobair counts the stars and stripes on the flag before the face-off. Emily Drake ties her shoes a certain way before she takes the court.

Superstitions: Call them a productive routine or an unjustified ritual. Some would say they help athletes, while others would say they are mental roadblocks.

Many athletes consider superstitions to be habits or traditions that help their performance.

There are 16 NCAA sport teams and 17 club sports on the Weber State campus.

With so many colligate athletes in Ogden, what are their superstitions, and how do they use them, or do they use them at all?

For Armendariz, a catcher for the men’s baseball team, superstitions are more mental than anything. Because it brings results, he thinks that doing something over and over makes you believe in it, even if that thing is what side of your mouth you chew your gum on.

“When I chew gum, I always have it on the left side of my mouth when the away team is batting and on the right side when the home team is batting,” Armendariz said. “I see the game flow faster when I do that and that outcome is usually in favor of us.”

His teammate, Wesley Garner, believes in his superstitions because they give him confidence. Once something works for him, he doesn’t want to change a thing.

Garner thinks superstitions are things that can help them perform better.

“A specific one that I do is, before I step in the box before each pitch, I look at the top of the left field foul pole, and then I take a huge deep breath, exhale and then step in the box,” Garner said. “I do it to help myself relax, which helps me be able to focus once I’m in the box.”

Fobair, a hockey defender, has one superstition that he sticks to and two others that he does if he can.

“The main one is I count all 50 stars and 13 stripes on the flag during the National Anthem,” said Fobair. “I think superstitions are definitely useful and the mental part of a game can make a huge difference. I think some people can make too big of a deal about it and it will effect their game negatively.”

The others are what Fobair eats for lunch on game day and the specific songs he listens to while visualizing making plays out on the ice.

On the same side of the ice, Robbie Brennan, the ‘Cats goalie, has a routine rather than a superstition. Brennan performs the routine before every game, regardless of if he is playing or not. The routine helps him get into the correct mindset.

“I think superstitions can help people.

They can also destroy a person mentally," Brennan said. "I have met people who don’t follow their routine (and) their whole mentality is messed up for the game.

You can’t let your superstition determine whether or not you’ll have a good game.”

Jaiamoni Welch-Coleman and Emily Drake, from the women’s basketball team,

believe in good routines rather than superstitions. While here at Weber, they have recognized the importance of preparing rather than relying on superstitions.

“I don’t have any superstitions,” Drake said. “I do have routines I go through before games. I don’t believe in superstitions because it doesn’t make sense to me. My performance is not going to depend on how I tied my shoes or if I wear something in particular.”

At the beginning of her college career, Welch-Colman thought that doing the same thing before games would help her thrive. As she got older, she realized it doesn’t matter. She was going to play well if she was smart on the court.

“I feel like superstitions are worthless because it’s something extra to worry about mentally,” Welch-Coleman said. “It is also a potential excuse for why games or performances go good or bad.”

Some athletes prefer superstitions or rituals and others want and need routines to be prepared. Jordan Preator considers his pregame routine as a tradition instead of a superstition.

“During my junior year here at Weber, I had one where me, my brother Parker, Luke Latteier, Arnold Lopez and Jeremy Maxwell would have ice cream and play video games every Thursday night before games,” Preator said. “(It was) more of a tradition than superstition, though.”

Before Weber, Preator played high school football locally at Fremont High and then at BYU. During his time in high school and his first year in college, he stuck to a superstition until he noticed he still played

well without it.

“I would play StarCraft the night before games every week. I always felt like if I didn’t, I wouldn’t play good or we wouldn’t win,” Preator continued. “That was the longest superstition I had, until I couldn’t do it on away games at BYU and still played good without it.”

Like Preator, Andrea Hale, an outside hitter for the women’s volleyball team, found out that superstitions could be proved wrong once there is a different result in the game or the athlete’s performance.

“When I first got to Weber, there was a tile outside the Swenson building that if you stepped on the top corner, it would make a sound,” Hale said. “It became something before any practice, meeting or game I had to step on. I learned quickly that it had no outcome of how anything worked out, I just enjoyed the sound it made.”

For her, Hale learned that routines are more important and more effective than rituals or superstitions. She came to this conclusion as she studied more about sports psychology.

“Rituals are like superstitions where athletes have to do things in the exact same way,” Hale said. “Routines are ways athletes can get mentally prepared for games.

Rituals are hard to control. Routines can be done anywhere and help the athlete get in their groove.

Call them rituals, or call them routines.

Some athletes live by their superstitions.

Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com

MyWeberMedia.com | April 8, 2019 | 5

Outside hitter Andrea Hale jumps for a spike.

MARISSSA WOLFORD | The Signpost

Jonathan Cosman waiting for the drop against USU palyer.

GET OFF THE WAITING LIST AND ON TO A NURSING DEGREE! Evening degree programs • Associate’s degree in Nursing

• Classes start monthly

OgdenNursing.com

Call 801-284-3216

or stop by for a campus tour.

For graduation rates, the median debt of graduates, and other data, see stevenshenager.edu/studentinformation.

West Haven (Ogden) Campus 1890 South 1350 West

JOSHUA WINEHOLT | The Signpost

6 | MyWeberMedia.com | April 8, 2019

TEMPORARY PAPER MURALS JOIN OGDEN’S ART SCENE

CHLOE WALKER | The Signpost

Artist Brek Townsend uses his paper murals to break artistic boundaries.

By CHLOE WALKER Photojournalist

Local artist Brek Townsend is using his paper murals to challenge the line that divides street and contemporary art.

His installations adorn buildings throughout downtown Ogden and often feature thought-provoking, anti-establishment and propaganda themes.

Marcel Duchamp, a renowned French-American artist, said, “What art is, in reality, is this missing link, not the links which exist. It’s not what you see that is art; art is the gap.”

More than 50 years after Duchamp began breaking artistic boundaries, Townsend began creating a body of work containing large-scale, thought provoking paper murals that aim to leave viewers intrigued and curious.

“I force people to look at my artwork and hope that it makes them question things going on around them,” Townsend said.

Each piece can take dozens of hours to create and are typically crafted from weather-resistant paper or cardboard. The murals appear and disappear throughout the city seemingly overnight.

“Since they are installed pieces, at times, my work does not stay around for long,” Townsend said. “They’re either removed by the city or stolen by the public.”

On March 25, Townsend debuted his most recent installation, Made in Korea.

The piece incorporates Disney cartoon characters, Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, as well as their creator, Walt Disney.

Made in Korea was inspired by a stuffed Donald Duck that Townsend had as a child.

At the age of five he noticed a “Made in

Korea” tag on the toy. Being an inquisitive child, Townsend began to ask his mother about Korea.

“From that day on, I started to look at my toys differently,” Townsend said, “Made in the U.S.A, made in Taiwan, none of them compared to anything made in Korea.”

Inspired by this experience, Townsend began working on Made in Korea in October 2018, and began to create a piece that paired American imagery with Hangul, the Korean alphabet.

“By taking two copies of the same image and putting a Korean Hangul on one, did it become Korean? Could you tell the difference between the two? Does it really matter where something is made? I decided to leave it open to the public to wonder,” Townsend said.

Ogden’s local art scene is on the rise

thanks to murals and art installations that are becoming commonplace. The city’s vibrant art scene continues to inspire due to the contributions of many local artists, including Townsend.

“Brek brings a fresh but local face to Ogden’s street art scene,” said Brent Atwood, Nurture The Creative Mind’s Local Artist of 2017. “I see his movement becoming a sort of status quo for other artists making their mark in Ogden.”

Made in Korea is located at 234 25th St. in Ogden, Utah and will remain on display for a limited time. More of Townsend’s work and processes can be seen by visiting @brektownsend on Instagram.

Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com

MyWeberMedia.com | April 8, 2019 | 7

CHLOE WALKER | The Signpost

Townsend’s most recent installation, Made in Korea, debuted on March 25.

8 | MyWeberMedia.com | April 8, 2019

By LANDIN GRIFFITH Reporter

Weber State University students who don’t manage their time well and tackle the “go-go-go” mindset find difficulty in achieving academic success due to the mental, physical and social complications that come with a heavy workload.

Many students find themselves struggling with hyper-productivity, a term used to describe individuals who don’t manage their time well and try to accomplish too much at once.

Weber students acknowledged this issue when asked how not managing their time well affected different areas of their life.

According to one Weber State student, not managing his time well resulted in a non-existent social life.

Another student said that she had strategies to manage her time but poorly implemented them into her day to day life, which created anxiety and stress.

This was a common answer among Weber students who said that they didn’t know how to manage their time, and because of it, their anxieties, stresses and lack of self-care were all elevated to some degree.

So how can students embed themselves with a “work smarter, not harder” attitude and become professionals at managing their time?

A common answer among students was to create a checklist, similar to a shopping list, and list the tasks in order from most important to least important.

Students who identified and wrote down the most crucial tasks for each day found greater success at managing their time, as well as improving other aspects of their lives.

“I write everything down at the beginning of each day or week. When I’m able to check things off, I know I’m getting things done,” said computer science major Tyler Jaenins. “That’s how I’m able to manage time on a day-to-day or week-to-week basis.”

In addition to being enrolled as a full-time student at Weber, Jaenins noted that by creating a checklist, he was able to find time for himself and his relationships.

“You have to get things done, but you need to find time for yourself or you and your relationships are going to fall apart,” Jaenins said.

Whether it’s web surfing, video games, a notification ‘ding’ from your phone or a list of emails beckoning to be replied to, distractions can play a prominent role in how students manage their time.

A common distraction that may occur among students is the impulse to check their phones and scroll through Twitter, Facebook and Instagram the first thing in the morning.

In addition, most of the distractions in a student’s life are in the comforts of their home.

Distractions that cause repetitive impulses can affect a student’s ability to break bad habits, which may prevent them from building good habits that benefit their time management skills and academic success.

AVOIDING “You have to get things done, but you need to find time for yourself or you and your relationships are going to fall apart.”

TYLER JAENINS WSU Student

E

AUBR

npost

he Sig

DT | T

HAR E ECK

HYPER-PRODUCTIVITY

MyWeberMedia.com | April 8, 2019 | 9

Cody Sullivan, a department manager at Pinterest, said that once he recognized his distractions, he was able to moderate or eliminate them, which has helped him both as a student and marketer.

“As a marketing employee at Pinterest, I’ve learned that distractions are recurring,” Sullivan said. “There are quarterly revenue goals at Pinterest that have to be met each month. If I’m constantly distracted and don’t meet those goals, then there will be problems.”

In addition, Sullivan said that not all distractions are bad. Some distractions, such as taking small breaks and social interactions can be beneficial to how a person manages their time.

Small breaks may include taking a walk through the park, socializing with a classmate and eating a healthy snack. Allowing a “brain break” helped students focus on their current tasks when they returned.

Students who identified distractions early in their college career helped them take on the responsibilities as a student and prepared them for upcoming deadlines.

A controversial statement that students often overlook is that they can achieve more by doing less.

“There are a lot of things I know that I need to cut out of my life,” said student Lexie Martinez. “I wake up at 6 a.m. every morning, then go to class, work, then dance and find it impossible to do any of the things that I’m passionate about, whether it’s my hobbies or extracurricular activities.”

According to The Startup, when creating a daily, weekly or monthly checklist, students should write down the things that add value to their lives and ask the question, “Is this a task that I am particularly well suited to complete?”

Students who attempt to complete a difficult task will often spend too much time on the task and forget about the essential tasks needed to be completed.

Compared to the hyper-productivity mindset, students who “bite off more than they can chew” are often more overwhelmed than students who take a slow approach and complete their tasks little by little each day, rather than waiting until the last minute to cram everything together.

Students who created checklists, moderated or eliminated distractions and focused on things that added value to their lives said their academic success revolved around managing their time well.

There are hundreds of articles and studies from accredited websites and colleges that discuss how students can manage their time well.

However, it’s the student’s responsibility to challenge themselves with new ideas and to implement those ideas into their busy lives.

Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com

10 | MyWeberMedia.com | April 8, 2019

JOSHUA WINEHOLT | The Signpost

April 5

Brothers Brimm at 9PM April 6

9PM

WEEKLY EVENTS SUNDAY Texas Hold’em

MONDAY Comedy Open Mic

TUESDAY Poker Night

WEDNESDAY Bingo & Trivia Night

Thursday Karaoke Night

Karaoke Night

April 5

Tayler Lacey at 7PM

LEFT: Bill Nye spoke at Weber as part of the Engaged Learning Series.

RIGHT: Nye discussed climate change and vaccinations, among other issues.

BEHIND THE BOW TIE

By JENNIFER GREENLEE Desk Editor

“It was a real lesson - if you stick with it, you can pull it off.”

Toward the end of scientist and TV personality Bill Nye’s lecture at Weber State University, he brought up a childhood memory that left him with these words to live by.

Attendees at the Dee Events Center welcomed the Science Guy for the sold-out conversation by chanting “Bill, Bill, Bill” while the “Bill Nye the Science Guy” theme played throughout the auditorium.

Nye spoke at Weber State as the finale of the Engaged Learning Series this year, cen-

tralized around the “Matter of Fact” theme. As an advocate and teacher of scientific fact, there was no one better to close out the year than the Nye himself, proven by student tickets selling out in fifteen minutes for the original venue, the 1,400-seat Austad Auditorium.

Nye ran on stage to a standing ovation to meet Dr. Stacey Palen, a physics professor and the event’s moderator.

“Have you heard the discussion about the group of Wildcats? There’s a murder of crows, a tower of giraffe.” Nye said.

“It’s a destruction of wildcats.”

Unfortunately, the talk had some technical difficulties for

the first twenty minutes. Nye’s microphone was not completely functional. Attendees hanging from the rafters in the back couldn’t hear parts of what Nye said, shouting that they couldn’t hear Nye’s responses to the questions.

Eventually, a new microphone was brought on stage for Nye and the rest of the talk ran smoothly.

Nye is known for wearing a bow tie in every episode of “Bill Nye the Science Guy,” and fans were not disappointed.

Not only was he wearing one, but the first 100 people to enter the stadium received a bow tie — in Weber purple.

“You don’t have a favorite tie,” Nye said. “I thought this tie had a vaguely spring kind of vibe. And it has a little purple in it.”

Nye is known for advocating for renewable energy and putting a stop to climate change — a topic Palen pressed.

“It’s a slow motion process of events, but now they’re happening faster and faster,” Nye said. “It’s not that the world is going to end on account of climate change, it’s just that things are going to suck. It’s not that the world didn’t used to be warmer and there didn’t used to be more carbon dioxide and the oceans aren’t

huge, it’s the speed of which things are changing that’s the problem. Let’s get to work, people.”

Nye has been fighting for the general population to put faith into the theory before it was widely accepted.

He has also been a champion of scientific fact over misinformation.

“Vaccines -- this is 300-year-old technology. If you choose to not get vaccinated, or worse, not vaccinate your kid, that person is a petri dish for a mutated form of the germ,” Nye said. “You have to get vaccinated.”

While advocating for scientific truths takes up most of Nye’s public time, he’s remembered fondly by younger generations as their foray into the world around them.

Nye has been a staple of science classrooms since the beginning of “Bill Nye the Science Guy” in 1993. Not only did his show teach science, it dove into complex theories in a way that young students could easily understand.

“My advice to teachers is to show your passion,” Nye said. “What is your favorite thing about your favorite professor and teacher? It’s their passion.

They’re excited about what they’re thinking.”

Nye has also written children’s books to help the next generation develop a deeper appreciation for science — with one piece of advice.

“Don’t believe everything adults tell you,” Nye said.

Since 2014, Nye has written three books discussing various aspects of science, including climate change, evolution and curiosity.

Nye has never stopped advocating for change, whether through books or television interviews, and he achieved it by influencing an entire generation of students. While students all over the world may recognize him as a staple of science, Nye didn’t get there easily.

“I had a very good experience in Boy Scouts; you go to Scout Camp for a week. Well to be a scout lifeguard, you have to rescue a drowning person and row a boat and swim a mile,” Nye said.

“For the final exam, one of the camp counselors, who is older and bigger than you are, pretends to be a drowning victim and you have to bring the guy back to shore.”

Nye stuck with this experience his entire life, knowing he could achieve any goal with enough perseverance.

Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com

MyWeberMedia.com | April 8, 2019 | 11

JOSHUA WINEHOLT | The Signpost

12 | MyWeberMedia.com | April 8, 2019

LOANS, LOANS EVERYWHERE

By HANNAH OLSEN & JENNIFER GREENLEE Reporter & Desk Editor

The difference between loans, scholarships and tuition waivers can get lost in the volume of information surrounding them all. However, students should understand what money is “free” and what money needs to be paid back in order to best leverage ways to pay for college.

The basics are this: the institution offers tuition waivers, which allow the student to simply not pay part of their

tuition because he or she is doing something in exchange for the school. Tuition waivers are often granted through clubs and organizations such as student government or debate.

Scholarships, on the other hand, can come from the institution or external donors. Institutional scholarships come from departments or institutional donors, while outside scholarships come from outside donors, foundations or other sources.

Loans have to be paid back. Student loans payments generally don’t begin

until the student graduates. Government loans can be withdrawn after filling out the FASFA. Part of the difficulty in understanding governmental loans is the difference between subsidized and unsubsidized loans.

A direct subsidized loan is when the government pays the interest for the student while the student attends college. Interest doesn’t start building up on the student’s final bill until they leave school.

Direct unsubsidized loans start gathering interest the day they are taken out.

The moment the student accepts the loan, interest begins accruing on the end bill, even while the student is still enrolled.

Both types of loans start creating interest immediately, but college students don’t pay the interest on subsidized loans at the outset.

Throughout the year, WSU hosts multiple events emphasizing the importance of FAFSA — from helping students fill out

the forms, to understanding the importance of it and reminding students of the deadline.

Another large difference among financial aid types is how students can use them at WSU. Tuition waivers can only be used to pay for tuition, not books or housing.

Some institutional scholarships allow students to get money back that they don’t use for tuition, but it depends on which scholarship the student has.

Loans go directly into the student’s bank account and can be used for anything. Many students take advantage of loans to be able to go to school without having to have a job as well.

According to the WSU website, “Weber State offered more than $92 million in financial Assistance and scholarships that benefited 13,153 students in the 201516 academic year.”

Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com

MONIKA CLARKE | The Signpost

MyWeberMedia.com | April 8, 2019 | 13

REPERCUSSIONS OF THE RWANDA GENOCIDE

By ALLY NELSON & ISRAEL VELAZQUEZ Reporters

Spreading modern-day genocide awareness, Omar Ndizeye, genocide survivor and peace building officer for the organization Never Again Rwanda, shared his story to Weber State University students on March 27.

NAR is a “peace-building and social justice non-governmental organization” founded in 2002 in response to the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi —a member of a people forming a minority of the population of Rwanda and Burundi— , according to neveragainrwanda.org.

Stephanie Wolfe, professor of political science at WSU, invited and introduced Ndizeye before his speech. She’d heard his story previously, but it was more “emotional and raw” listening in person.

On April 7, 1994, chaos spread throughout Rwanda. Soldiers from the Rwanda Armed Forces and Hutu militia groups

murdered Tutsis.

Being Tutsis themselves, Ndizeye and his family were prime targets of the genocide.

The Hutu, member of a Bantu-speaking people forming the majority population in Rwanda and Burundi, were after the Tutsis due to the Rwanda Patriotic Front.

The RPF provided a way for the Tutsis to secure the right to their homeland. The death of President Juvénal Habyarimana triggered the terror the Tutsis faced.

Ndizeye was 10 years old when he began to realize what was occurring. The first time he heard the truth of what was happening was through his father’s radio.

Fear did not sink into Ndizeye until three days after. He saw homes on fire and others Tutsis being terrorized. His father took the whole family to the Kiumba Mountain to hide, but later moved to Nyamata church.

Tutsis gathered in churches, including the Nyamata church, because they are wellknown locations for hiding. Refugees saw an opportunity to attack.

Ndizeye survived the attack at Nyamata church but lost several family members,

including his father and brother.

Out of 10,000 people who gathered in the church, there were few survivors.

Approximately 40,000 people in the surrounding area were killed after the church massacre, according to Lonely Planet.

Ndizeye saw refugees attack and murder his people with grenades, guns and machetes. He recalled refugees kidnapping women and children. He saw a refugee mutilate a pregnant woman’s stomach while while another was beating her husband to death.

“Life expectancy at Nyamata was one minute,” Ndizeye said.

Refugees invaded Rwandan neighborhoods, destroyed homes and properties and tortured and murdered Tutsis.

A few weeks passed and as a 10-year-old boy, Ndizeye was all alone. Eyes were on him and other Rwandan survivors. He had one minute to escape with the risk of being shot and he took it. He climbed a fence to safety and never turned back.

Abdiel Vazquez, WSU student, said Ndizeye’s bravery inspired him the most.

When the Stewart Library is open, get help in real time with Finding articles and books Citing Resources Booking study rooms & more Go to library.weber.edu and Click on Help

“His bravery to talk about this is very moving,” Vazquez said. “I don’t think, if I would have gone through that, that I could ever talk about it, even years later.”

Wirtjo Leonard, WSU student, had previously heard Ndizeye’s story. They built a friendship over email when Leonard reached out about three years ago. He relates to Ndizeye’s testimony because his girlfriend and her family fled South Sudan many years ago, due to genocide.

According to Leonard, it is important there are resources for mental health in Rwanda after the genocide. He respects Ndizeye’s work with NAR. “The healing process is still going on and it’s going to continue for a very long time,” Leonard said. “It may have been 25 years ago, but it’s still relevant. Even those of us who are not in Rwanda or those who have not experienced genocide, it creates stepping stones for us to pay attention to other crimes of atrocity that are happening around the world.”

Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com

14 | MyWeberMedia.com | April 8, 2019

istock.com

STUDENTS LEARN TO COMBAT AEROSOL POLLUTION

By KAINOA NUNEZ Reporter

Weber State University students and faculty gathered on April 3 in Tracy Hall to learn about the physics and importance of aerosols with guest speaker Danielle Haverkamp.

As a senior at WSU, Haverkamp’s lecture was delivered in part to meet a curriculum requirement in one of her classes taught by physics professor John Sohl.

The presentation centered around the observation of aerosol particles in the atmosphere using images taken thousands of feet off the ground.

Aerosol is a substance that is enclosed under pressure to be able to release a spray which obtains a propellant gas.

This gas can oftentimes be considered a common air pollutant.

“Most people in the physics department know how important our pollution is,” said physics student Weston Hunt.

“But for those that aren’t aware, it is a concerning thing.”

According to her research statement, Haverkamp’s current activities include her involvement in High Altitude Reconnaissance Balloon for Outreach and Research (HARBOR) Atmospheric Research Group.

This program includes sensor systems, location systems and aerial image analysis in order to quantify particle distribution within the atmosphere. According

to the official HARBOR website, WSU’s Electronics Engineering Technology and Computer Science departments are partners with the project.

“Our goal is to take these ideas to the air, but in order to do that we need to see how to quantify pixels into turbidity information for the people to understand better,” Haverkamp said.

Shane Larson, who worked at WSU in 2007 and is currently a professor of astrophysics at Northwestern University was the mind behind HARBOR’s creation.

However, after his departure from Weber, he handed the program over to Sohl.

The project uses a wooden chamber reaching eight feet long with optical glass on both ends. A camera is placed inside facing forward to focus at a black and white target on opposite sides of the chamber.

The method behind this is to create disparity in the photo to perform a density plot and find the overall visual contrast.

Haverkamp also mentioned a laser light extinction that will be used inside the chamber. The purpose of the laser is to experimentally explore how different wavelengths of light are interacting with different particle sizes and pixels.

There are challenges to capturing aerial images because the atmosphere includes more than aerosols. For instance, humidity can become a problem for cameras aiming to capture high quality images.

Haverkamp is continuing to work on this issue in addition to her goal of increasing awareness of aerosol pollution in the valley.

“With my imagery project, we can try to see the difference that’s in our air and identify how we can either avoid or adapt to it,” Haverkamp said.

Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com

HELP WANTED

MyWeberMedia.com | April 8, 2019 | 15

FEATURED JOB

FEATURED JOB

BOTANY LABORATORY/GREENHOUSE ASSISTANT

FOOD SECURITY & SUSTAINABILITY COORDINATOR

The position performs the following functions and duties:

The position performs the following functions and duties:

• Lab/greenhouse assistant will assist the lab manager in care of the greenhouses and botany labs.

• Greenhouse duties include, but are not limited to, watering, cleaning, and plant propagation, pest removal.

•Lead educational tours of the greenhouse for groups of all ages.

•Lab responsibilities include, but are not limited to, washing laboratory glassware, organization and inventory of supplies, with the opportunity to assist in the preparation of chemical solutions and lab set up depending on experience and willingness to learn. $10

Requisition Number: H00337P

• Serve as the President of WSU’s Food Recovery Network.

• Serve as the WSU representative for the Utah Food Summit committee.

• Co-Chair WSU’s Food Sustainability Council • Assist with Weber Cares Pantry marketing and education. Provide outreach and education to food inse-

cure WSU students regarding other assistance programs such as WIC, SNAP, utility bill assistance, etc.

$10 Requisition Number: H00630P

Police Officer Police Operations $N26 Requisition Number: S00294P

Classroom Technology and Event Technician Academic Tech Services $10.00 Requisition Number: H00656P

Tutors for Davis Campus-Computer Science Director Academic Supp Services $10.00 Requisition Number: H00372P

LMS Administrator CE Online Support $E31 Requisition Number: S00292P

Tutors for Davis Campus-Chemistry Director Academic Supp Services $10.00 Requisition Number: H00372P

Tutors for Davis Campus-Math Director Academic Supp Services $10.00 Requisition Number: H00366P

THE SIGNPOST TEAM

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

Chief Copy Editor Cole Eckhardt eckhardtco@gmail.com

A&E Editor Alyson Johnson alysonjohnson@mail.weber.edu

Adviser Jean Norman jeannorman@weber.edu

Managing Editor Daryn Steed darynsteed@weber.edu

News Editor Nic Muranaka nicholasmuranaka@mail.weber.edu

S&T Editor Tori Waltz waltzvictoria@gmail.com

Ad Manager KC Sanders kcsanders@weber.edu

Graphics Editor Samantha Van Orman samanthalvanorman@gmail.com

Asst. News Editor-Diversity Danya Gil danyagil@weber.edu

Webmaster Nate Beach nathanbeach@mail.weber.edu

Photo Editor Sara Parker saraparker2@mail.weber.edu

Sports Editor Brandon May brandonmay1@mail.weber.edu

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

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.

Earn your BSN in less time Attending most classes online, you can earn your BSN in as little as 36 months at Eagle Gate College in Layton — even sooner with qualifying transfer credits. Get the knowledge and skills needed to excel as a sought-after Bachelors-prepared Nurse.

• 80% of classes are online • Transfer up to 38 credits

• CCNE* accredited program • Financing available for those who qualify

* The Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at Eagle Gate College is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20001, (202) 887-6791. More at www.ccneaccreditation.org.

Classes start soon at our Layton Campus.

Visit EagleGateCollege.edu or call 801-546-7500