WSU TACKLES TBIRDS IN HOMECOMING TRIUMPH - The Signpost - Monday | October 14, 2019 | Volume 90 | Is

Monday | October 14, 2019 | Volume 90 | Issue 21

>> Page 8 NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost

CULTURE » PAGE 10

NEWS » PAGE 14

WEDNESDAY CLIMBING

PHOTO ESSAY NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost

ROBERT LEWIS| The Signpost

2 | October 14, 2019 | MyWeberMedia.com

DO YOU KNOW YOUR NEWS?

By JENNIFER GREENLEE Section Editor

1. Federal Prosecutors charged Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman as a result of the impeachment inquiry on Oct. 9. What did the indictment accuse them of? a. Disguising campaign donations to funnel money into U.S. elections on behalf of Ukraine

a. Arson

a. Shepard Smith

b. Burglary

b. Maria Bartiromo

c. Criminal threat

c. Tucker Carlson

d. Blackmail

d. Steve Doocy

3. Who won the Nobel Peace Prize on Oct. 11? a. Greta Thunburg b. Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed

c. Using campaign funds for illicit substances

c. Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern

d. Embezzling campaign funds for their private law practice

d. Brazilian indigenous chief, Raoni Metuktire

2. A 13-year-old Kansas girl was officially charged with what felony on Oct. 9?

4. Which Fox News anchor announced it would be his or her last broadcast on Oct. 11?

a. Utah Valley University b. Utah State University c. University of Utah d. Brigham Young University

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b. Omitting campaign finance donations from public record

5. Which Utah university will host a 2020 vice presidential debate?

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and German Chancellor Angela Merkel greet at the Chancellery during the “Compact with Africa� conference on October 30, 2018 in Berlin, Germany.

ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS ON PAGE 17

HEAD-TO-HEAD FOR THE CROWN

MyWeberMedia.com | October 14, 2019 | 3

By CAITLYN LARSEN Reporter

Nine students from Weber State University are among the 12 total candidates in the Miss Weber County Scholarship Pageant this year.

These nine women are Hailey Slone, Shyanne Smith, Kaycee Dall, Hailey Thompson, May Chen, Kaylyn Payne, Megan Lippold, Rylie Herrera and Stacey Morrell. On Oct. 19 they will compete for the title and scholarship of Miss Weber County as they showcase their talents, demonstrate good interview skills and present their platforms for providing possible solutions to current issues.

Patrick Poce, Director of the Miss Weber County Scholarship Pageant for Miss Utah and Miss America, said that the crowned Miss Weber County 2020 will then spend the next year with her two attendants being an advocate for Weber County and attending its events, raising awareness and funding for the Children’s Miracle Network and advocating her social impact platform.

There are three tiers to the Miss America Organization competitions (city/county, state and national), so at the end of her reign, Miss Weber County will then compete for the title of Miss Utah 2021, the winner of which will then be able to continue her social impact platform and will be eligible for the Miss America 2022 pageant.

“Miss Weber County is meant to represent the values of her community and the positive qualities that all young women can represent,” contestant, Stacey Morrell, said.

The Miss America Organization, not to be confused with the Miss USA competition run by the Miss Universe Organization, strives to help young women find

success through social impact, scholarship and personal confidence. The four points of the Miss America crown represent the four most important values for the organization: Scholarship, Success, Personal Style and Service.

“Miss America is more known for being focused on personal values, personal quality, rather than just the veneer of beauty that fades. They do care about the poise, the eloquence, the mind of the person…

It’s more about what you’re made of than what it looks like you’re made of,” Morrell said.

Morrell also said the competition now more fully supports diversity and positive images. In 2018, the Miss America Organization placed a focus on letting the voices of the girls be heard and decided to stop judging them on outward appearances, including getting rid of the swimsuit portion of all of its competitions.

“My favorite part of the organization is watching these candidates, these young women, change and watch how they become more empowered to be more active and vocal about standing in the community. How they come out of their shell and have to do something that is, you know, This year’s Miss Weber County cannot just an ordinary, daily routine type didates go head-to-head for the thing. I like to see their growth,” Poce said. crown.

Poce said that many people don’t understand what these pageants are really all about – substance over style - and that what the organization would like to see is people, especially residents of Weber County, coming to see it for themselves and provide support.

“Come to the pageant. It’s inexpensive, and it supports Weber County and supports the girls in their endeavors,” Poce said.

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF WEBER COUNTY

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4 | October 14, 2019 | MyWeberMedia.com

The backpacks come in a variety of colors

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BUY A BACKPACK, FEED 25 PEOPLE

By ADAM RUBIN Reporter

Since the first day of the company launch in Sept. 2017, Adventurist Backpack Co. has been giving away meals. For each one of their backpacks sold, 25 people don’t go hungry.

"We didn't want to start a company that didn't have a larger mission,” Kelly Belknap, co-founder of Adventurists Backpacks said.

By selling backpacks, Belknap and his wife Matilda—both self-proclaimed adventurers—share the same dream of their company being able to provide a quarter million meals to food insecure people across the United States by Sept. 2020.

The couple are the founders of the Adventurist Backpack Company. They are a two person business and have been providing meals nonstop, networking, designing backpacks and learning as they go on how to run their business. Currently they have given out over 90,000 meals— and they are feeding more and more people each day with each sale.

Kelly Belknap said, “The backpack industry has historically high markups, and we thought there was no real need for the two ingredients of a backpack (fabric and zippers) to cost more than $100. From the beginning, we knew that we wanted to give back in some way.”

The reason behind Adventurists Backpack’s 25 meals program is to help the food-insecure. The Business started three years ago on the couple’s travels abroad, during the spring and summer of 2017.

Kelly and Matilda were witnessing the lack of food available and helping hungry people, giving food to anyone desperate and struggling. While packing each morning, they could only fit 25 meals in each of their large camping backpacks, meals

which they were giving out to anyone in need that they crossed paths with during their daily excursions.

As Kelly said, “We witnessed and met with families that were struggling with hunger, which shed a light on a situation we realized we had heard a thousand times but had never actually witnessed up close. Anyone (including whole families) can end up in this kind of situation due to purely unlucky circumstances.”

After their travels in 2017, they were inspired to create top-notch, affordable and practical backpacks with the intertwined goal that they run a company that takes advantage of its position and resources to feed people in need.

When asked how one backpack turns into 25 meals, Kelly said, “We partner with the leading national hunger non-profit Feeding America in order to provide meals to over 200 food banks across the U.S. It's awesome for us to have such a reputable and established partner so that we're able to provide nutrition to those in need in the most efficient and successful way possible.” Running Adventurist Backpacks takes up most of the Belknaps' time, and their partnership with Feeding America and 13 universities makes it possible for them to focus on the business aspects of their new company, including their goal of feeding a quarter million people by Sept. 2020.

“No one in our country should be going hungry in 2019, just as a backpack made of high-quality fabric and zippers shouldn't be marked up to cost over $100, and that's why we started Adventurist,” Kelly said. Adventurist Backpacks are now available at the WSU Bookstore.

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These backpacks are durable and built for adventure

MyWeberMedia.com | October 14, 2019 | 5

A LIFE OF

AUTHENTICITY

MONIKA CLARKE | The Signpost

By SHARON VALVERDE VARGAS Reporter

For some, living an authentic life can be challenging because of societal, familial or religious pressures. Weber State University student Savannah Deichmann wanted to live her truth because she felt it was the only way they would be able to live peacefully.

Deichmann described her coming out experience as an “adventure." She became curious about her identity during her sophomore year in high school when a softball teammate explained bisexuality.

Deichmann wanted to be certain of her truth before opening up to her parents.

Deichmann’s parents had been involved with the community and understood that people are LGBT, but Deichmann wasn’t sure how they would feel if they knew their daughter was bisexual.

Deichmann reached her limit when she broke down before moving to Colorado.

She wrote a letter, expressing her feelings to her parents.

“I feel like I’m this identity. I know you probably don’t understand it, but this is where I’m at," Deichmann wrote. "This is how I want to tell you because I’m too

afraid to talk about it out loud."

While her parents didn’t fully understand, they accepted her. Upon her Colorado arrival, Deichmann openly identified as a bisexual woman.

Deichmann said she felt accepted more by her father than her mother. Her mother had difficulty accepting Deichmann’s identity, saying she was lying and doing it to make friends — sentiments that later became a theme within the mother-daughter relationship.

While Deichmann wished her mother’s mindset was different, it wasn’t.

“She immediately expected the worst.

She expected this promiscuous person,” Deichmann said. “Which was weird, because I never gave her a reason.”

Deichmann said it is pertinent that individuals find comfort within themselves.

She is currently engaged and a health promotions major, hoping to teach sex education.

“It took about a year for my mother to understand my relationship,” Deichmann said.

Moving to Colorado helped Deichmann navigate her identity, ultimately realizing she wanted to become an advocate.

“If I had never discovered this identity, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” Deichmann said.

Keegan Parkinson, a member of the WSU Diversity and Unity team who was raised within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, struggled with their identity. Parkinson said being raised within the church caused fear in their heart to open up to their parents.

“The culture of the LDS is kind of judgy.

If anything is not normal — like fitting gender roles — they segregate you from the rest of the congregation, leaving that part of you aside,” Parkinson said.

Parkinson changed wards when they were 16 and simultaneously came out as gay. After Parkinson's sister came out as bisexual, they felt more comfortable coming out to their parents. Parkinson feared that their parents wouldn’t allow them in the house.

“The unknowing was terrifying. Then I just said it: I’m gay,” Parkinson said.

When Parkinson came out, their father told them, “I will love you no matter what.”

Parkinson’s father just asked for time to understand where they’re coming from.

Parkinson’s said their parents have a

better understanding of the LGBT community. A member of the church confided in Parkinson's mother and disclosed that her son is gay. The member didn't know whether she would continue to let her son live in her house.

“My mom’s reply was, 'Why?' The woman then replied, 'Because that is a sin, and I can’t have sin in my house,'" Parkinson recounted.

Parkinson’s mother reminded the woman that her son is still her child. Parkinson feels their mom has become an LGBT advocate.

Parkinson has learned how diverse the LGBT community is and how accepting they are of others.

“I have this love for everyone no matter what, even if they hate who I am, just because they are human and that’s totally fine,” Parkinson said.

Parkinson and Deichmann feel the LGBT community has created a safe environment that allows people to live authentically and truthfully.

“This is who I am, and I don’t care what you have to say,” Deichmann said.

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6 | October 14, 2019 | MyWeberMedia.com

BESTSELLING BOOK AND

BATTLE WITH

MENTAL ILLNESS

By MILES SHAW Reporter

A small group gathered at the Weber County Library on 25th St. on Oct. 10 to hear acclaimed best-selling author Robison Wells discuss the new book he cowrote with James Patterson, The Warning, and his career experiences as a writer.

“I got into writing kind of backwards. I wasn’t really interested in reading growing up but fell in love with it in college," Wells said.

He said his brother, Dan Wells, also a best-selling author, was very interested in reading and wanted to be a writer by the time he was in the second grade.

“I didn’t want to be in my brother’s shadow, so I did things that he didn’t. He was

good at writing, so I was good at math. I played sports, and he didn’t,” Wells said.

The first book that sparked Wells' interest in reading and creating his own stories was Huckleberry Finn. He shared that he read this book several times while he visited his mother in the hospital.

“I realized maybe my English teachers were onto something when they told me to read these books, and so I made a list of all the books I should’ve read in high school,” Wells said.

With this interest in reading, he came up with a story idea and took the idea to his brother. His brother said he was working on something else and that he should write the book himself.

Wells started writing and went to his brother’s writing group, which included about four other people. In this group was

Brandon Sanderson, who would go on to be a best-selling author.

After being published in the local market in Utah, he went on to get his Masters of Business Administration from BYU. He was having a hard time finding work, and his brother said that if he wrote a science-fiction/fantasy novel, he would pay for him to go to the World Fantasy Convention.

The problem was that the convention was only two months away. He wrote the book in 11 days, and two weeks after attending the convention, he got an agent.

The book he was working on would go on to be his book "Variant." This book would earn him a five-book deal with Harper Collins Publishing.

Wells' writing career was not the only part of his life that he discussed, but also his battle with mental illness. After being diagnosed with depression and OCD, just a few years ago he was diagnosed again, but with schizophrenia.

Wells discussed how the disease has affected his life and writing and how he is doing much better now because of a new medication that he is taking.

“I’m glad he was here to share, and I’ve read many of his books, and we have many of them here in our collection," One of the

librarians, Josh Clemens, said.

Chairwoman of Weber Book Links Kathy Gambles, who helps with these events, said, “I really liked his presentation and that he talked about a dimension of writing that I haven’t considered before.”

The book festival will continue on Oct. 15 at the Pleasant Valley Branch of the Weber County Library as fantasy writer J.M. Sullivan presents at 7 p.m.

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Flickr

BACHELOR of SCIENCE

Awarded CoARC “Distinguished” RRT (Registered Respiratory Therapist) Credentialing Success. weber.edu/resptherapy

MyWeberMedia.com | October 14, 2019 | 7

Reporter

Kennedy Williams gave her squad the lead with an emphatic kill.

Each passing second made the atmosphere in the gym grow more and more intense as side conversations came to a halt, and the gym grew loud with cheers and yelling. The Wildcats seemed to feed off of the energy from everyone in the gym as the momentum guided them to clinch the second set.

The third set saw an energized and excited 'Cats squad finish off a visibly frustrated and defeated PSU team. WSU played their best volleyball of the night, finishing the set with only two errors.

The same could not be said for the Vikings as many of their serves hit the net.

The Vikes' finished the set with nine errors. On the defensive end, the effort was low and Weber State ended their night with a sweep.

Portland State will drop to 7-9, but they are still 3-2 in conference play. Meanwhile, the Wildcats are 11-5 overall and 2-3 in conference.

ROBERT LEWIS | The Signpost

The Weber State University volleyball team sent the Portland State Vikings back to the Beaver State with a disappointing loss after WSU swept them 3-0.

The Wildcats came into the game 10-5 after a loss to Northern Colorado on their home floor. They looked to regain their stride against the 7-8 Vikings, who had won their last three games.

The first set was smooth sailing for Weber as they won 25-12. It was a combination of Weber playing well and Portland not being on their game, as only two Vikings had a positive attack percentage.

PSU as a team finished the set with a -.088 attack percentage, while Weber had a very respectable .303.

WSU senior middle blocker Aubrey Adams finished the set with two blocks, and she would continue to showcase outstanding defense throughout the rest of the game.

Adams finished with a total of nine blocks. To put that in perspective, Portland as a team only had one. “We’ve been focusing a lot on just getting our hands over the net, and the coaches have been really good working with us.”

The 'Cats would need her defensive efforts as PSU started the second set with an entirely new intensity that seemed to come out of nowhere. WSU seemed caught off guard and took a timeout to regroup.

Whatever head coach Jeremiah Larsen said to his team worked, because they came back out with a renewed passion and vigor.

“We were forgetting what we were doing so well in game one...I tried to remind them, 'Hey, we have got to stay true to our task, try not to do too much and be true to who we are,'” Coach Larsen said.

As the set was tied at 16, Weber and Portland were locked into a long, intense volley that featured several close calls until eventually WSU’s junior outside hitter

Wildcat Aubrey Adams goes airborne against the Vikings

The next game for the Wildcats will be at home against the Sacramento State Hornets, who hold a 8-10 record and were the winners of their last two games. The Hornets will be looking to give WSU a home loss, which won't come easy as they are 4-2 in the Swenson complex.

After facing the Hornets, the 'Cats will head up to Montana State to face the Bobcats, who finished with a 11-19 record last season but are currently staying afloat at 7-6.

Beating these middle of the pack teams should help the ‘Cats gain confidence heading into the final stretch of the season.

Faithful Weber fans will be looking on as the Wildcats seem poised to make a run for the Big Sky Championship and claim their place at the top of the conference.

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By CHRISTIAN JOHNSON

Wildcats and Vikings keep an eye on the ball

8 | October 14, 2019 | MyWeberMedia.com

Assistant Section Editor

nine yards and crossed the goal line to make it 7-0. This score capped off a 14 play, 92-yard drive.

The Wildcats shut down the T-Bird offense on the next drive. Their offense came back out and was looking to add more points after Jenks lofted a pretty pass to sophomore wide receiver Ty MacPherson, who was brought down inside the red zone. However, a missed field goal ended the WSU drive and kept the score at 7-0.

As the half began to wind down, Southern Utah went on an 80-yard drive that lasted just over two minutes. SU finished the drive with a 23-yard passing TD to knot the score at 7-7.

SUU then forced a WSU punt and found themselves on another drive when the Wildcats' sophomore safety Brody Burke decided to put a halt to things and came away with an interception.

Weber State’s defense put on a show with their greedy play as they forced four

turnovers. They came away with four interceptions and forced two fumbles that they failed to recover.

The 7-7 score carried into halftime and the 4th ranked Cats’ were on upset alert, outgaining their rivals by 173-148 in total yards during the opening half.

The second half began with SUU looking to take the lead. They poised themselves to do so after driving down the field and getting into the red zone, but the goalpost denied them points after a T-Bird field goal pinged off the yellow steel, leaving the score the same.

The next time the SUU offense was on the field, junior linebacker BJ Taufalele snagged an interception and returned it past the 50-yard line, putting WSU back in business.

Tough running from junior running back Kevin Smith helped put the Wildcats in scoring position, which set up a 6-yard touchdown pass from Jenks to junior wide

NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost

The Southern Utah Thunderbirds came to Stewart Stadium as the Weber State Wildcats' homecoming date, but the Thunderbirds couldn't "get lucky" as the ‘Cats sent them home with a 29-14 loss.

The battle between WSU and SUU showcased two teams who could not be any more different. The Wildcats came into the game ranked fourth in the STATS FCS top 25 polls and the Thunderbirds came into the game with a record of 1-5 and having only won 2 of their last 17 games.

That deficit didn't mean WSU went into the game relaxed, though.

“We know we’re gonna get their best shot," Head Coach Jay Hill said. "They looked much better today and they’ll win a couple of games going down the stretch.”

Despite all the differences between these two teams, there are two things that

they have in common: the state they play in and the hatred they have for each other.

After a week of anticipation, the homecoming game kicked off. The Wildcat offense was led by sophomore quarterback Kaden Jenks because the coaching staff decided to keep junior QB Jake Constantine out of the game as he continues to recover from an injury.

“It’s just overall health," Hill said. "No one knows it, but last week Kaden was hurt and Jake started. This week, Kaden was 100 percent healthy, and Jake should be back to 100 percent next week.”

The game was clearly going to be physical from the start. Neither team could come up with points in the opening quarter, but as the first quarter came to an end, the Wildcats were knocking on the door.

In the opening minute of the second quarter, the Wildcats scored their first points of the game after junior wide receiver Rashid Shaheed carried the ball

NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost

By RAYMOND LUCAS

Weber defending the ball and protecting their players.

Ty Whitworth, number 75, and Josh Davis, number 20, executing one of their plays.

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MyWeberMedia.com | October 14, 2019 | 9 NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost

pick.

“He might be one of the strongest dudes on our defense," Rodriguez said on Heckard. "He wants you to come and take it away from him.”

The Wildcats added their final points of the night after a 42-yard field goal from kicker Trey Tuttle to make it 29-14 late in the fourth.

It was a slow start for the Wildcats, but they found momentum and never looked back as they came out of the locker room looking like the fourth-ranked team in the country.

Following a night where he had 16 carries for 108 yards, Kevin Smith described the locker room during halftime: “It was pretty much demeanor. Nothing was said, we just looked around and knew what we had to do.”

The Thunderbirds came into Ogden looking for an upset win and left with their third straight loss to their rivals and an earful from WSU’s student section, which seems to grow with every home game.

Northern Arizona will be the next team to get a crack at the ‘Cats. The Lumberjacks will come into Stewart Stadium on October 19 at 2 p.m.

Weber State's Marque Collins, number 2, faces off with T-Bird.

Clay Moss, number 34, takes charge against the offense.

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reciever David Ames to give WSU a 14-7 advantage.

It’s not often when Shaheed gets an opportunity to field a punt or kickoff, and he showed why after fielding a punt and leaving smoke behind him as he flew past every Thunderbird for a touchdown. Unfortunately, there was a block in the back on the play, and the score was taken off the board.

After a WSU drive that brought them near the goal line, senior defensive end Adam Rodriguez received a direct snap and scored a three-yard touchdown. WSU missed the extra point but the lead became 20-7.

Next to join the interception party was Marque Collins. The sophomore cornerback completed the catch while being hit to give WSU their third takeaway. The offense took advantage of their gift from the defense, drove down the field and scored on a one-yard run by freshman running back Kris Jackson.

The fourth and final takeaway of the night was from sophomore cornerback Eddie Heckard, who had some words for SUU on Twitter during the week. His interception came after bullying an SUU wide receiver by ripping the ball from his hands.

Heckard had 9 tackles to go along with his

MyWeberMedia.com | October 14, 2019 | 11

10 | October 14, 2019 | MyWeberMedia.com

By NIKKI DORBER Photographer

My name is Nikki. I am a Junior, a non-traditional student here at Weber State University and I am sharing some of my favorite photographs with you. All of them, as you will see, are based around reflection. I felt that this might be a good way to not only share my passion for the beauty in our world, but to share a little bit of my story with others and remind each of you that you are not alone in your struggles or even in your happiness.

It may be difficult to understand this, but I tend to correlate mental health with a photograph of a reflection: reflection on the water, in the mirror, or even the reflection of a loving mother in the eyes of a child. I am hoping to help connect the dots between how I relate these two subjects, and I am hoping that this will help give you a

NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost

NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost

new perspective on what it means when you see a reflection.

I began my amazing journey of being a mother when I was 22 years old. After having my first son, I decided to have two more children, all within three years of each other; they were often referred to as Irish Triplets.

It was a beautiful but chaotic time in my life and often I felt that I was not going to be able to complete my tasks for that day. I had three babies, all in diapers, all in car seats, and all were obviously very dependent upon me. In the first few photos, you will see the eyes of this beautiful little girl, and whether it is literal or metaphorical, you can see the reflection of her mother or father in her eyes. It is in this type of photograph that I am reminded that our children reflect what we give as an example.

Before my children reached their teenage years, we were given the grim task of having to

NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost

bury their father, who passed due to mental illness issues. There is, of course, a lot more to this story, but the basis of it is the fact that mental illness forced him to make decisions that he would not have made had he been healthy, mentally.

The days, months and years following his death were extremely difficult; we were left to pick up the pieces left behind. As I reflect on these times, I am reminded through the images of calm waters and reflection that being mindful of my own mental health is essential. It also offers a glimpse into the peaceful times to come.

Finally, the reflections of things such as home, the sky, trees, and nature offer the viewer the opportunity to see the beauty in our world. Let it serve as a reminder that being mindful is as important as being aware of a broken bone. I wish you luck in all that you do.

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NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost

NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost

THE GRAY WORLD OF SEX WORK

12 | October 14, 2019 | MyWeberMedia.com

By FRANCISCO RUIZ Reporter

prevent trafficking.

“They are real people. They have lives.

Yet, we sweep them under the rug because of their profession,” Walker said. “We need to stop equating sex work with trafficking.

The reasons people go into sex work are complicated.”

According to Walker, the illegal status of prostitution in many jurisdictions means providers have no legal recourse in the event of abuse from pimps, clients or law enforcement. Additionally, the criminal records of sex workers may prevent them from obtaining legal employment.

Walker said that the law has not helped to reduce trafficking. They cited reports from the World Health Organization and Amnesty International in support for the legalization of sex work.

Walker’s presentation was not without some inconsistencies. They initially claimed sex workers faced felony charges.

Upon further investigation — prompted by a question from the audience — Walker discovered that most states classify prostitution as a misdemeanor.

Walker likened the high workload and

low wages of a fast food worker to the exploitation a sex worker may encounter from a pimp or belligerent client.

During the event, Walker voiced their opinion on Utah’s predominant religious culture and the efforts of conservative groups — such as Operation Underground Railroad and the National Center on Sexual Exploitation — as counterproductive to a healthy dialogue about sexuality and sex work.

“I found some of the information to be a little ‘iffy,’” one attendee, who asked to remain anonymous, said.

Going forward, one certainty remains.

The internet and mobile apps will continue to facilitate both voluntary sex work and sexual exploitation.

Whether and how governments and legislatures intend to address the issue remains undetermined.

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ISRAEL CAMPA | The Signpost

Kay Walker, the Stop the Hate chair of the WSUSA Diversity and Unity Board, wants Weber students to understand the complexities of sex work.

While conservative groups and sensibilities may advocate for legal restrictions against sex work, Walker advocates for legalization as the way to combat trafficking.

Walker believes legalization will help to provide legal protection for sex workers.

According to a recent report by “The Independent” newspaper, an increasing number of college students are turning to sex work. Rising rents, tuition and living costs are driving young people to sex work as a way to make ends meet.

Sex work includes an increasing number of “sugar baby/sugar daddy” relationships between younger women and older men.

Due to the illegal nature of sex work within the majority of jurisdictions, researchers encounter difficulty with obtaining exact numbers in regards to sex work.

The internet, however, provided insights

into the profession as researchers have been able to study online postings and dating app usage.

Service providers would post classified ads to sites such as Craigslist and Backpage. This was preferable to “working the street,” as online postings allowed providers to screen clients.

The websites were not without their flaws. Sex traffickers also used the websites to find clients and new victims. People of color and transgender individuals are especially vulnerable to the potential perils of sex work.

In the effort to reduce sex trafficking, the U.S. Senate and House passed the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act and the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act in April 2018.

The new law criminalized assisting, facilitating or supporting sex trafficking and made websites like Craigslist and Backpage liable for ad content. As a result, Craigslist discontinued their “Personals” section and the FBI seized Backpage.

Walker believes the passed acts did more to hurt voluntary sex workers than to

The attendees listen attently to Kay’s research on sex work.

Even when society won’t do anything, bringing awareness to the problems of acceptance to sex work can help.

MyWeberMedia.com | October 14, 2019 | 13

The Institute of Religion at Weber State University Presents:

President Alan Russell Ogden YSA 2nd Stake President

Religion in Life Devotional Wednesday, October 16th 12:30 — 1:15pm

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ROBERT LEWIS | The Signpost

14 | October 14, 2019 | MyWeberMedia.com

Participants at Wednesday Night Climbing event hosted by WSU’s Outdoor Program.

By ROBERT LEWIS Reporter

Over a dozen people showed up for rock climbing at 9th Street Climbing, the local crag, on Sept. 25 as part of a weekly event hosted by Weber State University’s Outdoor Recreation Program.

The event began at 5:30 p.m. and ended at sunset. Ropes were set up on the crag in three different places. The difficulty level of the climbs were from 5.6 to 5.10 grade.

There were other areas at the crag with a more difficult grade, but they were not used for the event.

According to trip aid Spencer Torman, all participants had to do was show up, sign a waiver, go through a tying and belay clinic and then get on the rock right away. All gear to make the climb, including anchors, ropes, harnesses, helmets, carabiners and belay devices, was provided by WSU. “You don’t need a lot of experience,” trip leader Thomas Bugnet said. “We’ll teach you everything you need to know.”

He said they usually have between 10 to 20 people on average showing up for Wednesday night climbs.

When climbing the rock formation, participants choose their route. They don’t have to go straight up to the top. Sometimes they travel horizontally before they can advance. The goal is to get to the top without falling.

“It’s a great view of the valley from on top of the rock,” trip aid Aidan Hueton said.

“It looks higher than it is from up here.”

Hueton mentioned she has been climbing for about four years. She pointed out the area on the crag where the ropes were set up. They were located in a specific area so that any climber with any skill level can climb the rock.

The setup used by the students has a climber belayed from the ground or the base of the route. The belay system resembles a pulley in which an anchor has been set at the top of the climb. The rope runs through it from the belayer on the ground to the climber. As the climber moves upward, line slack is taken in so that in the event of a fall, the climber falls the shortest distance possible.

“I have been climbing about a year,” Erin Golden said. “I do mostly beginner climbs.” She said she had a lot of fun this summer when she went on the All Women Rock Climbing trip. Golden said she wanted to keep climbing with other people that want to climb, so she attends climbing on Wednesday evenings.

Everyone interested in trying rock climbing, making new friends and watching the sun set is welcome to attend Wednesday Night Climbing. The free event will be held at the 9th Street crag every Wednesday evening this fall. For more details, visit https://www.weber.edu/campusrecreation.

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WILDCATS STUNG

BY SACRAMENTO STATE IN FIVE GAMES

MyWeberMedia.com | October 14, 2019 | 17

By IAN SYME Reporter

The Weber State women’s volleyball dropped a hard-fought five-set thriller to Sacramento State on Saturday afternoon.

The Hornets and the Wildcats alternated wins, leading to 1-1 and 2-2 ties before the deciding fifth set. The final scoreline read 21-25, 25-17, 19-25, 25-15, 11-15.

Senior outside hitter Megan Gneiting saw a big improvement in the team’s effort this week.

“Even though we didn’t get the outcome we wanted, I’m really proud of the way we fought,” Gneiting said.

The teams traded points early in the first game before the Hornets put together a six-point streak to lead 12-6.

The Wildcats attempted to make a comeback, shrinking the deficit down to two points before losing game one 25-21.

The Wildcats got down early in the second game, trailing the Hornets 6-1. Weber

clawed their way back to tie the game at 13.

After a Hornet timeout, the Wildcats took their first lead of the match at 14-13 and increased their score to 20-13 thanks to an 11-point streak on serves from junior outside hitter Rylin Roberts. The Wildcats took the second game 25-17.

In game three, the Wildcats jumped out to an early 5-2 lead, but the Hornets went on a small run, taking a 6-5 lead.

After three more lead changes and eight ties in the game, the Hornets broke out to a 19-14 lead before a Weber State timeout.

The Wildcats were able to shrink the lead down to two at 21-19 before the Hornets closed out game three on a four-point streak to win 25-19.

Game four began with the Hornets taking an early 6-2 lead. The Wildcats roared back to regain the lead 12-9. The Wildcats led for the rest of the game as they went on to win 25-15 to force a deciding fifth game.

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The Hornets jumped out to an early 5-2 lead, although the Wildcats were able to reduce their deficit down to one at 6-5. The teams continued to trade points before the Wildcats took a timeout with the Hornets leading 10-7. The Wildcats fought hard but could not pull out the win, losing the fifth game 15-11.

Head coach Jeremiah Larsen had a reason for his team’s highs and lows throughout the match.

“It’s a simple equation. We served better and we passed tougher in the games we won,” Larsen said. “It’s us just taking care of our jobs.”

Redshirt freshman Dani Nay led the Wildcats with 16 kills, while Gneiting contributed 14 kills and 13 digs.

The Wildcats’ next home game takes place October 24 at the Swenson Gym against Idaho.

Weber State’s #19 Ashlyn Power

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18 | October 14, 2019 | MyWeberMedia.com

DO YOU KNOW YOUR NEWS?

2. c. An unnamed Kansas girl was arrested for criminal threat in Johnson County District Court according to NBC. The girl was arrested following an incident on Sept. 18 in which she pointed a finger gun at four students and then herself. She did this in regards to a question about which five people she would kill if she could.

3. b. The Nobel Peace Prize

was awarded to Abiy Ahmed, according to The New York Times.

He was awarded the Peace Prize for restarting peace talks with Eritrea and restoring freedoms in Ethiopia, his country.

4. a. Shepard Smith abruptly resigned, according to The New York Times. Smith was the chief news anchor and stated that he “won’t be reporting elsewhere, at least in their near future.”

5. c. According to KSL, the University of Utah will be holding a vice presidential debate in 2020.

Utah is the only Western state selected for one of the presidential or vice presidential debates.

MCT Direct

1. a. Parnas and Fruman were arrested at Dulles International Airport with one-way tickets to Frankfurt, according to The New York Times. They were arrested before boarding the plane. These are the first criminal charges being handed down as a result of the impeachment inquiry. The indictment did not accuse Trump of any crimes or misconduct.

QUIZ ANSWERS FROM PAGE 2

Shepard Smith stands in the Fox Newsroom on April 21, 2009. Fox Comment on this story at News has remade itself just a little, and now it’s riding high again in signpost.mywebermedia.com ratings.

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Ad Manager KC Sanders kcsanders@weber.edu The Signpost is a student publication, written, edited and drafted by Weber State University students. Student fees fund the printing of this publication. Opinions or positions voiced are not necessarily endorsed by the university. The Signpost reserves the right to edit for reasons of space and libel and to refuse to print any letters. Letters should be submitted online to thesignpost@weber.edu and read letter to the Editor in the subject box. Letters should not exceed 350 words.

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