The Argonaut | Sept. 25, 2025 by The Argonaut

Migrant program gets cut

Anna Capello and Emily Morales ARGONAUT Students and staff distraught after closure

The university’s College Assistant Migrant Program (CAMP) was

shut down after federal government cuts to funding on Sept. 15.

The U.S. Department of Education Office of Migrant Education officially notified CAMP that its five-year grant would not be renewed.

The grant expired on June 30, with a grace period lasting up until Aug. 2. Typically, CAMP is notified in March whether its funding will

be renewed for the next year. CAMP staff and participants said they were devastated to hear the news of the program being defunded.

Evelina Arevalos, the director of CAMP at UI, said, “It’s hard to see the chapter close because it’s more than just a program; it’s a family.”

Over the decades, CAMP has provided

an environment for its students to have support, family and a place to feel like they belonged.

Louie Cortez, a junior at UI and former CAMP student, said, “The program gave me a place to call home… now I worry that future students won’t have the same support, encouragement or community.”

Students who were in

the program prior to the shutdown have expressed a need for a formal group or organization to keep the support going.

Students are planning to restart the CAMP Organization of Students that ran from 2000-2014, according to UI-CAMP’s Instagram page. This would allow them to keep the sense of community between fellow students who come from

migrant farmworking backgrounds.

CAMP was nationally established in 1972 and established on the UI campus in fall of 1999 to help first-year college students from migrant farmworking backgrounds pursue a higher education. Programs like CAMP often provide a sense of security for students...

Ballard Wing residents to move to Stevenson Wing

Displacement will begin for students in December or January

Austin Kieckhefer ARGONAUT

University of Idaho

students living in Ballard Wing, a section of the Wallace Residence Center, will be moved to Stevenson Wing either at the end of this fall semester or the start of the spring semester, depending on the state of Stevenson’s construction.

Current Ballard residents will be moved to Stevenson for the remainder of the academic year so that construction and renovations can begin in Ballard, according to the UI website.

Students living in Ballard expressed concerns over the lack of communication about how the transfer to Stevenson will occur.

“I was informed about a week ago by my roommate. There has been no official confirmation,” said Emmeline Fields, a second-year general education major. “From what I’ve heard, there

is going to be a price increase, too.”

“I understand and agree with why the university needs to renovate the building.

I believe Ballard needs renovation; I just wish I was informed sooner.” said Tadman Nettles, a second floor resident of Ballard. Students were not informed prior to or during move-in week of future renovation plans.

John Kosh, the director of business development marketing and communications at UI, was asked for more information about the Stevenson construction.

“Our first priority is to communicate directly to impacted residents, so they have clear guidance before we release anything externally,” said Kosh in an email.

Kosh said to expect a clearer timeline in the “coming weeks.” Stevenson’s construction remains on schedule.

UI has consistently held a policy that requires all registered freshman to live on campus. The construction project is set to increase the number of beds in all housing areas to help accommodate the growing enrollment numbers, while still adhering to the oncampus living policy. Before construction,

Theophilus Tower, Wallace Residence Center and the LLCs held roughly 2,074 beds combined. By fall 2027, UI estimates around 2,110 beds in total.

During Stevenson’s renovation and shutdown, the North Campus Communities were used to house displaced students.

“The on-campus living requirement is essential to the success of our students and their connection to the UI community,” said Erik Elordi, the executive director of campus services, in a previous story by The Argonaut.

This construction is part of the university’s $162 million construction project renovating Theophilus Tower, Wallace Residence Center and the Elmwood Apartments, as well as tearing down and building new South Hill Apartments. Ballard’s construction will start once Stevenson’s construction is completed. Theophilus Tower recently finished its top floor’s renovations, with the remaining floors that require work to be completed during the summers of 2026 and 2027.

UI began construction and

remodeling quickly after the project was approved by the Idaho State Board of Education in November 2024 with the old South Hill Apartments’ demolition. The construction project is scheduled to be completed in August 2026. Stevenson Wing and the Theophilus Tower began construction in May 2025.

The construction to the freshman-priority wing comes at a time when enrollment is at a high, with the university reporting housing at 92% capacity at the beginning of the fall semester.

The four wings of the Wallace Residence Center can house up to 800 students. Ballard, Willey, Gooding and Stevenson Wings are connected by the dining hall. Typically, Ballard, Willey, and Gooding are reserved for first-years, with Stevenson reserved for upperclassmen.

The renovations to Wallace Residence Center will update 1,056 beds, improve lounges, study spaces and community areas and provide sustainable upgrades. Funding for housing upgrades comes from universityissued long-term bonds, according to the project website.

Joshua Reisenfeld ARGONAUT UI will see $5M cut; all state agencies to resubmit plans

Idaho’s Division of Financial Management told state agencies that the Fiscal Year 2026 budget cut of 3% will continue into 2027 on Wednesday, Sept. 17.

University of Idaho President Scott Green informed UI faculty and staff of this at the university faculty meeting held that day.

Five house bills were signed into law in 2025 that reduced state revenue for the 2026 fiscal year by over $450 million.

HB 25 gradually increases the amount of sales tax revenue allocated for the Transportation Expansion Congestion Mitigation program.

HB 40 reduces the state’s flat income tax rate by 0.4%, expands exemptions for some U.S. military pension income and removes capital gains and losses on precious metals for income tax purposes.

HB 93 provides refundable tax credits of

up to $5,000 ($7,500 for special needs students) to pay for some K-12 education expenses (see “Lawsuit” on page 3).

HB 231 provides grocery tax credits to offset state sales tax with $50 million in allocated funds.

HB 304 reduces state property tax by $100 million starting in 2025. Gov. Brad Little issued an executive order on Aug. 15 to cut midyear spending for state agencies by 3% to avert a deficit. The fiscal year began in July. These cuts reduced UI’s 2026 budget by $5 million, which will continue forward. The directive also requires all state agencies to eliminate general fund budget requests for replacement items, new equipment or vehicles which replace aging models, in FY2027. All state agencies and departments must resubmit their FY2027 budgets by Oct. 3 to be in compliance.

“This effort is about ensuring that Idaho government remains lean, efficient and aligned with the values of our taxpayers,” IDFM administrator Lori Wolff wrote in the Sept. 17 budget memo.

John Keegan | University of Idaho

UI defender Amalia Fonua out-jumps BSU defender Siena Zunino to clear the ball in the Sept. 18 soccer game against Boise State, pictured above.

International student enrollment down 50% from previous year

Temporary pause to visa interviews has lasting effects

Scarlet Herway ARGONAUT

University of Idaho President Scott Green reported that international student enrollment was down over 50% this year compared to last during his State of the University Address on Tuesday, Sept. 2.

According to Dana Brolley, the director of international student services at UI, the Trump administration halted all visa interviews on May 27 for 46 weeks.

The 46 weeks will end in mid-April 2026.

In this period, which is still on-going,

no international students are able to attend or sign up for interviews. The international students who were admitted in Fall 2025 had applied before this cut off.

In addition, the U.S. Department of State employees are required to perform a more in-depth review of each international student, according to Brolley. These stricter requirements have forced current international students to reapply for their visas.

UI faculty and staff, including International Programs Office staff, are doing what they can to help international students, Brolley said. IPO helps international students maintain their immigration status and acclimate to the United States.

“I call this like their second family, because they don’t have anyone close

by … just being a student is hard, so we’re here to provide them with that,” said Brolley.

According to the U.S. Department of State, international students from five of Idaho’s universities contributed $75 million to the Idaho economy in 20232024.

“Right now, there’s a state budget deficit and the decline in our international students will hurt everyone, truly,” Brolley said.

This year, UI was impacted by a $2 million cut to Idaho higher education and an additional $5 million cut to its annual budget.

According to Brolley, more information on the number of current international students will be made available in October when the university census is released.

ASUI will buy less tickets for Bangladesh night

Two unaminous votes, introduction of president’s cabinet

Josie Adjanohoun ARGONAUT

The ASUI voted to cut the expenditure for purchasing tickets for Bangladesh Night for senators from $390 to $225 at its meeting Wednesday night.

The cut, in Senate Bill F25-B2, passed unanimously. The original $390 budget that allowed for the purchase of 26 tickets was reduced to $225 for 15 tickets for the Saturday, Sept. 27 event.

This adjustment was proposed by Sen. Izaak Krohn, at Vice President Bryant Sitts’ recommendation, due to a decrease in ASUI’s budget.

“Agan, our budget is much smaller than we’ve ever had before,” Sitts said. “We are wanting to spread the wealth among all clubs and organizations.”

The University of Idaho Fiscal Year 2026 budget was cut by $5 million on Aug. 15 as part of a 3% cut to all state departments and agencies. It was announced on Sept. 17 that this 3% reduction would be applied to Fiscal Year 2027 and onward.

ASUI also passed Resolution F25R2, which further vocalized its stance against political violence and offered condolences for affected families, especially that of the recently assassinated Charlie Kirk. Last week’s ASUI session passed a similar resolution on Nepalese protests.

Residence Hall Association President Owen Allenger announced two new events for students living on-campus. These events include a grab-and-go breakfast on the Theophilus Tower lawn on Thursday, Sept. 30, and the Surf-ish event, which will be held in the Wallace Residence Center Eatery on Saturday, Oct. 1 from 5-7 p.m. Both events are

free for current dorm residents.

Many new members of the ASUI President’s Cabinet introduced themselves at the beginning of the meeting.

Sam Jackson is the director of academic affairs, Sofia Easton is the director of public relations, the director of traditions is Starlena Davis, the director of administrative affairs is Alma Azocar Argurto, Lance Butikofer is the director of finance, Isabelle Higgins is the director of campus involvement, Lexy Blais is the director of athletics and Amrtansh Morya is the director of diversity, health and wellness.

Director of Campus Involvement Higgins is planning a Trick or Treat at the Theophilus Tower event; more information will be released at a later date.

ASUI meets every Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the Clearwater-Whitewater room in the ISUB. Meetings are open to the public.

Faculty address government overreach

H-1B visa fees and Texas legislation spark board discussion

Scarlet Herway ARGONAUT

University of Idaho Faculty Senate Vice Chair Kristin Haltinner informed the Faculty Senate about multiple cases regarding academic freedom and national higher education issues at the weekly meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 23.

On June 20, the state of Texas passed Senate Bill 37, which focuses on higher education faculty senates, aiming to give less power over curriculum to the faculty and more to governing boards.

“I would like you to know about these things because I think that we need to be prepared for some of them coming here this spring,” Haltinner said.

The Argonaut covered the previous Faculty Senate meeting where a dispute between a professor and student over gender identity in children’s literature resulted in the firing of multiple Texas A&M professors and the resignation of the president.

Another higher education issue was the proclamation by President Donald Trump of a $100,000 H-1B visa application fee for submissions after Sunday, Sept. 21. Haltinner explained how this added struggle on visa applications could limit UI’s ability to recruit high level faculty.

“We see the erosion of academic freedom, the politicization of curriculum, the vulnerability of faculty and students, and these are all things that I think we should be thinking about and potentially addressing,” Haltinner said.

Faculty Senate Vice Provost Diane Kelly-Riley gave an update on strategic plan funding requests, informing faculty about an information session on Friday, Sept. 26, with the requests due Wednesday, Oct. 1.

She reminded the attendees that midterm grades are due on Monday, Oct. 20, and that a faculty gathering will take place on Oct. 2, organized by the College of Graduate Studies.

Other business for the Faculty Senate included a request for faculty to fill out a Common Read survey for next year’s book, and a request to use consistent terminology across all grading platforms.

CAMP FROM PAGE #1

and provide services such as tutor

ing, academic skill building and health services.

“These students are hungry for education, and [the] programs are effective, and … we’re, in a way, dismissing potential graduates from institutions of higher education who could be leaders in our community, serving our communities. So, it’s a huge loss to be on the verge of not having these programs,” Contreras said to KTVB.

CAMP helped bridge the financial gap for migrant farmworkers and offered an experience that left an impact on those parts of the program.

Despite CAMP itself no longer being a part of UI, similar programs such as Vandals First, are available to students.

John Keegan | Argonaut

ASUI Vice President Bryant Sitts sits at Wednesday’s Senate meeting

Joe Vandal statue to be placed Nov. 8

the P1FCU Kibbie Dome in the summer of 2023.

The bronze Joe Vandal statue sculpted by Gareth Curtiss will be commemorated and placed on Saturday, Nov. 8 at 2:30 p.m. on the corner of Stadium Road between the ICCU Arena and the P1CFU Kibbie Dome.

The commemoration ceremony will also include speeches from Curtiss to describe his art, University of Idaho President Scott Green and ASUI President Seyi Arogundade, according to Jamie Wagner, the senior director of marketing and communications for UI.

The statue was proposed by ASUI in late 2024. Previously, the stadium was named the ASUI Kibbie Dome, but the name was changed to

As the student government, the name “ASUI” encompassed all students who contributed to the dome’s completion. The decision to rename the dome sparked controversy.

“To some of us, that feels like the great injustice that now, 50 years later, Kibbie’s name stays on the building and ASUI’s name goes off,” said an alumnus from the ‘70s who asked not to be identified, in a previous story by The Argonaut. “Even though the ASUI contribution was slow and steady over the years.”

The original name for the dome was in recognition of two significant sources of funding for its construction. UI students paid an annual $37 fee ($291.66 with 2025 inflation), from 1969 to 1975, with an additional $5 roof fee added around 1972.

Student protests had been organized against the added tuition fees in 1975, which some believed were being secretly allocated to other university resources.

William H. Kibbie was a UI alumnus who donated $300,000 (approximately $2.4 million with 2025 inflation) to the dome’s construction. The Argonaut previously reported on speculation that Kibbie’s donation was not completely fulfilled, only a $50,000 down deposit, but the athletic complex’s page on the UI website acknowledges his donation.

Potlach No.1 Financial Credit Union paid $5 million for the stadium’s naming rights in 2023. When told of the name change bought by P1FCU, many alumni saw it as another letdown in the dome’s history.

The Kibbie Dome was originally planned to have a seating capacity

of 20,000 and a separate area for basketball and other events. The current Kibbie Dome has a seating capacity of 15,250. The Argonaut previously reported on false promises of an ice hockey rink, which had appeased some students at the time.

Due to the project already exceeding its budget by $2.8 million, campus leadership decided that a multipurpose, enclosed stadium would be best. Until the completion of the ICCU Arena in 2021, the Kibbie Dome was reconfigured into a basketball stadium with 7,000 seats.

The sculpture design was created through a survey done by students, alumni, employees and community members. A clay model of the sculpture was finalized during a live sculpt in the ISUB rotunda on Feb. 4-7.

Education groups sue Idaho over private school voucher

Campus Briefs

Additional orange parking permits, submission due Sunday

Joshua Reisenfeld ARGONAUT

University of Idaho Parking and Transportation Services announced that an additional 20 pro-rated orange parking permits will be available for purchase. Recipients will be determined by a lottery with submissions due Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025, by 11:59 p.m. Participants will be notified via email of the results by Tuesday, Sept. 30, at 5 p.m. and will have until Friday, Oct. 3, at 4:30 p.m. to visit PTS in person. Prorated orange permits will cost $303; the full year price is $347. Partial refunds will be issued for red and blue permits, approximately $200 and $95 respectively. If recipients do not visit the PTS office by Friday, a new name will be selected. All lotteries will be drawn using a random number generator. Orange parking permits are valid in all orange, red and blue parking lots. Submission can be completed thought a link available in an email from PTS.

PNW 48-hour short film challenge application will close on Sept. 30

Joshua Reisenfeld ARGONAUT

Fall48, a 48-hour filmmaking challenge in partnership with JAMM, will begin Friday, Oct. 3, 2025, when prompts are sent out at 3-4 p.m. Registration for the competition closes Tuesday, Sept. 30. Only one team representative needs to fill out the application.

The competition categories are high school, current University of Idaho student, community (UI alumni) and community (open filmmaker from the Pacific Northwest). Teams have a maximum size of 5 members, and all cast and crew must be volunteers. Community categories include a $15 submission fee, but only if a film is submitted.

With only 48 hours to create, films must be turned in by 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 5. They must be between one and three minutes in length. Late films may still be considered for inclusion in the livestreamed event but will be disqualified from award considerations. Award winners and selected films will be shown at an in-person event and livestream on Wednesday, Dec. 10 in the Kenworthy Performing Arts Center Main Street. Cash prizes will be awarded to winning teams, along with $2,000 in scholarships for the high school and current UI student categories.

More information regarding genre, requirements and submission portal is available at www.fall48.com

Borah

Symposium begins Monday on dialogue for peace and conflict

Josie Adjanohoun ARGONAUT

The 2025 Borah Symposium will be held from Monday to Wednesday, Sept. 29-Oct. 1, with the theme of “Great Power Competition”. The event will explain how interactions between the world’s global powers create dialogue for peace and conflict. Four events will be held with a keynote on Oct. 1, from K.T. McFarland, a deputy national security advisor under President Donald Trump.

On Wednesday, Sept. 17, a lawsuit was filed by a coalition of public-school advocates, including the Idaho Education Association and the Moscow School District, against Idaho’s first private school choice program.

The plaintiffs argue in the lawsuit that the private school voucher program violates Idaho’s constitution.

House Bill 93 was signed by Gov. Brad Little in February, establishing a $50 million program offering the guardians of private or home-schooled students up to $5,000—$7,500 for special needs students— to provide for qualifying education expenses, including private school tuition.

MSD has been vocal about their concerns with the legislation. Superintendent Shawn Tiegs

echoed concerns of the bill being unconstitutional to The Argonaut in an email, stating that, “The question that we are trying to address is whether [if] in its current format, as passed by the legislature, [the bill] passes the constitutional test. MSD believes that it does not pass that test.”

The petition claims that the tax credit in HB 93 is unconstitutional, and the Idaho State Tax Commission should be quickly blocked from implementing the change. The suit is based around Idaho Constitution’s Article IX, Section 1, which states that the Idaho Legislature must “establish and maintain a general, uniform and thorough system of public free common schools,” according to a Sept. 17 press release from the Idaho Education Association. According to Idaho Education News, executive director of the Idaho Education Association, Paul Stark, specified that

the bill did not require that private schools comply with the standards required of public schools for components such as testing, curriculum standards and open enrollment.

Stark expressed concern that nondisclosed curricula and test scores could be funded by taxpayer dollars, and that students could be rejected from these private institutions based on religion or disability.

Idaho Education Association spokesman, Mike Journee, told The Argonaut via email that the bill is similar to creating a “parallel” system of private schools.,

“By diverting taxpayer funds to private schools, it is funding a parallel system of private schools outside of the single public school system prescribed by the constitution,” Journee said, “A system of taxpayer-funded private schools cannot be ‘general, uniform and thorough’ by its nature.”

He elaborated that

private schools do not have the same oversight that public schools are subject to, meaning there is no guarantee privatized education would reach this constitutional standard.

Journee further expressed concerns that the law, or at least the allocation of revenue for private education tax credits, would continue to expand as has happened in other states, if nothing was done to stop HB 93. Florida for example, allocated $226, or 3%, of K-12 funding to private education vouchers in 2020, a number which grew to $1.3 billion, or 10% of the Florida Education Finance Program, by 2023 according to the Education Law Center.

“Idaho public schools have been chronically underfunded for decades as it is,” Journee said. “These private school voucher subsidies will siphon even more dollars that should be spent on public schools away to private schools.”

On Monday, Sept. 29, at 7 p.m., a panel discussion on “The Impacts of Trade Wars on Agricultural Commodities” will be held in the International Ballroom of the Pitman Center. The panel will be moderated by Anna King who received the Edward R. Murrow Award for her investigative reporting work on the Hanford Nuclear Reservation.

Panelists include: Tim McGreevy, CEO of the USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council and a farmer from Moscow; Xiaoli Etienne, a current professor of agricultural economics at UI; and Brett Wilder, an assistant professor and area extension educator.

On Tuesday, Sept. 30, the weekly Renfrew Colloquium normally held in the UI library will be moved to the Vandal Ballroom inside of the Pitman Center. Emine Ari, UI adjunct instructor with a Ph.D. in International Relations and Political Science, will give a speech called “Great Power Competition in the 21st Century: A View from the Middle East” at 12:30 p.m.

Tuesday evening, Ester Brimmer, current James H. Binger Senior Fellow in Global Governance for the Council on Foreign Relations, will give the Plenary Address in the International Ballroom at 7 p.m. Brimmer was the former assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs under President Barack Obama from 2009-2013.

On Wednesday, Oct. 1, McFarland will give the keynote address at 7 p.m. in the International Ballroom. McFarland’s political career began as a White House Aide to Henry Kissinger, Secretary of State under the Nixon-Ford Presidential Administrations. She was a speech writer for President Ronald Regan and created international policy.

More information about the Borah Symposium can be found online at UI Borah Symposium Website

Colton Moore | Argonaut

New Joe Vandal statue will be located between the P1FCU Kibbie Dome and the ICCU Arena

Bronze statue by Montana artist approaching completion

Josie Adjanohoun ARGONAUT

Bangladesh Night to be held Saturday

The annual event features traditional performances and food

Cal Torres ARGONAUT

The University of Idaho’s annual Bangladesh Night will be held on Saturday, Sept. 27, from 5-7 p.m. in the International Ballroom of the Pitman Center.

The event, hosted by the Bangladesh Association of Students and Scholars, will feature entertainment from singers and dancers. For people who wish to join in on the festivities, there will be a dance floor at the end of the night. Traditional Bangladeshi dishes including, but not limited to, chicken masala and various curries will be served for dinner and dessert. Vegetarian options will be available.

“[We’re] summarizing what our country, our culture, our food is in just two hours, which is tough to do, but we try our best,” said Syed Masum, vice president of BASS, in an interview with The Argonaut.

According to Masum, planning for

the event started long ago, with advertising and room reservations taking place months in advance. The preparation of food for the event also needed to be taken into consideration.

“None of us are professional chefs, of course, but we try to make it as authentic as possible and also make sure it’s not too spicy…so everyone can enjoy the food,” said Masum. “Food is one of the biggest attractions in Bangladesh Night, but people also enjoy how we showcase our culture in front of everyone so many thousands of miles away. [Our main] goal is just to showcase what we

are and what we are about.”

Tickets are $15 and can be purchased online at www.ticketleap.

Kenworthy to host third Silent Film Fest

Theater premieres first film restoration project: “Told in the Hills (1919)”

Reese Garcia

ARGONAUT

The Kenworthy Performing Arts Center will be hosting their third annual Kenworthy Silent Film Festival on Sept. 25-28.

Thursday, Sept. 25 will consist of a discussion by Nakia WilliamsonCloud, Gwyn Hervochon, Alessandro Meregaglia and Tom Frank starting at 7 p.m.

The discussion will cover “Told in the Hills (1919),” the Kenworthy’s first film restoration project.

With 25 minutes of film footage, this Western romance features over 100 Nez Perce actors and shows the 200 photos taken on set while filming.

“We are recreating the whole cinematic experience with a new live score,” said Colin Mannex, the organizer of the event.

The Kenworthy Theatre was originally a silent film house back in 1926. With so many people in the area interested in scoring movies and the history of film, creating this festival was worthwhile.

events/tickets/202-events/bangladeshnight-2025.

All-women vocal group to perform first concert of ACMS series

Lyyra will bring a strong start to the 40th season of the music program

Shelby Sandford ARGONAUT

As part of the Auditorium Chamber Music Series run by the Lionel Hampton School of Music, the University of Idaho presents the all-woman vocal ensemble Lyyra.

On Friday and Saturday, Sept. 26 and 27, composer Connor Chee will reveal a new musical score, performed during screenings.

In addition, there will also be short films all composed by Isabel Martin, Mallory Hunt and Samuel Cooper and directed by Nell Shipman.

The shorts will be shown on Sunday, Sept. 28, at 1 and 4 p.m.

Mannex believes silent films are important. “I think it’s really great to be reminded of the evolution of cinematic language,” he said.

“There’s a purity there, and I think it has an emotional effect that goes beyond modern cinema in many respects.”

Those attending can expect to be exposed to local history and heritage.

Admission is $40 for an all-access pass to every screening or $10 per screening at the door. Tickets are available for purchase on their website.

You can see the group perform on Thursday, Sept. 25 at 7:30 p.m. in the Administration Building Auditorium.

Tickets can be purchased at the door with card only or online. General admission is $25 and student tickets are $10.

From the VOCES8 foundation, Lyyra is an all-American and allwomen vocal ensemble, with pieces ranging across many genres of music.

Lyyra consists of six amazing singers, including Anna Crumley, MaryRuth Miller, Elizabeth Tait, Ingrid Johnson, Aryssa Leigh Burrs and Cecille Elliott.

To check out their work, you can

listen to their new single, “Someday We’ll All Be Free,” a cover of a song by Donny Hathaway from 1973. With Lyyra visiting the UI campus, there will also be an opportunity to participate in their masterclasses. The group will host a masterclass for vocalists on Sept. 25 at 12:30 p.m. in the Administration Auditorium.

This year, ACMS hosts its 40th season of bringing famous and talented artists to perform at UI.

ACMS strives to create amazing experiences from the artists they bring to campus. They invite four musicians and ensembles from a variety of areas each season.

Also in this season, Jeremy Denk and Richard O’Neill will perform on Thursday, Nov. 20; Viano Quartet on Friday, Jan. 23, 2026; and Quartetto Gelato on Thursday, April 2, 2026. You can also purchase a season pass to be able to see all these artists. General passes are $90 and student passes are $35.

Ashley Kramer Argonaut

A dance is performed on stage at Bangladesh Night in 2024

Kenworthy Performing Arts Center | Courtesy The Nez Perce actors in “Told in the Hills”

Top floors of Theophilus Tower fully renovated

The remaining floors will be renovated over the next two summers

Cal Torres ARGONAUT

The ninth, 10th and 11th floors of Theophilus Tower were completely renovated this summer. This was the first of three summers during which Theophilus Tower will undergo renovations.

Both personal and public spaces on these floors have been updated.

The communal bathrooms are now much more private than they used to be, with the shower curtains previously typical of Theophilus Tower being replaced with stall doors.

Shower stalls are now also attached

to private changing areas and accessible bathrooms have been placed on these floors.

The lounges and halls have been given new paint, lighting and furniture.

Renovated students’ rooms now feature moveable furniture and air conditioning. They also have been repainted and given new flooring and blinds.

“It’s a full gut,” Erik Elordi, assistant vice president of campus services, said of the rooms.

While only a portion of Theophilus Tower has been improved so far, the project will impact roughly 394 beds, according to the Vandal Housing Project website.

UI Dance Program to host ninth conference

Dance, workshops and education available for students and educators Brooklynn Jolley ARGONAUT

The University of Idaho Dance Program is hosting “Creativity in Motion,” their ninth annual Idaho Dance Education Organization conference on Sept. 26-27. The conference is open to all and includes workshops on dance and movement for high school and college students, movement educators and dance professionals.

Tickets for the two-day conference are $50 for students, $75 for IDEO members and presenters and $85 for general admission. Tickets for one day, Sept. 27, are $40 for students, $65 for IDEO members/presenters and $75 for general admission. Tickets can be purchased online.

Conference registration includes admission to an opening “Celebration of Dance” concert, lunch on Sept. 27 and the closing concert by Portland-based professional dance troupe push/FOLD.

George Staib, a professor of dance at Emory University, will be the keynote speaker.

The troupe push/FOLD will do an opening performance with the UI Dance Ensemble at 7 p.m. on Sept. 27 at the Hartung Theater.

“Ozymandias,” the opening performance, exudes themes of the self, heritage and community that many can relate to and connect with.

Following this, an excerpt from “Vespers” will portray a tale that meshes contemporary dance with choral soundscapes.

The night of performances will close out with a piece called “Illum.” This performance uses vivid stage imagery to capture the audience’s attention and create an immersive experience.

After the performances end, attendees may enrich their experience by engaging in a brief Q&A with the artists.

Next year, according to Elordi, the first floor’s residential rooms will be fully replaced with student lounges and a kitchenette.

Additionally, a newly created terrace on the east side of the building will be furnished to allow outdoor spaces for students.

The sixth, seventh and eighth floors will be renovated in a similario fashion to the top floors.

In the final summer of renovations, the basement and remaining floors will be updated.

This project took three years to plan prior to its execution and is set to cost $30 million.

“The way that we’re funding this is through general-issued bonds from the university,” Elordi said. “We borrowed that money, we’re going to repay it … [with] revenue generated from the students that live there.”

“Tuition dollars don’t go to housing,” he added. “It’s 100% the money students pay to live in housing. What we’re doing here has no impact on student fees or tuition for the general university.”

Though Theophilus Tower is a freshman-only dorm, students have still observed the changes between the redesigned and older rooms.

“I’m really happy that we have AC, but we don’t have a whole lot of shelving and everybody else has so much shelving … I had to go out of my way and get some stuff for it,” said Bee De Beer, a freshman living in Theophilus Tower.

“It’s fun having a little loft space, but I hit my head because it’s so tall. I feel bad for the people above us.”

U.S. democracy through history

Renfrew Colloquium speaker critiques U.S. voting restrictions

Rebekah Brown ARGONAUT

Markie McBrayer, a professor of political science at the University of Idaho, explored the history of voting rights and citizenship in her presentation of “Voices and Votes: Democracy in America,” on Sept. 23. The presentation was given as part of the Renfrew Colloquium Lecture Series.

McBrayer’s research focuses on local and state politics and policy, especially social policy and housing in the U.S. Her lecture dove into the specifics of voting rights throughout America’s history.

McBrayer claimed that the U.S. did not meet the standards of a contemporary democracy until the 20th century, specifically mentioning the election

of 1828, which was the first American election where a majority of the states allowed non-property owning males to vote.

“Up until then, there’s largely a property requirement for white men to vote,” McBrayer said. “But this is largely at the exclusion of people of color and women. By 1856, that property requirement was eliminated… another 30 or so years before we officially remove that requirement at the federal level.”

By 1866, the 15th Amendment granted black men the right to vote. However, this didn’t go into full effect until later.

By 1920, women were allowed to vote because of the installation of the19th Amendment.

McBrayer went on to describe the specific laws and acts of voting rights throughout the history of the U.S, and those still in place today.

“There are normally the rules and

procedures around voter registration and voting,” she said. “Every state is different. For those of you who have lived in multiple places, you should know this by now, right? Sometimes you can just walk in somewhere, register same day. I am, just as I mentioned, originally from Texas…you have to register 60 days in advance before the election. You cannot do same-day voter registration like you have here in Idaho.”

She broke down the sections of the Voting Rights Act, and how they hold up today. McBrayer referenced the Shelby County v. Holder court case, in which the court found Section Four of the Voting Rights Act unconstitutional. Section Four had allowed states to hold a “test” that citizens had to pass to vote, such as a literacy test.

McBrayer expressed the importance of removing barriers for everyone to vote.

Reagan Jones | Argonaut

A newly renovated student lounge in the Theophilus Tower

Reagan Jones | Argonaut

A newly painted hallway in the Theophilus Tower

Reagan Jones | Argonaut

Markie McBrayer engages the crowd during her talk about democracy

Idaho looks to reclaim Little Brown Stein

Vandals look to bounce back against Montana as conference play begins

Liam Bradford ARGONAUT

In 2024, Idaho was one of the best rushing teams in the Big Sky Conference. Through four games of nonconference play this season, the ground attack has been as dominant as ever, and one of the primary reasons is that three of the main running backs from last season are still on the roster.

However, the reason that head coach Thomas Ford Jr. and offensive coordinator Matt Linehan have been able to improve the team’s efficiency running the football is because of their new sophomore quarterback, Joshua Wood.

“I definitely think having a guy that’s as dynamic as him, both running and throwing, is going to help us throughout the season the rest of the way,” Ford said in a postgame press conference. “He is an absolute threat when he has the football in his hands.”

Wood began playing football when he was four years old, and he was the youngest of five brothers who all played football. His dad, Victor Wood, is a former Washington State University standout receiver and 1988 Aloha Bowl MVP.

Wood played football at Graham-Kapowsin High School, leading his team to a 15-0 record and a 4A Washington High School State Championship in his senior season. After that season, he decommitted from Eastern Washington University and committed to California State University at Fresno, where he spent his freshman year.

He got a chance to prove himself

in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl against Northern Illinois University. In that game, Wood completed 16 of his 23 pass attempts for 180 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 32 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries.

Wood had several connections to the Idaho program prior to transferring, including a longtime friendship with former Vandal star Jordan Dwyer.

Upon arriving in Moscow, Wood came into fall camp competing with several teammates for the starting job. A few days into camp, Wood was announced as the starting quarterback, and he was eventually named a team captain as well.

“It means a lot to be a captain on this team,” Wood said in an interview with The Argonaut. “You have to wear that ‘C’ with pride when you’re a Vandal.”

Though he has yet to play a Big Sky Conference game, Wood has fully lived up to expectations through four games as the Idaho starter. He was named the Big Sky co-offensive player of the week after compiling 368 total yards and four touchdowns against the University of St. Thomas. Heading into this week’s rivalry matchup with Montana, Wood ranks sixth in the conference in passing yards and second in rushing yards.

“We wanted to find a veteran guy, and Joshua came along,” Ford said in a post-practice press conference. “The relationship I’ve had with him in the past. It was kind of a match made in heaven. I don’t think we could’ve found a better guy.”

One of Wood’s best traits on the field is his ability to be calm under pressure. When the offense makes a mistake, he does an excellent job of shaking off the mistake and bouncing back on the next play.

“We always talk about next-play mentality. Can’t go back in the past and fix it,” Wood said. “Don’t worry about that last one.”

Ford has full confidence in Wood’s ability as a player, and he also has a lot of faith in Wood as a poised and wellcomposed leader of the offense.

“Joshua is not really a guy that gets too high or low,” Ford said in a postgame press conference. “When he throws a touchdown, he’ll be excited and celebrate. When he throws an interception, he’ll look at the sideline and see what he could have done better. So, I haven’t really talked much about hype or emotions with Joshua, because I feel like he’s a pretty even-keel guy.”

Wood feels like the Idaho coaching staff have helped him become a better

player and refine various areas of his game. He has also fully embraced being a student at the university and living in Moscow.

“It’s a real family, and it’s not just a football community,” Wood said. “This is a football family in Moscow.”

Whenever Wood was asked to make comparisons between Idaho and Fresno State, he says that he does not like to look back on last year, and that he is fully focused on winning now.

“We’re still the same Vandal team that’s going to come in, punch you in the mouth and we’ll play wherever, whenever, and whatever time you want to play at,” Wood said. “That’s the Vandal team that we are. We play fast, we play with high energy, and we play with high focus.”

A fresh start: Joshua Wood finds new home at Idaho

Joshua Wood has been a key contributor for the 2025 season

Jayden Barfuss ARGONAUT

“I definitely think having a guy that’s as dynamic as him, both running and throwing, is going to help us throughout the season the rest of the way,” Ford said in a postgame press confer-

ence. “He is an absolute threat when he has the football in his hands.”

He got a chance to prove himself in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl against Northern Illinois University. In that game, Wood completed 16 of his 23 pass attempts for 180 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 32 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries.

Wood had several connections to the Idaho program prior to transferring, including a longtime friendship with former Vandal star Jordan Dwyer.

“It means a lot to be a captain on this team,” Wood said in an interview with The Argonaut. “You have to wear that ‘C’ with pride when you’re a Vandal.”

Idaho has always been a strong offensive program, but Wood’s dual-threat ability forces defenses to adjust their gameplan, which allows more opportunities for the running backs and for play-action plays.

One of Wood’s best

traits on the field is his ability to be calm under pressure. When the offense makes a mistake, he does an excellent job of shaking off the mistake and bouncing back on the next play.

“We always talk about next-play mentality. Can’t go back in the past and fix it,” Wood said. “Don’t worry about that last one.”

Ford has full confidence in Wood’s ability as a player, and he also has a lot of faith in Wood as a poised and wellcomposed leader of the offense.

Wood feels like the Idaho coaching staff have helped him become a better player and refine various areas of his game. He has also fully embraced being a student at the university and living in Moscow.

“It’s a real family, and it’s not just a football community,” Wood said. “This is a football family in Moscow.”

Whenever Wood was asked to make comparisons between Idaho and Fresno State, he says that he does not like to look back on last year, and that he is fully focused on winning now with the 2025 Vandals.

v“We’re still the same Vandal team that’s going to come in, punch you in the mouth and we’ll play wherever, whenever, and whatever time you want to play at,” Wood said. “That’s the Vandal team that we are. We play fast, we play with high energy, and we play with high focus.”

John Keegan | Argonaut Running back Art Williams dodges tackle from defensive back Ryan Calcagno

Annika Farley: field general for Idaho

Farley

has

been

the engine of the Vandals’ midfield formation

In a season full of new formations,

players and style of play, graduate midfielder Annika Farley is a constant for the Vandals on the field and on the scoresheet. Farley, who has been a four-year starter for the Vandals, was instrumental in the Vandals’ 1-1 draw with Boise State University this past Thursday, Sept. 18, with her goal in the

Standout Vandal Spotlight:

47th minute giving the Vandals the 1-0 lead. Farley currently leads the team with three goals this season and has been a steady presence in the Vandals’ midfield.

With the Vandals starting conference play today, it was important both on the scoreboard and mentally to get some

Finding a new home: Calli Chiarelli

Chiarelli has been a key for the Vandals all season

Jayden Barfuss ARGONAUT

It started as an ordinary preseason club game for 13-year-old Calli Chiarelli, playing the game she loved and savoring every second of it. How it ended would reshape Chiarelli’s entire life, becoming her drive and determination every time she steps onto the field.

Chiarelli was gearing up for her club season when this preseason game took an unexpected turn. She took a cross she had executed dozens of times before, but this one ended differently—a broken hip sidelined her for six and a half months. In soccer’s absence, Chiarelli’s hunger for the game only intensified. When she was out and couldn’t lace up her cleats, she knew what she was destined to do.

“It was a totally unexpected injury, as most injuries are,” Chiarelli said. “I took a cross, followed through and heard it pop. I knew immediately that something was wrong. I was on crutches for six weeks ... It was really hard to watch people play the sport that I loved.”

“It was in that moment when I realized I want to do this for a living, and I want to play at the next level and keep pursuing those dreams,” Chiarelli continued. “From then on, I have worked so hard every single day to make 13-year-old Calli

proud.”

From that day, it was clear to Chiarelli that she wanted to play soccer for as long as she could, and nothing was going to get in her way. She committed to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville to continue her soccer journey and stay in her home state.

“I’m so thankful for the experiences and opportunities that the coaches gave me there,” Chiarelli said. “It was an amazing place to start, and I wouldn’t have traded that experience for the world. The team was awesome, and I really learned who I was as a player and a person at that school. I just gained a lot of confidence and experience from playing at SIUE.”

After two seasons at SIUE, Chiarelli was growing frustrated and decided it was in her best interest to enter her name into the transfer portal and continue her dream somewhere else.

“It was the scariest decision I’ve ever made in my life. I didn’t know where I was going to end up, if I was going to get picked up,” Chiarelli said. “I put in a lot of work to watch film, create a highlight reel, email schools, talk to coaches, and this was all in a two- or three-week period, so that was super stressful.”

“I’m so happy at Idaho,” said Chiarelli. “When I walked onto this campus during my visit, I fell in love with it and knew this was home.”

confidence, and the Boise State draw did that for Farley and the Vandals.

“This was an important game for us—either we were going to show up and play and it was going to give us the confidence going into conference, or [if] we didn’t do well today, we probably would have gone the other way,” Farley said postgame.

“So, this game was super important for us going into conference and getting ready for that grittiness and having that toughness. Because games are long, you have to stay locked in the full 90 [minutes]. It’s tough,” she said.

Before the season, Farley was recognized by the United Soccer Coaches for the 2025 NCAA Division I Women’s Players to Watch—Midfielders list, making her the only player in the Big Sky Conference and one of just 16 mid-major athletes among the 47 total players nationally to receive this honor.

The Ridgefield, Washington, native came to the Vandals in the fall of 2022 after spending her freshman year at the University of Portland.

In her Vandal career, Farley has logged 4,662 minutes, scored 13 goals and dished four assists. She also played a central role in the Vandals’ three consecutive Big Sky championship appearances, a championship in 2023 and an NCAA tournament appearance that same year.

Farley will be the key to unlocking the full potential of this new-look Vandal team. With her leadership, composure on and off the ball and her relentless work ethic, Farley looks to lead the Vandals back to a championship.

Her love of soccer, snow and promising opportunities led Chiarelli to make the bold choice to transfer to the University of Idaho.

“The soccer was definitely a super big piece of it,” Chiarelli said. “I immediately clicked with the girls here, and I just felt so at ease and at home. Obviously, this program also has a super winning history, and it’s really cool to be a part of the program now. The campus is absolutely gorgeous. It’s 2,000 miles from home for me, but it doesn’t feel like I’m far away at all.”

“I’ve noticed that I am the happiest I’ve probably ever been in college,” she said. “It’s amazing to always wake up and smile and be excited to come to practice. I think I came out of my shell here at Idaho, and I finally found my people and my friends. It’s just really amazing to have that group around me that helps me bring out my inner person.”

From the soccer fields of Illinois to the mountains of Idaho, from the 13-year-old girl who just wanted to play the game she loved, for Chiarelli, all of this was to make her younger self proud and play the game that she loves for as long as she can.

“I definitely think I have made her proud. I’m in a place that I never thought I’d be in soccer,” Chiarelli said. “When I was in the recruiting process initially, I didn’t even think I was going to get picked up. When I got that opportunity from SIUE, it was one of the biggest blessings I’ve had in my life to start there and then to transfer to Idaho and have an even bigger opportunity here.”

“I’m just so thankful for everything that’s happened to me in the soccer world,” she said. “It was never easy, and it never has been, and it probably never will be for me. But I know in my heart that the 13-year-old who broke her hip is smiling right now.”

The men’s golf team hit the course and won the Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational from Sept. 20-22.

The Vandals finished with a team score of -23 and had some great individual performers, including two of the top five players. The men will hit the course again at the SIUE Dolenc Invitational in Madison, Illinois on Sept. 29-30.

The women’s golf team took fifth at the Kalispel Invitational finishing with a score of +24.

The next women’s golf tournament will be the Pat Lesser Harbottle invitational on Sept. 29-30 in Tacoma, Washington. Women’s Golf

The team finished non-conference play 3-9 and open conference play against Northern Arizona Unviersity will begin at 5 p.m. in Flagstaff, Arizona. The Vandals will have their conference home opener on Saturday, Sept. 27 at 6 p.m.

The Vandals’ women’s soccer team finished non-conference play 3-3-4 and will open conference play on the road today vs. Idaho State at 6 p.m.

The Vandal football team finished non-conference play 2-2 and will battle for the Little Brown Stein as they travel to the University of Montana. They will kick off against the Griz Saturday, Sept. 27 at 7:15 p.m. on ESPN 2.

John Keegan | Argonaut

Farley vies for possession of the ball with a Boise State defender during the Sept. 18 game against BSU

Colton Moore Argonaut

Calli Chiarelli heads in game-winning goal over UTEP

giver

offensive, in a way

Wild times at the mall, say

Moretz of "Carrie"

"You're ___ talk!"

Popeye's ___' Pea

Hoppy brew, for short

Japanese tech giant

Thrice, to a pharmacist

Wage Survey

Protests sparked beyond social media

Police escalation and loss of life have caused severe damage in Nepal

AJ Pearman ARGONAUT

In September 2025, protests erupted across Nepal, triggered by a government’s sudden decision to ban major social media platforms, including TikTok, YouTube, X and Facebook. What started as a peaceful protest led primarily by frustrated youth quickly spiraled into a week of violence, destruction and death.

At least 19 people were killed, including several university students, and hundreds were injured in clashes with police. The government later lifted the ban, but the damage, both physically and emotionally, had already been done.

For many watching from afar, the scenes from Nepal were heartbreaking.

Samyak Pachhai, a sophomore from Nepal studying statistics, described his reaction.

“For me, what’s going on back home in Nepal right now was really surprising and shocking that a protest against a social media ban resulted in the authorities taking the lives of students,” he said. “I was scared for a lot of days in a row for my family back home.” His story is one of many currently unfolding.

While most blame Gen Z for the chaos, pointing fingers at the youth is both inaccurate and unjust. The ban on social media was the immediate trigger, but the roots of the protests went much deeper. Younger people, many of them university students, have long expressed frustration with government corruption, lack of job opportunities, rising taxes and the general stagnation of Nepal’s political system. The ban merely lit the fuse.

Across the map column:

“The demonstration, dubbed the ‘Gen Z protests,’ were driven primarily by young people who also voiced anger over corruption,” The Guardian reported.

The protestors also called for greater transparency in public spending, especially after allegations surfaced of taxpayer money being misused by political elites.

According to Pachhai,“The protest was started because of the ongoing corruption in the government where the taxpayers’ money is used by the corrupt leaders for their own personal wealth and life.”

It’s easy to label the destruction that followed as the work of reckless youth, but that narrative doesn’t hold up under scrutiny. Pachhai also said, “People who were actively destroying government and public property after the protest on Sept. 8, 2025, were not Gen Z. There are multiple photos online where you can clearly see the people are older.”

That observation is echoed by many social media users and activists on the ground. While Gen Z may have initiated the protest, public anger had clearly spread across age groups, evidence that was not just generational tantrum, but a broader civil uprising.

In fact, according to Time Magazine, the protestors’ demands expanded beyond just lifting the ban. They included the resignation of top officials and the establishment of independent anti-corruption bodies.

Perhaps the most disturbing part of the protest’s aftermath was the police response. At first, security forces used non-lethal methods: tear gas, rubber bullets and batons. Later, there were reports that confirmed that live rounds

were fired into the crowds.

Pachhai recalled this escalation of violence. “The police who shot and killed the students were given orders to use rubber bullets, sticks and riot shields,” he said. “But another order came in allowing them to use live rounds. They hunted people down— some just walking home were shot to death thinking they participated.”

The deaths of students, some reportedly not even involved in the violence, have shaken the whole country and promoted widespread mourning. The government’s harsh response only deepened distrust and widened the gap between citizens and those in power.

These protests were not perfect. But they were never just about TikTok. They were about the frustration of a generation and a country tired of being ignored. The destruction of property, while unfortunate, was not unique to Gen Z and should not be used to discredit the entire movement.

Nepal has since appointed its first female Interim Prime Minister, Sushila Karki, following the resignation of the previous government in response to public pressure. Her message was one of healing and reform, but only time will tell if real change follows.

“This wasn’t just a Gen Z protest that happened in Nepal,” Pachhai said. “It was a long problem ... with people tired of lack of jobs, tax money going nowhere.”

He’s right. The streets may have quieted, but the demands remain. This movement, like many others around the world, reminds us that protest is a mirror. And what Nepal saw in that mirror was not just a youth unrest, but a country long overdue for accountability.

Preparation for study abroad is crucial

The reality of leaving the only place I’ve ever called home

Paige Wilton ARGONAUT

As someone born and raised in north Idaho, the idea of leaving my hometown to chase my own adventure has been on the forefront of my mind for years. When I became a teenager, and life post-high school suddenly became much more tangible, one of my goals became to move far away.

Though I didn’t move far away for college, studying abroad felt like the chance for ultimate freedom. It provides the opportunity for students to experience the world in a unique and immersive way, and I have longed for this experience since the time I turned 16.

Now that my time has come to leave for my own semester abroad, I’ve had to acknowledge what it truly means to do this for and by myself, and the implications that come with packing my life into a suitcase and moving away from anything I’ve ever known for months.

Though people do it every day— study abroad, attend college far from home, move to a new city after graduation—this is entirely new for me.

This semester, I’ve chosen to study abroad at the University of Stirling in Scotland, where I’ll be continuing to pursue my degrees in journalism and film. The opportunity to practice my craft somewhere new to me is another part of what I look forward to.

From the highlands and historic monuments to the sprawling coastlines, Scotland is home to an array of lush landscapes. It’s been a country that has captured my attention for a long time, which is just one of the reasons I’ve chosen to study here.

I was lucky enough to have a fantastic first year at the University of Idaho. I had the privilege of learning from many dedicated professors, working for The Argonaut as my first real newsroom experience and a handful of other opportunities that came from being an active member of the School of Journalism and Mass Media department.

That being said, as a journalism major, something I’ve come to know is the importance of global connections and

awareness. Though Moscow was perfect for me last year, this year I felt it necessary to push myself into a more global setting, and to gain a greater worldview through studying abroad.

Beyond the excitement of all that I’ll encounter and learn while studying abroad, the packing process and mental preparation of it all has been a feat of its own. Forcing myself to travel light, I limited myself to a travel backpack and a suitcase. That means taking only what I find most valuable on my journey; my needs and a few of my wants.

My needs include the obvious: clothing, a pair of shoes, my laptop and my camera. My wants, however, speak to the more sentimental side of myself. Pictures and postcards of the many wonderful memories I’ve made riddle my bedroom floor as I decide which ones will make the cut.

No matter how light I packed, or at least attempted to, it didn’t keep me from pulling the move of a packer’s ultimate desperation: putting my entire body weight onto my luggage in an effort to zip it up. This, I’m sure, is a moment many travelers and fellow study abroad students can relate to.

Though this journey is only just the beginning, I can confidently say that my applause for students who choose to earn their degree in a foreign country far from home has grown immensely. Those who graduate high school and only two months later move to immerse themselves in a new culture and new lives will forever amaze me.

Ultimately, if there’s one thing I’ve learned from this process already, it’s that any act of independence, no matter how

small, is critical to self-development. The choice to leave your hometown at some point is one I feel to be incredibly important. Though I’m only now doing it for the first time myself, I can only imagine the impact it’ll have on my future.

No one can ever be certain of all the possibilities life has to offer by staying in one place. If all paths lead back to your hometown, that’s wonderful. But if they don’t, the paths to your new life won’t appear right in front of you, they need to be discovered first.

Paige Wilton | Argonaut A view over Stirling, Scotland

Paige Wilton | Argonaut

A photo of a barren dorm on move-in day

Paige Wilton | Argonaut A view of downtown Stirling, Scotland

John Keegan Argonaut

A vigil for the killed Nepali students was held at the Vandal Healing Garden on Sept. 8

Vandal Brew is not student friendly

After going from locally sourced coffee to a large corporation, concerns over Vandal Brew rise

Lexie Yates

ARGONAUT

This past summer, the Thomas Hammer Coffee Roasters store located inside the VandalStore closed, with plans to put a new shop in its place.

Vandal Brew has now opened its doors. While this change may be better for the University of Idaho’s sales, is it better for the students, their main customers, who stop in daily? The shift to Starbucks and away from the Thomas Hammer brand raises questions.

Vandal Brew participates in the “We Proudly Serve Starbucks” program, which allows the store to sell Starbucks drinks while maintaining control over operations and food options.

Starbucks is an international company with over 41,000 stores across more than 80 countries as of June 29, 2025. In comparison, Thomas Hammer has only 17 coffee shops. They are a local business that started back in 1993 on the campus of Gonzaga University and has been long rooted in the Northwest.

By leaving a local business for a corporate giant, UI traded community for mass production. With the return of this massive coffee company to campus, it is important to note some controversies Starbucks has faced in the last several years.

In January of 2024, NBC News reported that Starbucks was being sued for false advertisement of “ethical sourcing,” while Brazilian suppliers were accused of unsafe and abusive labor practices. In 2022, inspectors rescued 17 workers from “modern slavery” on a coffee farm in partnership with Starbucks, according to Reporter Brasil.

While many hoped this was a one-off instance of Starbucks being on the wrong side of history, it sadly was not. There have also been more cases of media controversy, especially with the current war in Palestine and Starbucks’

controversial opinion on the matter.

Starbucks was vaulted into debates over the Middle East when Starbucks Workers United posted a message on social media expressing “solidarity” with Palestine, shortly after the October 7 attack by Hamas.

After this message was posted, the company sued the union for trademark infringement. Starbucks argued that the union damaged the company’s reputation with the post. SBWU counter-sued, asking to be allowed to continue to use the company’s name and similarly claiming a damaged reputation.

Starbucks and SWBU have yet to finalize a union contract. The company has faced multiple allegations of retaliation, including firing workers and permanently closing stores that attempt to organize.

Josh Kosh, the director of business development and marketing and communications for UI Auxiliary Services, explained that Idaho Eats encompasses campus food service operations within the ISUB, campus dining halls and also new concepts, like Vandal Brew.

“Thomas Hammer Coffee Roasters chose to conclude its lease, and the university supported that request. The decision was reached on mutually agreeable terms, with gratitude for the service Thomas Hammer provided to the campus community,” Kosh wrote in an email to The Argonaut.

Kosh also said that the move to Vandal Brew was not in the pursuit of a better-known company but instead aligned with the changing campus population.

Before Thomas Hammer’s 2023 opening, the VandalStore featured a fullservice Starbucks that was operated and staffed by the university. In early 2022, UI choose not to renew this agreement, Kosh said.

“At the time, Auxiliary Services shared that a new café concept would be selected based on its ability to provide value and meet the evolving needs of the campus community,” Kosh wrote.

This was at the height of public criticism of Starbucks. Could this be a

coincidence?

Kosh explained that the university saw an opportunity to create something that was “uniquely Vandal” and that Vandal Brew is not a replacement of Thomas Hammer or Starbucks, but rather “a chance to design a campusoperated coffee shop that reflects student input on hours, menu options and overall atmosphere. The goal is to deliver a high-quality experience while giving students a stronger voice in how the space serves them.”

Kosh also said that Vandal Brew has become a quick favorite on campus and popular with students and alumni.

Dr. Lysa Salsbury, the director of strategic initiatives for Student Affairs, shared her opinion on the new coffee shop.

“The coffee was good, and the service was very friendly, and I like how ‘Vandal’ it is in there,” Salsbury said. “I was surprised at how expensive my coffee was, though. I got a 16-ounce latte ... my latte cost over $7.42 after tax. It is extremely expensive for students, and students are less likely to go there where there are three coffee shops that are cheaper.”

Prices are on average $0.68 more at Vandal Brew than the Palouse Mall

College students often struggle financially. Whether they are trying to pay for tuition or housing or even paying off debt, most don’t have a lot of extra money to spend.

Buying coffee out is already a luxury for many students. Creating an on-campus coffee shop that is meant to fulfill students’ needs should not start at such a high price point.

“I prefer to go to One World [Cafe] because they use Landgrove [Coffee Roasters] coffee that is locally roasted,” Salsbury said. “It’s organic and it doesn’t have all the pesticides that commercial coffee growers use. I think that supporting organizations that support ethical production is important to me.”

While we can applaud the university for taking the initiative after Thomas Hammer decided against coming back, their effort to create a coffee shop that is more “Vandal” seems to be lacking necessary research. There should be a better investigation into how this can truly become a campus favorite without concerns over ethical practices or overpriced coffee.

Greek Week impact hard to gauge

Many students unaware of week and its purpose

Christopher Sprauge

ARGONAUT

Last week was Greek Week on campus, where all the different fraternity and sorority chapters compete in events to earn points. However, not all the students on campus are involved in Greek life.

There is a definite disparity in how Greek Week is viewed between those in Greek life, and the rest of the students not in Greek life.

Carlos De Leon, a sophomore studying agriculture business and member of Pi Kappa Alpha, said in an interview with the Argonaut, “I think Greek Week is a great opportunity to try to reach out to a large portion of the college community, and to get all of the houses together

to compete in something.”

One big way the houses build connections is through the volleyball tournament. Teams are composed of people from multiple houses, at least one fraternity and one sorority. The rounds draw people from all over Greek row, and towards the final rounds, you even end up rooting for teams that aren’t your own.

In contrast, Natalie Kessler, a senior studying economics who is not in Greek life, said, “I don’t really know what it is. I guess I just see the banners on people’s windows of the houses, and then that’s it. I follow one house on Instagram and so I see them repost some of the stuff, but I don’t really know anything about it.”

Without the integration of non-Greek students into Greek Week teams, it is

harder for them to get connected into the Greek side of campus, especially when they have no idea of what’s even happening. The goal of Greek Week here at the University of Idaho is to raise money for the Vandal Healing Garden and food donations for the Vandal Food Pantry, and for the Greek houses to get involved with the Moscow community.

For all the good Greek Week may be doing for the community, if half the people on campus have no idea what is happening or why, there is going to be less total impact. When the campus is trying to support the Vandal Healing Garden and the Vandal Food Pantry, they should especially want to see as much engagement as possible.

There are also disparate views on now Greek Week supports the Moscow

and UI communities.

De Leon also said in his interview, “One of the activities is supporting a local business so I would say yes, especially during Greek Week, the fraternity and sorority life are helping out the community by boosting the economy.” Chapters are going and collaborating with businesses and donating food and money during Greek Week events.

Kessler also said when asked if Greek Week makes an impact, “I don’t, just as an outsider, I didn’t know that those things [Vandal Food Pantry and Vandal Healing Garden] were involved. I wouldn’t say so just because it’s not something I know of.”

The separation between Greek life and non-Greek life shows, that from an outside perspective, it does not seem like Greek Week is making that much of a difference. That is mostly because non-Greek students don’t know what events are happening or they aren’t seeing how many people show up. It is not something non-Greek life students are connected to.

De Leon had an idea to help. “One thing I would like to see is if we could possibly include more of the people who aren’t in Greek life by making a team for them to participate, even though they aren’t in a house,” he said.

If this idea was implemented to some extent, it would allow greater connection between the Greek and non-Greek sections of student life, as well as bringing more attention to the charitable work Greek Week advocates for. This could hopefully result in more donations for the Vandal Food Pantry and the Vandal Healing Garden.

Starbucks location. The Vandal Brew menu features 10 coffee options and 28 total drink options, compared to Starbucks’ total of 130.

Gracie Yates | Argonaut Vandal Brew on a quiet afternoon

Henry Halcomb | Argonaut

Delta Zeta house during Greek Week

Death penalty doesn’t provide justice

The paradoxical issue of murdering murderers

Tom Howard, a photographer from the Chicago Tribune, took the first photo of capital punishment carried out by electric chair in 1928, 38 years after the first use case in New York. Howard tied a camera around his ankle with a trigger wire running up his leg. The photo showed a woman bound and blindfolded. Through the blur of the long exposure, her fear made the front page.

Even after Howard’s infamous photo, cameras have almost never been allowed into executions, and for many years after, guests were required to lift their pant legs. The execution of Allen Davis, the last person to die by electric chair in Florida in 1999, is one of the few modern photographs available of a person’s final moments at the hands of the government.

The bruised and bloody body does not show justice, only a dead victim of

torture. How can the government call capital punishment justice when they refuse transparency, and the photos which exist are filled with fear and anguish?

Recently, Bryan Kohberger took a plea deal confessing to the murder of four University of Idaho students to avoid capital punishment. Some of the families of the victims wanted a jury verdict that sentenced Kohberger to death. The families said the state of Idaho “failed” them, but would the state committing first degree murder, the exact crime Kohberger was charged with, have any meaning at all? How can the state have any more authority over who can be permitted to live than the criminals it seeks to punish?

Since 1608, a total of 8,776 people have been killed for their crimes in the United States. Of those, 277, or 3.15%, have been botched, meaning that an unanticipated delay resulted in unnecessary agony for the prisoner, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Davis’ execution was one of them.

The death penalty is losing global popularity. Only 23 United Nations member countries retain capital punish-

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ment, according to Penal Reform International, with it being legal in just half of U.S. states, including Idaho. The U.S. federal death penalty, ruled unconstitutional in 1972 but reinstated in 1988, is applied narrowly, with 16 executions in the modern era, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Currently, three prisoners are on federal death row. Medical and pharmaceutical companies including Baxter International Inc., B. Braun Medical Inc., Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer have stopped production of the chemicals used in lethal injection or refuse their sale to U.S. prisons.

In the past two decades, it has been difficult for many states with inmates on death row to source lethal injection chemicals. Botched executions by lethal injection, such as that of Clayton Lockett, whose death lasted an agonizing 43 minutes, create further pushback against capital punishment.

In March of 2025, Idaho amended a 2023 law to make the firing squad the primary method of execution if lethal injection drugs were not available. The firing squad is the only method with zero botched executions out of 34 total

executions. It will cost the state an estimated $1 million to renovate the execution chamber. In 2022, Thomas Creech, who has been on Idaho’s death row for 50 years, survived a botched execution attempt. The state had spent upwards of $400,000 to procure the lethal injection chemical and build a new execution preparation room for Creech’s ultimately failed execution in 2024 alone.

The death penalty has been found to cost up to six times more than life in prison, according to the Loyola University of Los Angeles Law Review. The failure of the state to execute Creech after 50 years of incarceration has given him significant mental health issues due to the multiple attempts and unusual level of punishment, according to his attorney, Deborah Czuba.

Creech is not an innocent man—he was convicted of five accounts of firstdegree murder. However, he has been a financial burden to the state for half a century and has suffered more than most sentenced to life in prison. The Argonaut not only opposes capital punishment in principle, but the methods and financial burden of death row.

Comedy shouldn’t be held hostage by politics

ABC bowed to political pressure, changed its mind when the public pushed back

Andrea Roberts ASUI President

On Monday morning, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” was reinstated and set to return on the evening of Tuesday, Sept. 23. This ends the show’s weeklong suspension after controversial remarks Kimmel had made about the recent assassination of Charlie Kirk.

This came days after societal pressure on Disney from unions, advocacy groups and viewers as well as boycott threats that quickly spread through social media. According to an article by The New York Times, ABC executives had “thoughtful conversations” with Kimmel before reinstating him.

spread quickly through social media.

The decision to bring Kimmel back highlights the competing forces facing Disney: threats and affiliate pushback on one side and public pressure and reputational standing on the other. NBC News reported that the company’s stock dipped as the suspension drew criticism.

During the airing of the show, Kimmel finally addressed the situation in a tear-filled monologue that was met by several standing ovations from the audience.

Kimmel said that he understood why his remarks were received as insensitive and ill-timed. “It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man,” he said.

Last week, ABC, which is owned by the Disney Corporation, suspended the show indefinitely after comments Kimmel had made in his opening.

“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel had said.

The remark sparked backlash among conservatives, who said that the statement was extremely insensitive to the matter.

Brendan Carr, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, threatened legal consequences for ABC if the network failed to act.

Disney finally released a statement on the matter after days of silence.

“Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country,” the Walt Disney Company, which owns ABC, said in a statement in The New York Times. “It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive.”

The suspension created a whirlwind of civil unrest among supporters of Kimmel. Civil liberty groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, and more than 400 entertainers signed a letter condemning Disney, calling it an act against freedom of speech. Calls to boycott the company and any others owned by Disney

While Kimmel had sympathy for his supporters and even people who did not support him, he still harshly criticized the Trump administration, saying that silencing “a comedian the president doesn’t like is anti-American.”

President Donald Trump, who has spent the past week celebrating the suspension and praising it as “great news for America” on his Truth Social media platform, has also not commented on ABC’s latest decision.

The silence leaves many unanswered questions. Is Kimmel waiting for his return to address the controversy directly? Will Trump target ABC and Disney for bringing him back, as he has done with other late night shows in the past?

The larger issue is not just whether Kimmel’s remarks were poorly timed. It is about what his suspension and reinstatement mean for the boundaries of political speech in entertainment. Disney’s decision to first cave to political pressure and then reverse it only a week later only reinforces how fragile those boundaries have become.

What happened with Kimmel shows how quickly networks can be swayed by the loudest political voices, and just as quickly be pulled back by public outrage. It is a reminder that speech on late night television is no longer judged only by audiences at home, but by the boardrooms of corporations that own it. If every controversial joke or monologue becomes a stake in a network’s survival, then the future of political comedy may be dedicated less by creativity and more by fear.

“The show is not important,” Kimmel said. “What’s important is that we get to live in a country that allows us to have a show like this.”

GALLERY: Gem State showdown ends in 1-1 thriller versus brutal Broncos

Vandals end nonconference with a 3-3-4 Jayden Barfuss ARGONAUT

The night of Thursday, Sept. 18 brought the Idaho Vandals and the Boise State University Broncos together for something bigger than just another game, and the two teams left the field matched 1-1 after an electrifying showdown.

The two universities have long been rivals as the two largest colleges in the state of Idaho. Last year’s match ended in a 3-1 loss for the Vandals, but the two teams got the chance to face off again on Thursday in the P1FCU Kibbie Dome.

After 90 minutes, the scoreboard read Idaho 1, Boise State 1. In a game filled with twists and turns, with goals scored within two minutes and three seconds of each other, the Vandals and Broncos shared the points and the pride of the Gem State while finishing nonconference play with momentum.

Vandals head coach Jeremy Clevenger was impressed with his team’s fight in finishing non-conference against a quality opponent.

“Rivalry games are going to have a lot of energy, a lot of physicality, and that’s what this was,” Clevenger said. “I thought the first half was great. We dominated the first half and were unfortunate not to get a goal there. Glad we got the first goal; it’s a good tie. They battled a tough team.”

As the game drew near, the Vandals headed back to their locker room after warmups, but graduate midfielder Annika Farley stayed out with the corner kick takers to practice her headers, a routine she performs before every game. All that practice struck gold when the whistle blew.

“I usually do that before every game,” Farley said. “Today, when we were practicing right before the game, they were pretty spot on. So, I was feeling pretty confident going into today and really excited to take advantage.”

The Vandals and Broncos emerged from their halftime locker rooms dead-

locked at 0-0, with both teams eager to find the scoresheet early in the second half.

After an excellent first half where Idaho controlled the game with sharp combinations and dictated tempo while limiting the Broncos’ opportunities, the Vandals carried their momentum into the second half.

Two minutes in, the Vandals earned a corner kick. Sophomore defender Bella Gissendanner trotted to the corner flag and delivered an inch-perfect cross that found Farley’s head. In almost the exact spot where she’d been scoring headers during warmups, Farley rose up and powered her shot into the top right corner to give Idaho the lead, a lead that lasted just two minutes.

For Farley, who started the season hot with two goals before hitting a drought, breaking through and scoring felt great.

“It felt really good to finally break through,” Farley said. “I felt like there have been a lot of chances, especially in the [Grand Canyon University] game

where there was one at the very end that I should have had. Finally getting a goal after missing a penalty kick a couple games ago feels good. And I feel like now they’ll start to roll again.”

In the 49th minute, the Broncos responded. After another promising Vandal opportunity, the ball ended up in the hands of freshman goalkeeper Ava De Leest, who launched it forward past midfield.

After the Broncos won a couple of headers, the ball fell to sophomore midfielder Jillian Anderson, who fired a rocket that beat redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Paula Flores to the top corner, tying the game.

The second half became more of a back-and-forth battle but, like the first half, the Vandals’ backline remained solid, especially junior center back Izzy Thoma. In her three-year Vandal career, Thoma has played three different positions before finding her home at center back, where she’s become the foundation of Idaho’s defense.

“This is my third position,” Thoma

said. “My freshman year I was playing midfield, and last year I was at outside back. It’s been fun to really find my role on the team. I feel like center back is a position where I can control the field well, communicate with my teammates and step up to be the leader our team needs, especially with so many new players.”

Clevenger has been impressed with Thoma’s development at center back.

“She is our rock, our engine back there,” Clevenger said. “She’s our quarterback back there organizing everyone. When she’s called upon in big situations, she always shows up. She deserves all the credit.”

The Vandals have recorded five shutouts this season and will look to continue that defensive success as they begin conference play and push for another Big Sky championship run. Idaho will kick off conference play against another in-state rival, traveling to Pocatello to face the Idaho State University Bengals on Thursday,

Sept. 25 at 6 p.m.

John Keegan | Argonaut

UI forward Calli Chiarelli takes a shot, aiming past multiple BSU defenders late in the second half

John Keegan | Argonaut

UI forward Georgia Whitehead chases down the ball, followed closely by teamate Calli Chiarelli

John Keegan | Argonaut

UI midfielder Tori Peters carries the ball out for a corner kick

John Keegan | Argonaut BSU players celebrate after scoring early in the second half

John Keegan | Argonaut

Vandals run out to the middle of the field under flashing lights after a goal

John Keegan | Argonaut

UI defender Hallie Prinos-Grumbach hypes up the team before the second half