Interim President Alan L. Smith announces proposal for college merger
By Aubrey Holdaway STATESMAN REPORTER
As part of Utah State University’s mandated strategic reinvestment effort, Interim President Alan L. Smith announced a proposal of two major college mergers in an email to all university students, employees and staff on April 10 as part of a strategic reinvestment plan required by House Bill 265. The restructuring aims to cut $12.5 million from current activities and reinvest in strategic academic areas while also navigating a separate $4.8 million budget reduction.
The university must cut $12.5 million from current activities and reinvest in new strategic initiatives under the requirements of HB265. This process runs alongside a separate $4.8 million budget reduction already underway through a voluntary separation incentive program and campus-wide efficiency efforts.
The first structural change will merge the Caine College of the Arts, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the College of Science into a new college aligned with national models for arts and sciences. Current CHaSS Dean Joe Ward will lead the new college.
The second merger will combine the S.J. & Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources with the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences. A leader for this college has not yet been named.
The email states “these mergers will strategically enhance academic programming, foster interdisciplinary scholarship, and significantly improve our ability to meet the evolving needs of our students and the state of Utah.”
According to USUSA Student Advocate-elect Colin Hastings, Student Body President Matt Richey held a Q&A with current and incoming officers to address concerns following the announcement, including the fate of newly-elected senators for the colleges being merged.
“As of now, those senators were elected to represent their students. They’re going to continue representing their students,” Hastings said.
All USUSA scholarships, including the newly elected Academic Senate’s, will go unchanged for the next academic year.
DESIGN BY Jack Burton
Abbigail Lane, senator for QCNR, said although senators will maintain their positions, their job descriptions will likely change.
“There are going to be three senators for one college now,” Lane said. “We’re being encouraged to work together and potentially restructure Academic Senate to better serve the new USU.”
Lane expressed concern over the merger’s potential impact on the colleges and majors involved.
“My initial reaction to reading this was just disbelief,” Lane said. “I feel very sad and disappointed to know that my college that I love so much will no longer exist as we know it come the new school year.”
CHaSS senator Landry Hunter shared a similar sentiment.
“I do fully understand that Utah State is doing what they can to put students first in this situation and there’s a greater problem at hand, but I can’t help but worry about the staff that have been so kind and wonderful to me,” Hunter said. “CHaSS has been a large part of my family. I can’t help but be very disappointed in seeing such negative things happen to a college that I’ve developed a real love for.”
Both Lane and Hunter fear the budget cuts and mergers will lead to the university dissolving majors with smaller numbers of graduates.
“There has been talk of some pretty important majors to students being dissolved, and that’s just not something that anybody wants to see,” Hunter said. “I want every student that is able to come to Utah State University to feel like they have a whole scope of opportunities here. Any restriction of opportunities in this way is going to be detrimental to students no matter how you shake it out.”
Lauren Tougas, CCA senator, said the merger will be a big adjustment.
“I think it’s going to be a reallocation of teachers — of staff — and just figuring out if students’ majors stay intact or if we have to reassess a little bit what our career goals are going to end up looking like based off of the changes,” Tougas said.
Hunter said the timing of the announcement was unfortunate.
“CHaSS has been planning and putting together ways to advocate for the humanities the last couple of weeks while rumors of this have been swirling around,” Hunter said. “Next week, we were planning on doing a sort of get together with students on campus to rally together.”
Lane emphasized the close-knit culture of QNCR, which she fears could be lost in the larger, merged structure.
“We have a very unique culture of community and connection because we’re so small. It allows our students to have great relationships with professors and a lot of really fantastic and tailored opportunities,” Lane said. “I’m worried about those cultures not meshing and those opportunities disappearing.”
Hunter sees the merger and the threat of losing certain majors as a reflection of the broader attitude towards the humanities in higher education.
“I feel like it’s really easy to discount the humanities in and of itself, but in all reality, those are your therapists and your lawyers and your journalists that are important people to society, and discounting the majors that get people there is extremely dangerous,” Hunter said.
While acknowledging the difficult position Smith is in, Lane called for more transparency and communication from university leadership.
“I hope that he has opportunities for transparency and gives opportunities to address this huge thing specifically before the end of the school year,” she said. “I think students would really appreciate that, and I think that administration owes that to students at least.”
Amidst uncertainty, Tougas believes these changes have the potential to improve collaboration university-wide.
“The hope is that it fosters better interdisciplinary communication between all of the colleges and that we become a more united campus,” Tougas said. “I hope that it will just speed that process along and that we can band together to still create good.”
Lane shared the desire for good to come of the changes in some way.
“I just hope that my college, the students within it and the university as a whole can work together to rebound and adjust quickly so that way, students are put first and cared for like they deserve to be,” Lane said.
Strategic planning will continue through the upcoming academic year as the new colleges define their leadership structures, academic priorities and internal governance.
Aubrey Holdaway is a journalism student losing the battle with senioritis. She’s a lover of sludge-y music, black cats and spring edition Red Bull.
— a.holdaway@usu.edu
Painting pride: Logan’s 2025 Public Art Action Plan
By Alici Archibald STATESMAN REPORTER
The 2025 Public Art Action Plan seeks to expand and build on community art, promising to enhance Logan’s cultural identity, engage residents and make the city a more vibrant, connected place for all.
The plan continues to expand its public art initiatives as it builds on a foundation established by the Public Art Master Plan adopted in June 2020. This plan aims to integrate art into public spaces, enhancing community engagement and cultural identity.
One mural completed last June was painted by Utah State University alum Liesl Cannon.
“I hope that it told a story of our favorite things to do here in Cache Valley,” Cannon told Utah State Today shortly after completing the project. The mural, standing on 39 W. 100 N. next to Somebody’s Attic, depicts Cache Valley throughout the seasons.
In September 2024, Ogden-based artist Cole Eisenhower completed a mural on 260 N. Main St. honoring Cache Valley’s Native American history. That same month, Merlin Olsen Park finished its wildlife-themed tunnel mural.
According to Aaron Smith, Logan’s neighborhood improvement manager, Merlin Olsen Park’s empty walls made it an ideal site for public art installations, with each new mural contributing to the area’s vibrant aesthetic. Smith leads the Public Art Program. He said all of these art pieces were met with positive feedback from residents, reinforcing the city’s commitment to transforming public spaces through creative expression.
Alici Archibald is a studying journalism who loves all things related to news. You may spot her playing the trumpet in the Aggie Marching and Pep Bands.
— a.archibald@usu.edu
News Release: USU confirms student visas have been impacted by Trump Admin
According to an article in the Salt Lake Tribune published on April 8, more than 50 college students in the state of Utah accross public, private and community colleges have had their student visas affected by the Trump admin.
USU is the only public university to not disclose an exact number of students who have been affected.
Associate Vice President for Strategic Communications Amanda DeRito shared a statement disclosing USU’s position on the matter.
“We are continuing keep close track of actions that can affect USU’s international community, and we are reminding our students to be vigilant in monitoring their visa status.
International students and visiting scholars should contact their advisor in Global Engagement if they have questions and concerns about their individual situation,” DeRito wrote in an email to The Utah Statesman.
DeRito also urged students to get connected to on-campus resources during this time.
“We also know this is an added stress at a particularly stressful time of year, the end of the semester. For emotional and mental support, USU students can reach out to Counseling and Prevention Services for a confidential conversation or reach out to the CARE Office for support and referrals,” DeRito wrote.
newspaper for Utah State University since 1902. Reporting online 24/7. Printed weekly during the school year.
Utah Statesman, April 14, 2025
STATESMAN STAFF REPORT
PHOTO BY Claire Ott
Utah State Capitol, as seen on March 6, 2024.
PHOTOS BY Alici Archibald
Murals at Merlin Olsen Central Park
67th Robins Awards recognize students and staff
By Bailey Daniels STATESMAN REPORTER
On April 4 at 7 p.m., Utah State University hosted its most coveted honors event. The 67th annual Robins Awards ceremony was held in the TSC Evan N. Stevenson Ballroom. Students, faculty and staff dressed their best to celebrate the night’s recipients and enjoy a night of jazz afterwards.
Sixteen awards were presented to students, faculty and organizations each with a unique recipient who the committee deemed most deserving. Three of the annual awards are named after the Robins family.
The Nicholas Robins award was presented to Ta’Mariah Jenkins, a political science major who is committed to addressing educational inequalities in marginalized groups. 2023-24 Miss USU Regan Tracy won the Geraldine Robins award. Tracy is an advocate for inclusivity for women and underrepresented groups in STEM. Finally, the Bill E. Robins memorial award was achieved by Student Events Executive Director Ashlynn Smith, who has a passion for education, personal connections and student involvement.
over 20 years and will be retiring this summer.
The Gerald R. Sherratt award annually goes to a member of USU administration or staff who shows unmatched dedication to the university and may be overlooked despite this. This year, it was earned by Tresa Barton. Barton has been the custodial supervisor of the TSC for
“I hope that I made it a little bit better at the TSC for all the people who came through our building,” Barton wrote in an email to The Utah Statesman. “I feel a job is what you put into it, so my belief is “Be happy and enjoy what you do!” I have made many lifelong friends here at Utah State and I will miss them all!”
One of her favorite parts about working at USU was getting to watch the students she worked with graduate, and Barton said she hopes to have made even a small impact
on their lives going forward.
The Scholar of the Year award is presented to a student who has shown excellent skill and knowledge and has contributed to research in their field. This year, the award was won by Sophia Hessami, biological engineering student. She is the editor-in-chief of USU’s undergraduate research journal Curiosity and works as a research assistant in the College of Engineering.
“Honestly, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what set me apart, especially given how incredibly smart, involved, and dedicated the other finalists are,” Hessami wrote in an email to the Statesman. “If I had to guess, being named USU’s only Goldwater Scholar in 2024 likely played a role.”
Bailey Daniels is a junior studying technology systems. She loves Lana Del Rey, sweet treats and all things whimsical.
— bailey.daniels@usu.edu
April 2
Officers were dispatched to the Geology Building for an animal problem. The complainant stated a bird fell from the building and was not moving. Officers walked around the building twice and were unable to locate a bird.
April 2
An officer was dispatched to Merrill Hall for an animal problem. North Park Animal Control had arrived and had custody of a stray dog. Officers spoke with complainants who stated they were walking out of the TSC when they saw the dog. The animal was checked for a chip and transported to the county shelter.
April 5
Officers responded to a suspicious person call at Mountain View Tower. The complainant stated there was a person yelling who seemed to be very angry and was causing a disturbance. Upon arriving at the scene, officers made contact with the individudal and provided resources such as Connect, Assist, Refer, Empower, also known as CARE, and Counseling and Prevention Services, also referred to as CAPS.
April 5
USU officers, along with Logan City medical personnel, responded to Aggie Legacy Fields to assist with an injury. The individual was transported to Logan Regional Hospital by ambulance for further observation and treatment.
PHOTOS BY Hazel Harris
Robins Awards winners Ella Leonelli, Ta’Mariah Jenkins and Ashlynn Smith.
Allie Berry crowned Miss USU
By Malory Rau STATESMAN REPORTER
On the evening of April 8, Miss Student Alumni Association Allie Berry was crowned the 2025 Miss USU in the TSC Evan N. Stevenson Ballroom after a night of cheers and tears from both contestants and audience members.
Berry was crowned alongside first attendant Miss Involvement Kylie Back and second attendant Miss Business Megan Bagley.
“I really want to shout out all of my girls. They were so kind and so sweet, and I seriously would break off every piece of this crown and give it to them. I’m just so — I’m so proud of everyone,” Berry said.
There were 13 contestants this year, with one from each college as well as Miss Involvement, Miss Athlete, Miss Greek and Miss SAA.
This year’s People’s Choice, voted on through Instagram likes, is Miss Greek Ella Martin. Miss Engineering Sydney Traveller was voted to be this year’s Miss Congeniality by the contestants.
The judging panel consisted of former Miss USU and USUSA President Clara Holdstock, current USUSA President Matt Richey, Stewart Needham from S.E. Needham Jewelers and alumni center representative Shelley Wardell.
Unique to this year’s competition, among the contestants was a set of twin sisters. Miss Graduate Studies Katelyn Parker and Miss College of Humanities and Social Sciences Eileen Parker are identical twins who competed together and were each other’s escorts.
The program started with a performance number from the contestants, followed by the talent portion with performances ranging from piano, singing, dancing, drag, poetry, a fashion show and a stunt performance.
For her talent, in what one of the emcees called a “ground-breaking revelation,” Miss Grad Studies revealed her identity as the face behind the Instagram account usu_bathrooms, which is dedicated to ranking bathrooms on the USU Logan campus.
In her identity reveal, she dubbed one of the worst bathrooms on campus to be those located in the HPER and the best to be the bathrooms in the Mehdi Heravi Global Teaching and Learning Center.
Alexis Lyman, 2024-25 Miss USU guest, spoke after the talent portion, reflecting on her year with the crown.
“I dedicated anywhere from five to 15 hours a week to this position. It’s a lot of work, but I’m really, really thankful that I had the opportunity to do it,” Lyman said.
Those 15 hours were often dedicated to Lyman’s platform titled “Seen, Heard, Known,” which she promoted through the Miss USU Instagram account.
“I want to remind you all, including myself, that you are seen, heard, known,” Lyman said.
After the winner announcement was made, Lyman spoke to The Utah Statesman about passing the crown to Berry and reflected on what that transition was like with her and 2023-24 Miss USU Regan Tracey.
“Regan taught me to embrace my personality. She taught me to be proud of myself and to do what I feel like is important. She also just taught me to be very strong and sure of myself and to exude confidence,” Lyman said.
The question portion of the evening proceeded, where the contestants were escorted by a close family member, partner or friend of their choice and asked a range of questions all centered around the spirit of USU.
After the question portion, while the judges evaluated each contestant, the audience was shown a video of each contestant doing a USU spinoff of the famous talk show segment “Carpool Karaoke,” but instead of a car, contestants and the emcees rode in a golf cart around campus singing songs like “Determinate” from Lemonade Mouth or “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None the Richer.
Miss USU is annually put on during the spring semester by the SAA in the TSC ballroom and is a non-ticketed event open to the public, unlike its Mr. USU counterpart, which is held in the fall in the Newel and Jean Daines Concert Hall and is a ticketed event put on by the USUSA Traditions Committee.
If news editor Malory Rau were to compete in Miss USU, her talent would be demonstrating her ability to not crack under the pressure of breaking news depsite constant tests from the university.
PHOTOS BY Elise Gottling
The Miss USU contestants pose for a picture together after the Miss USU pagent.
2024-25 Miss USU Alexis Lyman gives a speech at the 2025 Miss USU pagent on April 8.
‘Bear Aware’ with Hardware Wildlife Education Center
By Essence Barnes STATESMAN REPORTER
Sunny skies and rising temperatures aren’t only drawing humans out of hibernation for the winter but black bears too. To educate locals on how to stay safe while camping and hiking in Utah’s awakening bear country, the Hardware Wildlife Education Center created an interactive bear safety exhibit named “Bear Aware.” Utah is roughly 80% bear country, and with black bear sightings on the rise in Cache Valley, it is important for the center to inform locals on what to do to avoid an encounter. This exhibit is open for three weekends in April and teaches attendees a range of skills including how to tell the difference between brown and black bears, how to tell if a bear is nearby and how to set up a bear-safe campsite. According to Barbara Tew, information specialist for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and assistant manager for the center, the average hiker or camper may not know enough about bear safety to safely explore Utah’s vast bear country.
“People are not storing their food correctly, and that brings the bears down,” Tew said. “They need to keep those smells out of their campgrounds, and they are not doing that.”
Black bears have a sense of smell much stronger than a human, allowing them to pick up on scents from roughly two miles away. Once they find food at a home or campground, they will likely return in hopes of finding another easy meal. According to Tew, all it takes is a whiff of food, beer, fish or even soap to attract a hungry black bear.
“We usually say, ‘A fed bear is a dead bear’ because if they eat your food, they’re going to come to you again,” Tew said. “When a bear gets accustomed to people and finds their garbage and goes, ‘Oh, I like people, and I smell people — I’m going to go find them,’ that’s when we have to move them.”
Bears returning to homes and campsites in search of food can become dangerous, so the DWR uses bear traps to
capture and relocate them back to their habitats. The center includes a bear trap in the exhibit to show attendees how scents are used to lure the bears inside.
Though black bears are omnivores, only 10% of their diet includes protein, and the remaining 90% consists of plants and berries.
“Bears have to eat 20,000 calories a day to put on all the fat that they have,” Tew said. “They’re not getting a lot of calories, so they have to eat all the time.”
The exhibit includes an interactive campsite setup, allowing locals to examine the sleeping, garbage and meal areas to determine which parts were bear-safe and which parts were not.
“You should have a 100-foot triangle between you, your trash and your meal area,” Tew said.
Attendees use note cards to label each part of the campsite as examples of good or bad bear safety. For example, clean dishes are an example of good bear safety. Leaving food or fragranced soaps in the tent is an example of bad bear safety.
The exhibit also includes bear and animal hides, a bear den reading corner, a bear craft and a variety of hidden bear jokes for attendees to find and answer. The interactive elements make it a perfect educational stop for families and children, including Michaela Meats and her five kids.
“We’re learning about bears for when we go camping this summer because there’s an increase in bear population and sightings,” Meats said.
According to Tew, the bear population in Cache Valley increased around two years ago during a heavy winter that led to a decline in the deer population. This increase is expected to result in greater black bear sightings this year as the cubs leave their mothers and go out looking for their own food sources.
“It is really educational for kids,” Meats said. According to Meats, exposing her kids to bear safety infor-
mation through an interactive, hands-on method like the exhibit made the learning process more fun and digestible for them.
“I can tell them to stay away from things, but sometimes, they don’t always listen to what I say,” Meats said.
Tew said the reason bear sightings have been on the rise recently in Cache Valley is largely because of human encroachment and activity.
“People go further now. They live further out now,” Tew said. “They need to stay on the trails — stay on the roads.”
Practicing bear safety isn’t only about keeping hikers and campers safe but also keeping the bears safe as well. Bears too dangerous to be safely relocated from camping or hiking trails may face being hunted and killed.
“We love our bears — we love all of our wildlife — and we don’t want to have to kill them,” Tew said. “If you are unsafe and you get that bear habituated to humans, then we have to kill them because they become dangerous.”
According to Tew, one is far more likely to avoid an interaction with a black bear in the Utah wilderness if they keep these tips in mind.
Essence Barnes is a second-year student majoring in journalism and minoring in environmental studies. She enjoys reading, writing and caffeine.
PHOTOS BY Aubrey Holdaway
Michaela Meats walking through the exhibit with her children.
‘FINAL_FINAL:’ Design senior showcase
By Brook Wood
In the culmination of four years of study, the 19 seniors in Utah State University’s graphic design program will showcase their 2025 capstone projects in an exhibition that according to the students, reflects not only their technical skill but also their personal growth, creative voices and vision for the future.
The USU Graphic Design BFA Show will be held from 6–9 p.m. on April 25 at West Main Studio in Salt Lake City. It is free to attend and will be open-house style — people can come and go as they please.
Anna Nelson, senior in the graphic design program and head of the marketing committee for the showcase, outlined what attendees can expect to see at the exhibition.
“The exhibition is the culmination of our entire time here in the program as well as everything that we’ve done over the past four years,” Nelson said. “You’re not necessarily seeing all of it, but you’re seeing the result of four years of learning and four years of work: lots of posters, lots of editorial work, some capstone research projects and then all of our portfolios. So, it’s kind of an opportunity for us to show what we’ve learned and what the result of the design program is for each of us.”
Bryson King, another graphic design senior, shared why people should attend the event.
“Not only are you going to see fun and different designs, but you’re also going to see members of your community who are participating in this kind of stuff — local talent or local art or design,” King said. “I think that’s really important. It’s important not only to support the community but just know what’s available — who’s out there doing things.”
Each senior will have a portfolio with up to eight projects as well as a variety of designs displayed around the venue, including posters, zines, book covers and logos.
According to King, the exhibition is not an art gallery but rather an opportunity for people to see the different aspects of design.
“Design is more problem-solving than it is art,” King said. “There’s a little bit of art in it, but I feel like you’re going to see how different people have solved different problems using design and visual language.”
Meg Demille heads the show design committee and will also be presenting her work.
“This kind of gives you an idea of what our world has been built on in design,” Demille said. “You cannot buy from a
company, you cannot read a magazine, see a movie — any of the anything in culture that is so big — you can’t do any of that without somebody who has designed it. Everything that you touch has been thoughtfully made and curated by somebody who is trying to solve a problem.”
The title of the exhibition is “FINAL_FINAL,” meant to signify how one is never actually finished with revisions, according to Demille.
“Instead of it actually being final, it’s ‘FINAL_FINAL’ — this one, this time, print this — the revisions are never actually done,” Demille said.
King said the seniors started with 30 different names and themes for the showcase and then voted and narrowed it down to five.
“We each had an opportunity to build one or two directions from those names, and then we voted on which of those directions with the names that we liked, and we landed on this one,” King said. “Everybody had a chance to try something, but this is the one that we all felt represented us the best.”
Annie Zaugg, senior in graphic design and head of the venue committee, discussed her experience with the USU graphic design program.
“It was like, ‘Oh, I’m not necessarily just making things for myself, but I’m making things for the world around me,’”
Zaugg said. “Then I began to learn more, and the program seemed super cool and super fun. It’s not really what I thought it was going to be going into it, and I think that’s kind of funny because what I understand graphic design to me is not what other people think graphic design is.”
Nelson, King, Demille and Zaugg agree they have come a long way since the start of their undergraduate journeys.
“I went back, and I looked at some of my first ever projects before graphic design classes or during them, and I kind of got a little emotional,” Zaugg said. “I can see progress, and I didn’t really realize how much progress I had made.”
The students included how appreciative they are for the professors in the graphic design program and how they helped the seniors get to where they are today.
“Now I can actually look at my stuff, and I can be like, ‘I am so proud of this,’” Demille said. “I actually am, and it’s not just because she thinks it’s good or my professor thinks it’s good. It’s because I am better at what I’m doing, and I think it’s good to actually know what you’re doing.”
Not only is it a marker of their progress, but the exhibition will also be key in cultivating a network for the seniors and for future aspects of their careers.
“Having this exhibition is like, ‘I’m here. I made it. I’ve been able to progress, and I’ve been able to learn,’” Zaugg said. “It kind of opens it up for the future — I can still learn more. I can still grow more. It’s like this halfway point of, ‘Look — I know I can do it now’ because look at where I’ve come from — I wonder where I’ll go.”
“The Checkered Flag” covers anything and everything motorsport. From Formula 1 circuits to the backcountry rally racing, Jaxon tells stories from the motoring world every Thursday at 10:30 a.m. and looks into what has influenced car cultures today.
Brook Wood is working towards receiving a bachelor’s degree in literature. When they aren’t writing or reading, they enjoy playing the violin in the USU Symphony Orchestra and the occasional sweet treat. — b.wood@usu.edu
Sunday Afternoon Cardinal Bloom
I2I
Magnolia Park, Disney
Welcome to Paradise Green Day
Double Dutch RDGLDGRN
The Power Of Love Huey Lewis & The News
PHOTO BY Jack Burton
Bryson King, left, Meg Demille, Anna Nelson and Annie Zaugg pose with a shirt from their 2025 showcase in the Fine Arts Visual Building on April 7.
Lauren Watts: Type, texture and transformation in design
By Lacey Cintron STATESMAN REPORTER
From painting and drawing to music and theater, Utah State University is home to a spectrum of artists, each working to hone their individual craft. Fourthyear graphic design student Lauren Watts is one such artist.
“I started out my degree in drawing and painting but then switched to graphic design,” Watts said. “I like working in acrylic and oil if I’m doing something more naturalistic, but graphic design is probably my favorite thing.”
Watts is currently collaborating with New York City-based fashion designer Pono Skousen.
“Working on the branding for his ready-to-wear and couture line is super cool because his stuff is going to be in a Vogue catalog this spring,” Watts said. “I’m moving back to New York after I graduate, so I’m excited to work with him and find other designers to collaborate with.”
Watt’s love of art began as an exchange student in Germany when she was 15, sketching to pass the time.
“When I would go to school with my exchange student, I wasn’t taking the coursework she was, so I would have to go to school and sit there, so to entertain myself, I would draw,” Watts said. “It started from there. I’ve drawn and sketched since I was little, but when I started again in ninth grade — that’s when it took off, and I started drawing a lot more.”
Watts has gone on to study and practice various art mediums and is set to appear in the USU Graphic Design BFA Show on April 25.
“I’m a very visual person. I love going to art museums, and I could spend literally hours in museums just looking at paintings,” Watts said.
Mike Daines, graphic design professor in the Caine College of the Arts, has worked closely with Watts in several classes.
“Lauren is extremely talented and extremely diligent . She thinks really deeply about what she’s doing,” Daines said. “She has a really sophisticated design sensibility and a mature sense that shows through in her work.”
Watt’s current focus is typography, a subset of graphic design that centers around the formatting, arrangement and appearance of text. According to Watts, typography is a niche yet important element of any design — type helps set the tone of a piece and acts as a conduit for the message an artist intends to send.
“I love type because it can communicate a lot with a very small amount of information,” Watts said. “There’s ways to change the type or switch out tiny components of type to portray a different message.”
Typography plays a huge role in the realm of marketing and branding and was a major aspect of Watts’ work with Skousen.
“[Watts has] designed custom typography and created a really great brand for Skousen’s fashion line,” Daines said. “That speaks to the different levels that make Lauren a strong student. She’s traveling, and she’s collaborating outside of her discipline.”
Type can portray a lot of subtle messaging beyond the straightforward meaning of the words. According to flux-academy.com, stylistic choices about bolding, italicizing, sizing and choice of font work to create harmony, draw attention and set the appropriate mood for the message and the piece at large.
“Through school, I realized graphic design is a lot different from what I had in my head,” Watts said. “Still, I really fell in love with the reality of design where there’s this analytical side and a client-relationship side, but there’s also a lot of room for exploration and experimentation.”
Some of the earliest forms of communication relied solely on imagery, as seen in Egyptian hieroglyphics and Phoenician phonograms. With the invention of the printing press and moveable type, typography became less about art and more so about informing and capturing the attention of the masses. Today, graphic designers can work with endless tools and typefaces to both create new and revitalize old typography.
“It’s really fun to go to an antique store and find old typefaces that feel dated in a negative way and do what’s called a ‘historical revival,’” Watts said. “You take the typeface
and then update the terminals or the specific components to make it feel contemporary.”
Art is often a reflection of the time and culture in which it is made. Entire academic fields are dedicated to studying the ways in which visual formats — art, film, photography, architecture and pottery, to name a few — shape how people come to understand the world.
“I love studying visual culture, and I think that it’s really interesting because it can inform how our society functions at a really deep level,” Watts said.
Lacey Cintron is majoring in psychology. She loves learning about the human mind, sharing stories and naps.
PHOTO BY Jack Burton
Lauren Watts poses with some of her design work in her studio space at the Fine Arts Visual Building on March 27.
Arena to Capitol: Rodeo club advocates for sport
By Gabriella Kozic STATESMAN REPORTER
The Utah State University Rodeo Club recently saddled up for an important trip to the Utah State Capitol, joining other collegiate teams to advocate for state support of college rodeo. Their presence was more than symbolic — it was a strategic step toward securing funding for a sport that demands significant resources. At the same time, the team has its eyes set on qualifying for nationals, pushing through a tightly packed season of high-stakes competition.
“Starting last year, the Snow College Rodeo Team got us hooked up with a deal that’s funding through the state, and so all the colleges that have rodeo teams in the State of Utah all got to go down to the Capitol building and just meet with some people there in the Congress and just kind of represent college rodeo for the State of Utah,” said Payt Goodey, third-year student and vice president of the team.
“They actually made an exception for us — hats aren’t allowed on the center floor, but they bypassed that rule for us so we could wear our cowboy hat on the floor,” Goodey said. “We also wore the vests that we’re required to wear with the Utah State logo on it.”
The Capitol presentations are part of a broader push by Utah’s rodeo programs to secure funding through the state.
“Last year, we got about $15,000 from the state, which is a big difference for us as a club sport,” Goodey said.
“We’ve got fuel and hotels and entry fees and stalls and trucks and trailers and horses, so there’s a million different expenses that we have to cover. The more that the club can cover, the less it is out of the pocket of the students.”
While the Snow College coach handled the official presentation, representatives from each school stood front and center.
“Three of us were from Utah State: the men’s captain, women’s captain and myself,” Goodey said. “We set a lot of big goals we want to see happen with the Utah State rodeo. We want to be able to fund our own truck and trailer — our own boarding facility.”
Goodey said setting these goals helps the students so they don’t have to pay an extreme amount of money to keep their horses nearby.
Back in the arena, the team is grinding through their season with a clear goal: qualifying for the College National Finals Rodeo, or CNFR.
“We really only have 10 rodeos a year or season to secure a spot,” said Grace Wittstrom, women’s rodeo team captain. “We’re just making every rodeo count.”
Wittstrom, third-year student majoring in agricultural systems technology and agribusiness, never planned to do college rodeo until she brought her horse to school and got talked into joining by teammates.
“It’s the best decision I ever made — just the fulfillment I get of traveling with my team, and it’s just awesome,” she said. “It’s so much fun.”
As captain, Wittstrom emphasizes mental preparation as much as physical training.
“Rodeo is 80% mindset and 20% skill,” she said. Visualization is a big part of Wittstrom’s routine. “I visualize that whole process of what it feels like, what the sky looks like, what my calf looks like.”
The team’s mental game is a shared priority. Weekly team podcasts focus on rodeo and mental toughness, while practice sessions often stimulate competition pressure.
“So, a lot of times what our coaches do is [say], ‘Hey, you’ve got to catch the first three in a row, and you guys will get soda, or if you miss or you don’t do this right, you have to go do sprints or push-ups,” Wittstrom said. It’s about “getting those nerves up and replicating those feelings of competition.”
Standout performances this season include first-year Maddie Rockwell and Brooke Morris, who’s found early success in barrel racing.
“We’re just really proud of all of our teammates but specifically the young ones who just joined our program,” Wittstrom said. “Everything’s new and exciting, so the fact that they could step up their first year and really be a competitive aspect of our team has been really impressive.”
Rodeo at USU isn’t just an individual pursuit — it’s a tight-knit team.
“Compared to other teams, we’re relatively small, but with that, there’s kind of this intimacy within our relationships or within our team that we get a lot of one-onone mentorship and a lot of stuff that you wouldn’t get
from other rodeo teams.,” Wittstrom said. “Our team has over doubled in size in the past couple of years, and I think that we’re going to continue doing that.”
That growth includes community visibility. Each fall, USU hosts its own rodeo, a longstanding tradition that connects the team with the local community and serves as a showcase for their skills and commitment.
According to Wittstrom, whether in the arena or at the Capitol, the USU rodeo team is proving it’s a force to be reckoned with — determined, disciplined and not afraid to make their voices heard.
Gabriella Kozic is a first-year student from Easton, Pennsylvania. studying journalism and communications. She is a die-hard New York sports fan. She loves to read, write and play guitar and sports. Most of all, she loves her friends, family and her dog DJ.
— gabriella.kozic@usu.edu
PHOTOS BY Elise Gottling
The horses of the Utah State University’s Western Equestrian Team stand in a line during practice on April 7.
Emmee Bair ropes a cattle during the USU Western Equestrian Team’s practice.
Mohammad Alkotop: Representing family name
By Mikey Bishop STATESMAN REPORTER
Growing up in Amman, Jordan, Mohammad Alkotop was constantly surrounded by soccer balls and cleats, yet it was always a tennis racket and ball that caught his eye.
“I started playing tennis around 5 years old because of my brother,” Alkotop said. “My dad used to own a shop at the Tennis Federation, and my brother and I began playing.”
Since he began playing, Alkotop has continued to improve his skills alongside his brother. This consistent practice and dedication opened the door for Alkotop to represent his home country of Jordan in various tennis events.
“We just went and put the energy and work in,” Alkotop said. “We saw a racket and a tennis ball, and we played. We played for the national team, and I was enjoying it. It was such a fun sport.”
Once he moved to the United States to further his academic and athletic careers, he was greeted with more opportunities to represent his homeland of Jordan in the Davis Cup.
“I played in the Davis Cup, which is like the World Cup of tennis — being one of the biggest stages to represent your country,” Alkotop said.
According to Alkotop, he had significant interest from various Division I programs but ultimately decided to sign with Utah State University and represent the Aggies on the tennis court. Although he is far from home and his family, Alkotop has grown to love Logan and has seen himself grow into a new man.
“It is all a great adventure,” Alkotop said. “I have become more independent because in Jordan, everything was there for me. When you’re hungry, you ask your mom to make you food, but here, you have to take care of yourself, which I like.”
Although he immensely misses the food, friends and family in Jordan, Alkotop said he is extremely grateful for all the opportunities he has been given at Utah State and in the United States.
“It is awesome to play Division I — traveling with the boys to matches. This is the most fun part about it, and you get to be in school, go to class and then go to practice right after,” Alkotop said. “It’s a lot easier than being in another place in the world.”
Alkotop arrived in Logan as a first-year student and immediately made an impact. In 2024, he won Mountain West Freshman of the Year, was a part of the All-Mountain West team for singles and was selected for the Mountain West tournament team for doubles.
Alkotop’s doubles partner was David Martirosian for the majority of his first year. Together, the duo experienced plenty of success.
“On the tennis court, he has a unique personality,” Martirosian said. “He’s very joyful on the court, but whenever he has to be serious, he is serious. It is good to see him when he comes down in the serious moments and locks in and hits the right shots at the right moments.”
Outside of tennis, Martirosian and Alkotop became good friends.
“As a friend, he’s a good person and very honest,” Martirosian said. “He likes to have fun off the court. He likes having good vibes, so I always enjoy hanging around with him.”
Poised for a huge sophomore season, Alkotop said he came into his second year ready to work. He boasts a 12-2 record in singles, and according to the ATP Tour, he is ranked the No. 966 best doubles player in the world. This is just the beginning for Alkotop, who has big goals and aspirations for USU tennis.
“Of course, winning the Mountain West and going to nationals is the big goal for us,” Alkotop said. “Hopefully, this year we can achieve it, as last year we won the regular season, which was awesome.”
Although he’s currently focused on helping the USU team, he has aspirations for his tennis career post-graduation.
“My personal goal is to be one of the top players in the world and reach my potential,” Alkotop said. “I want to keep enjoying tennis, enjoying life and working hard wherever life takes me.”
A desire and hunger to be the best is nothing new to Alkotop, as he continually draws motivation from his family and hopes to make them proud.
“I want to change the family name. I want my family name to be on top of the world,” Alkotop said. “When people hear my name, I want them to know exactly who I am and my family. I also was not raised in a very rich family, and I want to change that whole aspect of my family and make it big for them.”
Alkotop and the Aggies will look to continue their season of success when they take on the New Mexico Lobos on April 17 at 11 a.m. in Logan.
Mikey is a sophomore studying journalism. He is from Virginia but is an avid Boston sports fan.
— mikey.bishop@usu.edu
PHOTOS BY Claire Ott
TMohammad Alkotop, USU tennis player, lines up to hit a ball during a practice at the Sports Academy and Racquet Club on April 10.
Two Wheels, Zero Fees
By Abbi Bradley, Mya Karbasi, Callie Middleton and Jackson Stewart
Editor’s Note: Guest Columns and Letter to The Editors are pubished as submitted.
Want to get to class on your own time, rather than when the bus or traffic wants you to? Students at Utah State University often find themselves on a crowded or late bus, or stuck in traffic on the way to class, consequently making them late to where they need to be. Aggie Blue Bikes has a solution for this. Aggie Blue Bikes is an on-campus student resource at Utah State University that has been operating since 2005. The small shop located at the edge of the campus hub offers year-round bike rentals and teaches students how to maintain and fix their bikes. Through student tuition and bike donations, Aggie Blue Bikes can offer free bike rentals in three-month increments as well as offer tools, parts, and lessons for free or little cost to students and faculty on the Logan campus.
Aggie Blue Bikes’ mission is to get people on bikes to promote health, sustainability, and combat the air pollution that negatively affects Cache Valley every winter. To better foster a community of bikers on campus and promote this valu-
Aggie Blue Bikes’ mission is to get people on bikes to promote health, sustainability, and combat the air pollution that negatively affects Cache Valley every winter.
able resource, a team of Utah State University Students is hosting a commitment party during Bike to Breakfast. This event will be held on April 16th between 7:30 am and 10 am. Here, students can enjoy free food as they bike to breakfast and commit to riding their bikes to campus 2 days out of the week to both benefit themselves and the environment. To join the fun, meet outside Aggie Blue Bikes, located between the Military Science Building and the Fieldhouse at the time above! The benefits of committing to riding your bike don’t just stop there either! In the beginning winter months, Aggie Blue Bikes will hold their annual Winterize Your Wheels event, where they get students prepared to ride in the colder and snowier weather. At this event, those who committed to riding their bike to campus during Bike to Breakfast will receive free lights and fenders to help further their commitment to biking to campus in the wintertime!
Overall, Biking is a great way to get to class faster, save on a parking pass, and improve well-being. We can’t wait to see you commit to starting or continuing your riding journey with us at Bike to Breakfast!
Review: What I learned from ‘The Aunties’
By Esther Owens STATESMAN REPORTER
Iam an auntie like my aunties before me.”
Such were the words of Mickaela Allison, one of three women who told their stories at “The Aunties,” a contemporary Indigenous performance held at the Ellen Eccles Theatre in downtown Logan.
The show is part of a larger project being made into a film documentary. This show was specifically tailored to the Utah area, featuring storytellers from the tribes of this land.
In Indigenous cultures, an auntie is a matriarchal figure who guides the younger generation and passes down her wisdom. The performance featured three aunties, each in a different season of life, telling their story from their lived experience.
As the women performed, I noticed a pattern: The more experience they had, the more relaxed they seemed to be on the stage.
The first storyteller was Allison, a Navajo woman. She chose to tell her story in four parts, as the number four is a significant number in Navajo culture, representing the four directions, seasons and colors.
Allison told her story in a way that was easy to follow, by tying each aspect of her life — from her urban lifestyle, the business she started and the work she does with youth in her community — into her identity as an auntie. In keeping with the thematic number four, Allison began and ended her story by reciting, “There is beauty again” four times over — a line from the traditional Navajo prayer “The Beauty Way.”
The second storyteller was Randy’L Teton, a member of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes. Contrary to Allison, who sat promptly in a chair to tell her story, reading carefully written words off of a page, Teton stood on the stage in a casual stance. She wanted, she said, to give the audience a sense of where she’s been and where she’s going. Teton took the audience all the way back to the origins of her last name, drawing a metaphorical historical map. Through learning how her last name came to be — it was essentially forced upon her people by the federal government — her interest in history and museum studies was piqued with this question in her mind: “Why did we keep the names we didn’t choose for ourselves?”
Something Teton is known for is being the model for the Sacagawea dollar coin. When discussing being chosen as the model, she said something that stuck out to me: “The lights shined on me because of the way I looked.” She said this not with vanity or pride but with humility in almost a displeased, disappointed way.
The final storyteller, Regina Lopez-Whiteskunk of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, began her story by walking onto
the stage while singing. This proved to be fitting, as the theme woven throughout her piece was the power of using one’s voice.
She shared pieces of her own writing over the years, such as “Water Bodies,” which explores the sacred role of water in many Indigenous cultures. She, like Allison and Teton, shared stories from her childhood, saying that memories are something we get to “fall upon” as adults. Lopez-Whiteskunk didn’t sit stick-straight in a lone chair or stand to tell her story. She sat comfortably at a table on the stage with Allison and Teton, reading with glasses perched on her nose. By telling her story this way, it felt as though she was embodying the auntie identity in the most authentic way: a warm maternal figure, sitting down to pass down her wisdom to us through gentle yet powerful story telling.
At the end of the performance, when thinking about which storyteller I enjoyed the most, more so than anything, I simply noticed their differences and how they painted a picture of seasons of life.
Allison, the youngest auntie, represented youthful eagerness and thoroughness in telling her story. Teton came across as a witty motherly figure, having told her story many times, with a jaded sense of humor. Lopez-White-
skunk brought the performance home with a sense of calmness, authenticity and peace.
Rather than explicitly mentioning their identity as an auntie, the two older women wove that sentiment subtly throughout their stories, making it evident without explicitly saying it.
The way each auntie told her story taught me there seems to be a lovely sageness and wisdom that comes with time spent in this world and a sense of understanding that comes with experience.
Esther Owens is a sophomore studying journalism. When she’s not busy working on a story, she’s probably at the climbing wall.
—
www.sudokuoftheday.com.
Photo by Alici Archibald