Utah State University, Logan, Utah
Week of November 27, 2023
Polling students’ environmental concerns
By Malory Rau NEWS REPORTER
Utah State University is aiming to be carbon neutral by 2040. This begs the question: Do students care about USU’s carbon emissions, and do they care about the environment in general?
The Utah Statesman put out an online poll surveying the environmental concerns of students at USU.
Environmental concerns included in the poll are as follows: wildfires, climate change, increased temperatures, population growth, drought, the drying up of the Great Salt Lake, poor air quality and changing access to public lands.
The poll also asked students on how they interact with the outdoors, where 61% of students answered that access to outdoor recreation and/or wilderness and public lands is either very or extremely important to their lifestyle.
“I try to be outside as much as I can,” said USU student Caitlyn Balstin.
With the intention to understand what USU students think about their surrounding environment in Logan, as well as the state of Utah in general, the online poll received 78 responses, with a general consensus leaning towards concern for the environment.
The resulting top three concerns students have the most interest in are drought, the drying up of the Great Salt Lake and poor air quality. The concern with the least amount of interest was climate change.
“I’m from Minnesota, so moving here, like the air quality’s been the thing I think about, I never really had to think about that until I got here,” said USU student Caleb Bradbury.
USUSA College of Natural Resources Senator Nate Omer, a senior studying management and restoration of aquatic ecosystems, had a different perspective than the majority of students who answered the poll.
“I think number one for me is habitat loss and degradation,” Omer said. “I see it as really connected to lots of other climate change and environmental issues. Habitat loss is responsible for loss of, you know, carbon sequestration, responsible for loss of biodiversity.”
Habitat loss was not a concern listed in the poll.
Omer said if students are worried about water, they should look to agriculture.
According to USU research, 79.2% of Utah’s water supply goes to agriculture.
THE USUSA UPDATE
• The council discussed amendments to be made to the USUSA elections bylaws. This included candidates being able to wear USU-branded and committee specific clothes, no more runoff elections and recording third party sponsorship for the candidates.
• Nominations for Robins Awards are now open, and members of the council were encouraged to nominate people.
“Growing food is a good use of water, but we could definitely be better about it,” Omer said. “Food just is responsible for a lot of, you know, emissions productions, responsible for a lot of habitat loss, you know, clearing fields for a new wheat field or new soy field.”
Much of this water comes from the snow runoff in the mountains, where Utah can see 50 inches of water in one area of the state to only 10 inches in the others.
“I love winter, and I love snow, so I think about protecting our winters,” said USU student Hudson Iber.
Students can actively take steps to help the environment by tracking their consumption, as omer said. If students want to make a difference on campus they can reach out to the Christensen Office of Social Action and Sustainability.
“I would love to see more students more concerned and in touch with the effects that their consumption has on the environment,” Omer said.
Malory Rau is a sophomore studying social media, public relations and marketing. When not skateboarding with friends, she is usually thrifting, reading or seeing the latest movie.
— m.rau@usu.edu
11/14
• The council updated and clarified the amendments to the elections bylaws discussed in the meeting on Nov. 7. A bill was passed to approve the changes to the bylaws. One change is that if there is a tie between two candidates, there will a be a coin toss to decide the winners.
• VP Packer announced that the first meeting of the College Advocacy Council was held that week.
• It was announced that the library and the Campus Store are partnering to get all students all of their textbooks for a flatrate that would be a part of their student fees.
PHOTO BY Jack Burton
Logan Canyon is seen on Sept. 28.
Student Events, police work to make The Howl safe
Howl attendees pose in costumes fitting this year’s theme, Treacherous Waters, Oct. 27.
By Andie Allen NEWS REPORTER
Utah State University students entered treacherous waters when they attended The Howl, on Oct. 27—or did they?
“Years past, we’ve had numerous alcohol violations, whether it’s intoxication or underage drinking. But this year was relatively uneventful from the law enforcement side of things,” said USU Police Capt. Kent Harris. Harris and his team were stationed in the Fieldhouse during the event.
According to Harris, there was one physical altercation among the 5,300 students who attended the dance. The altercation has evolved into an ongoing investigation.
USUSA activities director Jamie Parry said a member of her committee was in the fieldhouse when she witnessed a man punch another attendee. As the committee member’s radio was not working at the time, she ran to the nearest staff member to report the incident.
The day after the dance, Oct. 28, USU Public Safety posted a picture taken by security cameras captioned, “Please help us identify this individual. If you have any relevant information, reach out to USU Police (435-797-1939).”
Spencer Bitner, director of involvement and adviser for student events, told The Utah Statesman in an email about the event’s added security measures.
“We install four additional security cameras in the dance so that we have a clear view of participants. This footage can be accessed after the event in the need of investigation,” Bitner wrote.
According to Bitner, additional lighting at the dance and the ban on face coverings are intentionally added to the dance planning, so individuals can be more easily identified.
The initial post has now been updated to inform the public the man has been identified.
“The community has a lot more eyes and ears than we do,” Harris said. “We really appreciate the community’s help.”
Harris and the USU Police arrested one other individual for
underage drinking.
Parry conducts volunteer training in the week before the event as a preventative measure for the students. This event goes over crowd control and upstander training.
“We talk about how to not put yourself in a situation that is unsafe, but also stand up if you see something that’s going awry,” Parry said.
Another safety meeting with Parry’s team, volunteers and staff occurs right before the dance. In this meeting, they go over policy and procedures.
“We’re not very strict,” Parry said. “That’s probably why there’s only one underage drinking arrest is because we usually won’t have police interfere unless they’re causing an issue or it’s obvious that they’re intoxicated.”
“If [volunteers] see somebody that’s intoxicated, it’s truly not their job,” Harris said. “Their job is to attend the event. Our job is to attend to any potential problems.”
Harris advises any USU student who wishes to attend the event to come sober. When consuming drugs or alcohol, at times, people will do things they normally wouldn’t. According to Harris.
“At times, we will see people that don’t know what their alcohol tolerance is. And they will consume quite a bit of alcohol not realizing that it takes time for the body to absorb alcohol,” Harris said. “They may come to the event feeling pretty good, and as the night goes on, they become more and more intoxicated. It puts them and other people at risk.”
A hotline text service was implemented this year to help keep The Howl safer for all students. According to Parry, students used the number to inform USU Police of a disturbance.
The mobile tickets affected the safety of this year’s Howl, as well, according to Parry. Last year, 500 individuals were able to sneak into the dance, meaning about one in every 10 students were not supposed to be there.
“With fewer people, there’s less incidents,” Parry said. This year, 5,700 tickets were sold, and 5,300 students attended. If an individual attempted to resell their ticket, Parry said the app was able to identify that student, and they were reported to the Office of Student Conduct.
“There is a big misconception that The Howl is a crazy party and that there’s a lot of risk,” Parry said. “But there are so many preventative measures that are taken into place to put students first. The Howl is a really safe event.”
Andie Allen has spent the last four years studying English and journalism at USU since she is too short to be a Disney princess.
— andie.allen@usu.edu
newspaper for Utah State University since 1902. Reporting online 24/7. Printed weekly during the school year.
November 27, 2023
PHOTO BY Claire Ott
Native American Student Council provides safe haven
By Lacey Cintron LIFESTYLES REPORTER
The Native American Student Council, or NASC, at Utah State University makes inclusion and community its top priority. For years, the students of NASC have worked to create a space that feels inclusive, stress-free and celebratory of Native American culture.
Zoe John, a senior majoring in health education and promotion, is the president of NASC. This will be John’s first semester serving not only as an officer for NASC, but as primary leadership as well.
“I overlook everything and I coordinate plans with the other clubs,” John said.
For the past three years, NASC has been working hard to bring the council back in full swing with engaging events such as pumpkin carving nights, beading or important panels about the state of Indigenous people here in Utah.
“NASC kind of died down during coronavirus, and we’re trying to bring it back up,” John said. “We want to gain more recognition for Indigenous students and allies.”
According to their mission statement, NASC plays a foundational role in representing USU’s Native American population and providing a welcoming environment for Native and non-Native students alike.
John said the greatest benefit of NASC is the people.
“My favorite part of NASC is that it’s a community,” John said. “I’ve met so many cool people. Just getting to know other students that are struggling on campus as well, and providing them with a safe place to be them.”
Ashley Betony, a senior majoring in rangeland ecology and management, is in charge of public relations for the group. She values the bonds formed while being a part of NASC.
“We’re a very tight knit community,” Betony said. “It’s just a group of introverts that struggle and share our triumphs together.”
NASC often collaborates with other clubs. These kinds of events are among the favorites of members within the council because they are bigger and allow these students to simply be with one another.
“My favorite activity was collaborating with the outdoor programs,” Betony said. “We set up a camping trip and it was really nice to see everybody relax, especially before finals. We’re hoping to do that again this year.”
Club vice president William Clarke is a senior majoring in English literature. Alongside John, he assists in coordinating events and planning new activities for the council. For Clarke, NASC is a way to meet and de-stress with other students.
“I’ve known the people on the council for a while, so it’s great to hangout with people that are awesome,” Clarke said. “I think it provides a space for people to relax, where people don’t have to have their guard up.”
Kris Pfeiffer, a first-year student earning his MBA in global communications, is serving as secretary for NASC. Pfeiffer is a member of NASC and recently became an officer.
“I really like the inclusivity we have. We always have something going on, or there’s always someone to talk to or something to do,” Pfeiffer said. “It keeps us quite busy, planning events and different panels, but I like that we’re
able to promote our culture and make those who are either ignorant or unaware more informed.”
As secretary, Pfeiffer keeps records of membership, secures funding and helps prepare for all the events NASC puts on.
“We’re also kind of the point of resource or the authority on all things Native on campus,” Pfeiffer said. “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion panels will contact us about proper ways, the right people to go through or how we do certain things.”
NASC has been involved in a variety of events such as powwows and pageants.
“When I was here back in 2012, we used to do the princess pageant, Miss USU. That was really, really fun,” Pfeiffer said. “They had different talents they had to do; they did traditional dances in traditional dress. I always loved watching that.”
Five main nations make up the Indigenous population of Utah: Utes, Goshutes, Paiutes, Shoshone and Navajo. The majority of NASC represent the Navajo Nation.
According to historytogo.utah.gov, the Ute and Navajo nations are the largest of the five statewide, but historically the Northwestern Shoshone were the primary occupants of Logan. Communities such as NASC reflect this history and keep Native cultures alive in places where they have been otherwise uprooted.
“If you’re going to have a campus on Native land, you need to represent those Natives that have been displaced,” John said. “It’s important to bring more recognition to minorities and give them a voice.”
NASC is currently looking towards the future, constantly aiming at new ways to grow their community at USU.
“I really want NASC and other proposed Indigenous culture centers to expand,” Pfeiffer said. “Hopefully we can have more funding and broaden our umbrella and reach.”
According to USU’s Office of Analysis, Assessment and Accreditation, the number of Native American students
enrolled at USU has grown rapidly within the last decade. Only 73 Native American students were enrolled in the 2010-11 school year, while fall 2022 enrollment statistics counted 397 students. NASC is hoping to reflect this change and welcome these students to an organization that celebrates their heritage.
“My goal is to get the two Native students that were here in 2011 to the 200 students that are here now involved in NASC and get them involved in more education and more awareness,” Pfeiffer said.
The Club Leadership concluded having a safe haven to celebrate culture freely and to simply have fun with a strong community has proved invaluable for the students of NASC.
“We want to revitalize the Native spirit and pride,” Pfeiffer said. “Bringing power back — that’s probably the main thing I want us to overcome.”
Lacey Cintron is majoring in psychology. She loves learning about the human mind, sharing stories and naps.
— a02388032@usu.edu
PHOTO BY Heidi Bingham
Native American Student Council poses with their carved pumpkins during an activity on Oct. 3.
USUSA toy drive gives back to Aggie families
By Ella Stott LIFESTYLES REPORTER
Aggies looking to spread some holiday cheer can do so right here in Logan through a toy drive organized by USUSA. New or lightly used toys will be accepted in TSC 327 through Dec. 1. Clothes aren’t accepted, but books, puzzles and games are.
Sarah Pope, graduate studies senator, said the toy drive started because they noticed a lack of facilities in statewide schools that were provided on Logan campus.
“Logan campus has a family study room with toys and things like that,” Pope said. “It started out with an idea of, ‘Let’s try and make some family study areas in libraries across campus.’”
Pope said this idea came from thinking about all of the different people who go to each campus.
“Places like Salt Lake — that center has a lot of non-traditional students who have families and have jobs,” Pope said. “I thought maybe we should find a way to fund some
of these, like family study rooms.”
However, after talking with statewide representatives and administration, Pope said they decided to do a toy drive instead of developing these study areas.
“Some of the statewide campuses don’t own those buildings,” Pope said. “Sometimes they don’t have a whole bunch of people that visit or, you know, they just don’t have the space.”
Aly Cinq-Mars, executive vice president, said USUSA still wanted to provide toys for children while their parents were studying, so they spoke with statewide campuses to find the right solution.
“Everyone collaborated on an idea of each of the campuses donating their collection of toys,” Cinq-Mars said. “They will each go to a family in need who attends USU.”
Pope said this collaboration with statewide campuses further solidified the bond between the USU communities.
“Not only including them in the service project, but al-
lowing them to shape and formulate what their own toy drive looks like is really important,” Pope said. “It’s creating a sense of, ‘We are in this together.’”
Cinq-Mars said the toy drive was not only a way for the statewide schools to come together, but also the larger communities they were a part of.
“It’s getting Aggies across the state to get involved and help each other out,” Cinq-Mars said. “But also people in the community who want to give back as well.”
Pope said she had a personal connection to the toy drive initiative, which made her even more excited about the work she’s doing.
“I have a kid,” Pope said. “I know what it’s like to get ready for Christmas and wonder how you’re going to give your kid the things that they want.”
According to Pope, there will be a form available within the next month in which families can be nominated to receive the toys. Students can nominate themselves or others.
“I think it kind of creates this almost circular service type of thing,” Pope said. “We’re redistributing those toys to different Aggie families.”
Cinq-Mars said the holiday season was the perfect time to have the toy drive.
“I love service and giving back,” Cinq-Mars said. “Anything I can do to help someone during the holidays is great.”
Pope said she hopes USU students will get involved in this service opportunity.
“Either donating lightly used or new toys or nominating someone that you know will really help,” Pope said. “I think it provides that sense of community, particularly within the holiday times.”
For more about the toy drive and how to donate, visit TSC 327 or email Cinq-Mars at executivevp.ususa@usu. edu.
“What better way to help out in the Aggie community?” Cinq-Mars said.
Ella Stott is a first-year student studying English and journalism because she hates money. When she’s not writing, she’s watching sitcoms, eating Greek yogurt and admiring Nebraska corn.
— ella.stott@usu.edu
PHOTO BY Hailey Cullumber
Jordan Yarrington, left, and Spencer Lee show off examples of accepted items for the toy drive on Tuesday, Nov. 14.
Opinion: Going up? Rating elevators at USU
By Ashley Dorius LIFESTYLES REPORTER
When I first realized I wanted to go to Utah State University, I did an Instagram deep dive and followed every USU page, official or otherwise. While on my Big Blue-style rampage, I stumbled upon an account called usuelevators claiming to cure “elevatorphobia, one elevator at a time,” in its bio. Curiosity led me to become one of its 529 followers.
I watched their reels rating elevators and laughed, but I thought, “They’re all elevators; how different can they be?” But since becoming an Aggie, I’ve found they can actually be quite different, and students have lots of opinions on how we get from floor to floor.
One area that causes a lot of contention is the Aggie Terrace parking garage elevators. I’ve slammed the call button several times when running late before sighing exasperatedly and sprinting down the stairs.
“I think Elevator A in the parking garage is the worst one. It takes forever, and it’s very sketchy,” said Tori Daughetee, a pre-nursing first-year student.
Kim Mangelson, a first-year student studying communicative disorders and deaf education, agreed.
“I also think that Elevator A in the LLC sucks,” Mangelson said. “I’m not even kidding: I press the button on the elevator for it to open, I walked all the way to the other fetching elevator, and it still wasn’t open. When you’re in it, it makes creepy noises; there’s turbulence in it.”
It’s not just Elevator A that causes problems, though.
“I’m going to say the worst is Elevator B in the LLC parking garage because it’s really slow, sketchy and the buttons don’t always work,” said Aubrey Sowards, a first-year exploratory student.
Used most often by Living Learning Community residents, these elevators are infamous for slowness and a tendency to get stuck. Just across the sidewalk, the TSC also has an elevator some students don’t love.
“It takes forever, and the light-up thing that shows what floor you’re on doesn’t work, and it shakes. It’s so sketchy,” said Emmaline Bowler, a sophomore studying plant science research.
makes me feel like I’m going to die on it — like it’s just going to give out.”
I always notice that the sliding doors squeal every time I ride the TSC elevator, and others agree.
“The TSC isn’t terrible, but the doors are loud and creaky. It’s also kind of small. It feels like a spooky hotel elevator with red carpet,” Mangelson said.
Eduardo Prisbrey, an exploratory first-year student, had other opinions about which elevator on campus is worst.
“It’s probably a tie between the education building and the geology building,” Prisbrey said. “The geology one is super slow. Going up the stairs takes the same amount of time as riding the elevator. The education building one
However, not all hope is lost. While they might not be the best bet to get between floors in some buildings, there’s one building with glowing reviews for its elevators: the library.
“I like the library one, fast and easy,” Bowler said. Camrie McCombs, a first-year studying social work, agreed.
“The ones at the library have some punch to them,” McCombs said.
Punch is definitely the word to use, as the library elevator speeds are admirable.
“The library is pretty solid, pretty quick, pretty smooth,” Prisbrey said.
My hack when using the elevators in the library is to use the bigger ones to the left of the main elevators. Those are bigger and not too busy, plus they’re mirrored, so they make for some great selfies.
Though the reviews weren’t sparkling for many elevators on campus, they get the job done and really help students who need them for any reason. They allow people with disabilities to make it to their classes. They are a necessary feature in every building, and on a real note, I’m grateful for them and those who maintain them.
Sometimes, I’m so tired from a late-night study session that I’ll fall if I take another step, which makes elevators the perfect way to get to class on the third floor. In those cases, I might appreciate a short nap during the slow ride. However, when it comes to some buildings, it might be worth taking the stairs.
Ashley Dorius is a first-year student studying English with a teaching emphasis. A Nebraska native, she loves exploring old bookstores, quoting New Girl, eating soft pretzels and being a Swiftie.
PHOTOS BY Zach Guercio
The indicator panel for an elevator in the TSC on Nov. 7.
USU Film Club helps students get a head start in filmmaking
By Jacob Casper
LIFESTYLES REPORTER
The USU Film Club has been putting in the hard work to develop its members’ skills in filmmaking by working on two different projects at a time. The film club meets weekly to develop the necessary skills and discuss their passion for filmmaking and screenwriting.
Shad King has been a member of the club for a year.
“I’d say it’s about creation,” King said. “Just putting out something that would help people inspired by filmmakers, like actually having a place to create the medium they want to experiment with.”
The groups work on these films under the director’s leadership until the film is complete and ready for viewing. Members of the club give feedback for the scripts. Once the projects are ready to be captured, members will star in each other’s films.
“We’ll split off into two groups,” King said. “The first of the semester, we organize those groups and what projects we’re working on. So we’ll be a group working on one film, another group working on a different film.”
The community of like-minded people and the friendships formed appeals to members of the club.
Lance Mundo, a first-year student, has been a part of the club for about three months.
“I like to write scripts, and a lot of people like to act,” Mundo said. “In this club, they are able to do it with a bunch of people who share that same vision.”
Since the club shares their ideas often during club meetings, the projects are constantly growing towards
completion.
“You get a lot more different perspectives and people with different skill sets,” King said. “Some people are really good at editing, some people are really good with composure and others are really good at costuming and makeup.”
The club has several ideas they want to implement in the coming years. They hope to one day get their films into a film festival, but have yet to do so.
“We’ve had one other film that’s typically made, but it’s in editing hell right now,” King said. “We’ve never had something go out to a film festival yet.”
King said he feels confident submitting a film to a festival is possible in the coming years. The club has also discussed ways of getting new actors to star in films through the theater department. Sometimes the club will reach out to other students on campus to help with projects.
“I’ve talked to other students that had no connection with anything film related, and asked them to play a little part, and they’ve done so,” King said.
The film club doesn’t require an official sign-up or fees. The only requirement is to bring yourself and your creativity.
“Just show up,” Mundo said. “Everyone here is really welcoming. You can easily just hop into a project.”
The club’s focus is on helping its members grow as filmmakers and people.
“If you want to be the thing you aspire to be, that be a filmmaker, whatever,” King said. “You got to show up and be around people that might challenge you and that are similarly like-minded.”
Jacob Casper is majoring in English with an emphasis in creative writing. When he’s not working, he hangs out with his wife. Jacob is an avid hoodie, card and board game collector. — a02357545@usu.edu
Ya Like Jazz is an early morning jazz show hosted by Justus Wright, featuring music from the 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s, with plenty of jazz icons and plenty of the lesser known artists that still make amazing music.
Stompin At The Savoy
Benny Goodman
Mean To Me
Dean Martin
In The Mood
Glenn Miller
Stardust
Hoagy Carmichael
Blue Moon
Frank Sinatra
PHOTO BY Wyatt Merchant USU students at the film club meeting discuss their screen play on Nov. 10.
Meet Sage: USU’s youngest employee
to Logan with her sitting on the lap of whoever wasn’t driving. Nebeker said it was a great bonding experience with Sage.
The department received funding for Sage from a group of people at Vector Solutions, a company that sells software to law enforcement, firefighters and education organizations. The group, led by Chris Cummings, put together $2,000 to fund the purchase.
Sage is from an English line of Labrador retriever. Brei said this means she is a bit blockier than other lines, and she won’t have as much prey drive or be as antsy as other Labradors.
The name Sage was chosen by Nebeker, who is a sergeant with the department and worked for the Utah Highway Patrol for 25 years before coming to USU. He wanted the name to represent the university and found inspiration in “The Scotsman.”
“I thought, ‘What really is the university?’” Nebeker said. “It’s the place where the sagebrush grows.”
Before Nebeker was chosen as the handler for the new K-9, Brei conducted a department-wide search. He sent out an announcement describing the position and what he was looking for, and asked anyone interested to submit an employee’s report, which included a letter of interest and a resume.
Nebeker became interested in the position because of past experiences where he said a dog was the one thing that could bring down his emotional distress. He also felt he was a good fit because of his long career in law enforcement.
“I’m a dog guy. I’ve seen what dogs can do,” Nebeker said.
As her handler, Nebeker will be with Sage all the time, bringing her home with him each night. He is the one who will bring her to different situations where her help is needed.
Nebeker and Brei said this type of K-9 differs from other K-9 typically used by police that aren’t able to socialize with the public. In contrast, Sage is meant to be greeted and petted by those around her.
Nebeker said during interactions like this, the dog’s serotonin level rises just as much as the person’s does.
“Dogs just love to please people,” Nebeker said. “They’re just as happy to do this as we are to interact with them.”
Sage will serve as an emotional support animal of sorts, but Brei said her work reaches much further than that.
By Caitlin Keith NEWS MANAGER
Sage, a 10-week-old Labrador retriever and the newest member of the Utah State University Police Department, made her way around campus on Nov. 13 and was greeted with enthusiasm as those walking by stopped to pet her. “Sage, you are just my favorite thing,” said USU student Matt Richey. Serving as the department’s new Critical Incident and Crisis Response K-9, Sage’s job is to work with people, be friendly and comfort those who need it.
Police Chief Jason Brei started at USU in July after previously working at the University of Arizona. He was the one who pushed for the department to acquire a K-9 to serve in this capacity.
Sage was born on Sept. 4 and was picked up from the breeder in Arizona by Brei and her handler, Shane Nebeker, on Oct. 29. The two then drove the 15 hours back
PHOTOS BY Heidi Bingham
Shane Nebeker poses with Sage, the new Critical Incident Crisis Response K-9 for USU’s police department, on the “SNAFU” sculpture outside the Merrill-Cazier Library.
Sage poses with her handler on the Quad.
employee makes new friends all over campus
“There are specific times that people are in need of a stress relief, and be able to connect with a human being or an animal,” Brei said.
Brei said this kind of stress relief is helpful for victims of physical trauma, sexual assault or other crimes against a person. In these situations, people often tend to put up emotional barriers that can prevent law enforcement from helping, but Brei said having a connection to an animal can help them calm down.
“There’s different stages to calm back down to a point where they’re in a mindset to give information — to convey information that we need to be able to help them to solve a crime, to identify a suspect,” Brei said.
Nebeker said as he has worked on different cases, he realized the department was missing a connection to the people and to the community. The hope is that Sage will serve in this capacity.
“This is a great opportunity to make a connection,” Nebeker said. “To help people understand that we are human. We have a role to play, but we want to have that connection that people feel like they can come to us.”
To bring a dog like Sage to the university, Brei knew he needed to find a sponsor to fund the project. He reached out to Cummings with Vector Solutions, a partner of the department, and explained the idea he had for bringing a new K-9 unit to USU.
Because Vector Solutions had already given out their allotted amount of money for the year, they could not act as a corporate sponsor for the project. But Cummings didn’t give up, and he got a group of former police officers to come together and pitch in money to support the purchase.
“I pitched the idea to everybody on my team, and everybody thought that it was a great idea to give — to donate money to a very worthy cause,” Cummings said. Brei had asked for $1,850, but the group raised $2,000 total for the purchase.
After arriving at USU, Sage received her first round of vaccination on Nov. 6, and since then, Nebeker has taken her out to work a few times.
“So far, so good. She loves people,” Nebeker said.
Sage is starting her formal obedience training, and she still has one more round of vaccinations to receive before she can officially go on duty, but she will be seen doing her job around campus starting in December.
Caitlin is a senior studying journalism and is definitely a fan of dogs. When she’s not hanging out with puppies for work she is writing, reading or screaming about movies and TV shows.
— c.keith@usu.edu
Sage poses for a photo on the Quad on Nov. 13.
Opinion: What if I told you she’s a mastermind?
By Cameron Carnes LIFESTYLES REPORTER
Taylor Swift has finally re-released 1989, bringing the songs and the era that are near and dear to her heart out of the vault. Not only did the release of 1989 (Taylor’s Version) bring about an excitement for the highly anticipated vault songs, but it also laid out many different Easter eggs for possible future endeavors in her career.
Filled with college students and passionate Swifties, Utah State University has a lot to say about the album. Discussions include the re-recordings, Swiftie theories and Swift’s impact on the world and the music industry.
Maycee Barrett is a senior majoring in political science and journalism. She is a big fan of 1989 and was very excited for the re-release.
“I love 1989 T.V.. The original album is very nostalgic to me,” Barrett said. “I remember jumping on my bed to the song ‘Welcome to New York.’ I was so excited to kind of relive that part of my life again.”
Since 2006, Swift has crossed over genres ranging from country, pop and indie. Since then, Swift has been working hard to find “A Place in this World” by releasing hits like “Tim Mcgraw” and “Teardrops On My Guitar.”
Taylor is able to re-imagine her music.”
Swift’s first three albums were country music: her self-titled debut, “Fearless” and “Speak Now.” Later, in her album “Red,” Swift gave the world a glimpse of her potential in pop with songs like “Starlight,” “Babe,” “State of Grace,” “Treacherous” and more.
On Oct. 27, 2014, Swift released her first pop album, which completely transitioned her music career. For some of the people at USU, 1989 was groundbreaking, nostalgic, dreamlike and a diary that felt like their own.
Becca Gaines is an exploratory major who has been a fan of Swift since her debut album.
“I remember when 1989 came out in 2014 like it was yesterday,” Gaines said. “I got the CD for my birthday and listened to it non-stop. There was something different about this album. Not only did 1989 get me into Taylor Swift’s discography, but it also got me into music in general. I felt like each lyric was a part of me. There were even some songs on there that made me feel even more seen.”
While each of Swift’s re-records are the same songs, there are several changes that some students have been able to spot.
Elsa Cole is an art major who is deep into the Swift universe.
“I love the 1989 re-recording,” Cole said. “This is one of my favorite albums, and I know it really well. I noticed that a lot of the backing music was changed. I have seen a lot of people complain about the changes, but I love that
Swift made some changes to the backing tracks in some of the songs. Some students have suggested that the pen click in “Blank Space” has been adjusted. Others have also noticed that Taylor’s voice is clearer in a lot of the songs.
Lauren Lind, a speech pathology major, sharedt some of her favorite changes.
“I’ve seen a lot of people complain about some of the changes that were made, but I like the album even more than the stolen version,” Lind said. “I think that her voice is 10 times more clear. My favorite re-record song is “I Know Places.” Her voice is so much more clear, and there are many different backing vocals that Taylor added in. She also added a certain growl in the song that is so much more clear.”
Just like each re-recording Swift has done, 1989 came with some highly anticipated vault tracks. When Swift originally released the album, she had said she wrote over 200 songs and narrowed it down to the 16 tracks the world has known.
During the time of the original release, Swift was taking risks left and right while crossing over music genres, making bold statements about allyship and womanhood. Swift is now at a point in her career where she is able to release some of her more “risky” songs without the fear of judgment.
“The song ‘Say Don’t Go’ is now one of my top songs of all time,” Cole said. “I do think that if she had released this song at the time, the impact of the album would have been completely different.”
One of the most anticipated songs that came from the vault was “Slut!” Before 1989 was released, Swift publicly dated two people in one year, and the backlash she received for that fueled the fire for “Blank Space.”
Swift most recently stated that at the time of the original release, she had debated releasing “Slut!” in place of “Blank Space.” Many students have wondered how that would have turned out if it had been the case.
“The song ‘Slut!’ is one of the most gut- wrenching songs I have listened to, and a big reason for that is the fact that I know what Taylor was going through during that time,” Gaines said. “‘Blank Space’ was a song filled with irony and hidden statements about shaming a woman for her dating life. I remember when that song first came out vividly. Some people thought she was owning up to her ‘serial dater ways’ and some people saw the hidden message in between the lyrics.”
Maile is a bioveterinary science major at Utah State.
“This song is so relatable for me as a woman,” Maile said. “I think that it really shows how in-tune Swift has always been with society. To me, this song is one of the most vulnerable, heartbreaking and true songs about falling in love as a woman.”
The re-release of 1989 has only led to more anticipation for Swift’s next plans. Will she release Reputation T.V. on New Year’s Day? Will there be a “Glitch” with another album drop?
Some students have wondered if Swift will end her Era’s Tour by exiting into her 11th era.
Read the rest at usustatesman.com
Cameron Carnes is a journalism and English major. She’s most known for her love for Taylor Swift, Percy Jackson and the beach!
— a02420680@usu.edu
PHOTO BY Cameron Carnes
Sophia Baumann, left, and Hadley Bro wore their Taylor Swift cardigans in celebration of 1989 Taylor’s Version.
Shelby Capllonch rises up to the challenge at Utah State
By Henry Wright SPORTS REPORTER
Coming from Honolulu, Hawaii, winters in Logan have been a very different experience for graduate outside hitter Shelby Capllonch, but being a part of the Aggie family has been a worthy trade-off.
Capllonch spent the first three seasons of her collegiate career at UNLV, where she emerged as one of the best players in the Mountain West Conference. During her time in Las Vegas, Capllonch won Mountain West Player of the Week three times and helped the Rebels advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament during the 2020-21 season.
Before her senior year, Capllonch decided to pursue a change of scenery and chose to make Utah State her new home, largely because of the coaching staff.
“I fell in love with the coaching staff. I wanted to be surrounded by a coaching staff that wanted to play with us. They really took in family-oriented things. Knowing Rob has five kids, all that stuff helps a lot too,” Capllonch said. “During COVID, I lived with my mom, so I knew how Utah was, and I wanted to try living in the snow.” Capllonch’s two seasons at Utah State have been filled with both personal accolades and team success. In 2022, she helped lead the Aggies to a Mountain West Confer-
ence Championship and was named the Mountain West Tournament MVP. Capllonch has found a home at USU, but at 5’8” she does not fit the athletic profile of a typical outside hitter.
Players of Capllonch’s size usually do not play on top of the net, but her versatility is evident when she steps onto the court.
“My junior year I was a libero, but I’ve always taken pride in my passing and defense too,” Capllonch said. “Even if my coaches didn’t want me to hit or didn’t think I was tall enough to hit, I was always ready to play back row. I definitely had coaches in my career, and even growing up in Hawaii, prepared me to be a libero.”
“Shelby is not the typical outside hitter that you see,” junior setter Beatriz Rodrigues said. “Usually the outside hitters that people want are 6’3” or 6’4”. Shelby is just an outside hitter who worked so much to accomplish what she accomplished with her height, and she’s proving to everyone that height does not matter that much.”
Although Capllonch has been able to evolve her game to fit around some of the physical limitations other outside hitters do not have, the Aggie coaching staff has helped her overcome some of those challenges.
“I would have to say, being an undersized outside hitter, it was really hard for me when I did get in like moments of like, ‘Oh my God, I can’t put this ball away.’ But here I’ve learned how to use different tools and have learned different shots that opened up my range,” Capllonch said. “When I do get in those moments, I have an outlet to do it. Rob [Neilson] really helped me with that.”
Capllonch’s variety of skills have shown up for the Aggies this year. Capllonch leads the team with 302 kills and 33 service aces, is second on the team with 242 digs and has recorded the most assists of any Utah State player outside of the liberos and setters.
Capllonch stood out to head coach Rob Neilson, but her individual stats were not the only reason he pursued her talents once she entered the transfer portal.
“She was just oozing with game. She can play the game in so many ways, exactly the type of player we’re looking for,” Neilson said. “She can play fast. She can control the ball and has great vision. She can play great defense and is a great server, she’s got it all.”
The intangibles Neilson saw in Capllonch at UNLV are also evident to the teammates she shares the court with. Rodrigues has been a setter with the Aggies since 2021 and spoke about the relationship she’s developed with Capllonch since she joined the program.
“She’s willing to communicate with you and for me as a setter, it’s super important for the hitters to communicate with me. That’s probably why me and Shelby connect so well,” Rodrigues said. “Even when we’re not connecting, we’re just like, ‘OK, what do you need for me? What can I give you?’
That just makes my game so much easier because there’s no pressure around me, and I know I don’t have to be perfect with her because I trust her to kill any ball.”
Since joining the Aggies, Neilson has been able to see a noticeable change in the way Capllonch carries herself on the court.
“I think she’s just grown in confidence. She’s gotten better and better but she’s really gained a belief in herself about what a winner she is,” Neilson said. “She knows that volleyball is not always size and strength. It’s skill, timing, positioning, and she’s mastered all of those things. It’s been fun to see her just win at every level and to keep helping us win.”
Henry Wright is a junior studying political science, American studies and anticipatory intelligence. He loves to travel, watch sports and spend time outdoors.
PHOTO BY Phil Weber
Graduate outside hitter Shelby Capllonch gets ready to defend the ball against Boise State on Nov. 6.
PHOTO BY Jack Burton
Shelby Capllonch threads the ball between two Nevada blockers at the Wayne Estes Center on Oct. 5.
King of catches Jalen Royals makes history at USU
By Hayden Gardner SPORTS REPORTER
Utah State wide receiver Jalen Royals is having an extraordinary season for the Aggies. The junior transfer is second on the team in receptions to Terrell Vaughn (54) and leads the team in receiving touchdowns (11) and yards (821). He ranks in the top 40 in the country in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. So why are many Aggie fans just learning his name for the first time?
Last season was Royals’ first in Logan, and despite playing in 12 games for the Aggies, he did not record a single statistic. USU wide receivers coach Kyle Cefalo said this was never due to a lack of ability but was more about a combination of circumstances, one being the depth of the wide receiver corps a year ago.
Royals said he was able to learn from former teammates like Brian Cobbs, Justin McGriff and Xavier Williams, who motivated him to continue to improve. Royals burst on the scene late, as USU had never heard of him until less than two months before the start of fall camp. Cefalo said Royals was able to grab the coaching staff’s attention at a summer recruiting camp in 2022. “He just kind of showed up. He got an invite in the mail randomly out in Georgia, and he showed up to the camp,” Cefalo said. “He introduced himself to me, and I’d never met him before. I didn’t know anything about him.”
According to Cefalo, USU is in the practice of sending “random camp invites,” like the one Royals received, to junior colleges throughout the country. Luckily for the Aggies, Royals had his father DeAndre
to push him to attend the camp. Royals said he played a big role in supporting his football journey.
“He was reaching out to coaches and trying to get me to places and you know, trying to get me to go on visits and stuff like that. In high school, that was a big influence,” Royals said.
Cefalo said it’s uncommon for a player who coaches aren’t familiar with to show up for a recruitment camp, but Royals’ abilities spoke for themselves.
“Usually you kind of know the kids coming. If it’s a high school kid, you’ve already watched his tape,” Cefalo said. “When they come to the camps, you already are familiar with him. You’ve seen his tape and you want to see him work out in person. But then [Royals] just started to have a really, really good camp.”
Cefalo said two weeks later, Royals was enrolled in school and on the team.
Athleticism has always been natural for Royals, whose speed and jumping ability have helped him be an effective route runner. A three-sport athlete in high school, he played basketball and track and field in addition to football. As a senior in 2021, Royals placed sixth at the Georgia class 7A Track and Field Championships in the high jump. Despite such success, Royals said his favorite pastime was always on the court.
“I might be better at basketball, honestly,” Royals said. A combo guard in high school, Royals got to compete against some of the best the state of Georgia had to offer. He lised former Auburn Tigers star Sharife Cooper, Cleveland Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro and NBA All-Star Anthony Edwards as a few of the big-name hoopers he has played against.
On the gridiron, Royals believes there was a big change between last year, where he played a minimal role with zero catches, and this year, where he is third in the nation in touchdown receptions.
“Confidence, you know. That’s a big saying for me. I definitely try to improve on that because if you have no confidence, it’s kind of hard to go out there and play and ball out.” Royals said. “And then just consistency with catching the ball, running routes that’s really the difference right there.”
When asked what it meant to him to find himself among the nation’s best wide receivers this year, Royals’ answer was simple.
“It feels great…God put me in this position to allow me to show my skills out to the world and you know, keep doing what he asked me to do, and I’m doing it well,” he said.
Much of the credit for what Utah State has achieved this year in the passing game goes to the quarterbacks. While Utah State has had 3 different players take snaps at the quarterback position this year, they have still been able to maintain a high-octane passing attack. Cefalo gives credit to the QBs this year, as well as in past years for Utah State’s ability to attract players like Royals to the program.
“I think with what we do on offense, we do attract receivers because of the way we throw the ball around,” Cefalo said. “Our quarterbacks always put up good numbers and you know, wideouts know those things.
Whether they’re a high school kid, or whether they’re a transfer, they do their research.”
Around the locker room, Royals is known for his calm demeanor, but sophomore defensive standout Ike Larsen said it doesn’t mean he won’t bring the energy when the time is right.
“Jalen is a silent assassin,” Larsen said. “He’s super quiet, but when he needs to get turned up or lit, he’ll get turned up or lit. But for the most part, he’s really chill, really quiet, just kind of keeps to himself a little bit.”
Larsen, who has posted impressive numbers against some talented wide receivers, made it clear guarding Royals is not something others look forward to.
“Shoot, nobody really wants to guard [Jalen] because he’s so fast, and he’s just so good,” Larsen said.
Royals and the Aggies will wrap up their season with a road contest at New Mexico on Nov. 24. Royals needs three more touchdown receptions to match Tracy Jenkins’ record for most touchdown receptions in a season by an Aggie.
Hayden Gardner is a civil engineering student from Kennewick, WA. He loves boats, shoes and Seattle Mariners baseball.
— hayden.gardner@usu.edu
PHOTOS BY Jack Burton
Jalen Royals runs around Colorado State defense toward the sideline at Maverik Stadium on Oct. 7.
Jalen Royals catches a touchdown pass from Cooper Legas at Maverik Stadium on Oct. 7
Hailey is a freshman with no idea what she wants to major in. She love to read, play tennis, watch movies, and do photography.
—A02411076@usu.edu
O M A N T I C I Z I N G C A M P U S
The USU Inclusion Center presented their 5th annual Drag Show on Nov. 15 in the TSC Ballroom. The event commemorated Trans Awareness Week. The performers pictured from top left, are Archie Logical, Rainbeau Rhodes, Nancy Raygun, Via Valentine, George Gay, Victoria Del Rey, Anya Neeze and Gassy Cassy.
For more photos of the event, visit usustatesman.com.
Heidi Bingham is a senior studing journalism. Heidi loves pickles and has Damian Lillard’s signature on a hotel key card. — heidi.bingham@usu.edu
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PHOTO
Jack Burton