Statesman 9/11/23

USUSTATESMAN.COM

Utah State University, Logan, Utah

Week of September 11, 2023

Page 2 - The Utah Statesman, September 11, 202

Microsoft multifactor authentication coming soon for all USU students any type of phone and security keys.

Security keys will be sold at the USU Campus Store at cost for $25. Hawley informed the council that his department is willing to work with the individual to ensure they are able to stay protected.

“No student or employee left behind,” he promised the council.

Hawley encourages all students to not procrastinate setting up their MFA. Instead, he advised students to “choose a time that’s convenient” for them.

“Do not wait until the last minute when you have to log in, set up MFA, and turn in an assignment at the same time,” Hawley said.

If there is any issue with an assignment regarding MFA, Hawley and his department have asked professors to be understanding. However, a grace period will not be enforced.

“Thank you to the students for their help as we work to secure and protect their and university information,” Hawley said.

Pamphlets instructing students how to join MFA are posted around campus, including in the Merrill-Cazier Library.

By Andie Allen NEWS REPORTER

A

s of Tuesday, Aug. 29, 18 student accounts had been taken over since June by hackers.

A dean lost $9,000 due to hacking. Their checks were rerouted three times internationally before the IT department and the dean was aware the money had been lost.

Six USU employee paychecks were lost due to their accounts being hacked, according to chief information officer Eric Hawley.

All of these individuals have two things in common. First, their personal information was stolen. Second, they were not using the Microsoft Multifactor Authentication, or MFA. Due to these hacks, Hawley and IT manager Gary Egbert proposed a requirement for all students to be using Microsoft MFA by Oct. 20.

According the Utah Office of Administrative Rules, multifactor authentication has been required on all public UtahID accounts since August 2022. This rule includes agencies like higher education and housing that are outside of the utah.gov domain.

Utah State University has decided to use MFA because of a partnership already in place. This is the most cost-efficient way to keep students safe and obey new legislation, according to Hawley.

He said USU has “a contract with the MFA which saves us 100,000 dollars a year.”

During Hawley’s proposal to the Utah State University Student Association Executive Council, chief of staff Maggie Mace brought up an issue she and other students have been having with multifactor authentication. One day, she did not bring her phone to campus, so she was unable to log into any school computer or website.

For students without smartphones, Mace wondered how this would affect their ability to access their school information.

IT Lab consultant Madison Taylor recently ran into a

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY Jack Burton

similar problem when she got a new phone and had to resync all of the MFA information.

Despite the inconvenience, Taylor feels more secure with MFA. “I worry about my personal information being hacked a lot, actually, so having the authentication is really nice,” Taylor said.

Hawley informed Mace and the executive council that other options are available. There is a dial up option for

THE USUSA UPDATE 8/29 • •

Gary Egbert and Eric Hawley addressed the council about multifactor authentication and announced that all students will be required to opt-in between Oct 16 and 20.

President Rodriguez briefed the councils on the rules of their meetings, and he announced that music will be played at the beginning of their meetings.

Andie is a senior studying English and journalism. She loves the sun, music and reading.

—andie.allen@usu.edu

9/5 •

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Patrick Belmont, the department head of USU watershed sciences, spoke to the council about climate change and what actions USU is taking and can take in order to reduce its carbon footprint. A resolution has been proposed to reduce the university’s carbon emissions.

The council discussed changing legislation in order to find a new way to help first-year students get involved and find their place in the university.

President Rodriguez announced that applications for his cabinet have closed and that he is reviewing them.

By Jenny Carpenter NEWS REPORTER

A

t the start of the fall 2023 semester, towering cranes and bright orange cones have decorated the sidewalks, streets and fields of Utah State University’s campus.

Here’s what USU is building, how long it will take and what the construction will bring to campus.

One of the larger construction projects underway is the South Campus redevelopment. It will feature a new Huntsman Business Institute building, a parking terrace and a new USU student housing dorm in the area east of the current Huntsman Institute building, according to Emilie Wheeler, news director for university Marketing & Communications.

The Kem and Carolyn Gardner Learning and Leadership Building, built in honor of the Gardner family, will start construction in October 2023 and is estimated to finish in April 2025, Wheeler said. The building, will house the Huntsman’s experiential learning programs, as well as several working areas for students to do homework or remote internships.

The new parking terrace will also begin construction within the next several months and will likely be completed by August 2025.

“What people see right now as they’re walking by is they’ve demolished the old housing buildings,” Wheeler said, adding that despite Greaves, Moen and Reeder Halls being gone, the parking terrace and utility tunnels being built in place of the dorms will benefit the students and employees in that area.

But for MJ Wayment, a USU junior studying dietetics, the construction has been less than ideal for her and her brother — especially as both were planning on living in Greaves Hall before it was torn down. Wayment said she felt there wasn’t enough time for either of them to find housing for the next year.

“There’s already not enough housing in Logan and on campus,” Wayment said.

“They got rid of several hundreds of students’ living accommodations when there already wasn’t enough … there’s

already a huge issue with housing in Logan, and they’ve just made it worse.”

Asher Schroader, a first-year student with an exploratory major, said the construction on the dorms also disrupted some of his life during the summer.

“I was actually in Merrill Hall this summer, and so I was there when they tore down Greaves Hall and Moen and Reeder, and that was what woke me up every single morning,” Schroader said. “I can imagine that the students in South Campus are not having a great time right now.”

Wheeler noted USU plans to build a new housing complex, unnamed as of now, next to the new business building and parking terrace.

And despite some of the drawbacks to making room for the South Campus redevelopment project, Schroader said the new buildings will add beauty and modernity to the campus.

“I think that the additions to campus are going to be really nice because, I am slightly biased, but I do think that the newer buildings are definitely nicer.

They’re more spacious, they’re more comfortable, the materials are safer,” Schroader said. “In terms of mobility and being able to get where I need to go, it’s been mostly painless.”

Wayment added that although construction is “pretty annoying,” and that it can “impact students’ abilities to get to class on time,” it’s necessary for the campus’s upkeep.

“Coming from a perspective of someone who has worked in the construction and development industry — I worked as like an engineering intern for a sewer sistrict — I also understand the need for construction and upkeep and maintenance,” Wayment said.

*To read the rest of this story visit usustatesman.com*

Jenny Carpenter is majoring in print Journalism and minoring in English. When she’s not reading or writing news, she’s practicing Chinese and spending time with her spouse —jenny.carpenter@usu.edu

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THE BOARD Leah Call managing editor editor@usustatesman.com 435-797-1742 —————— Caitlin Keith news manager news@usustatesman.com —————— Madison Weber sports manager sports@usustatesman.com —————— Avery Truman lifestyles manager life@usustatesman.com —————— Maren Archibald copy editor copyeditor@usustatesman. com —————— Heidi Bingham multimedia editor photo@usustatesman.com —————— For advertising inquiries studentmedia@usu.edu —————— Student Media Office TSC 118 435.797.1775 Cover art by Heidi Bingham

Utah State University tears down housing in preparation for a third business building.

PHOTO BY Claire Ott

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A crash course in USU’s construction plans

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Girls in Aviation Day encourages B young women to take to the skies

By Avery Truman LIFESTYLES EDITOR

Y

oung girls all over the world never consider certain fulfilling and achievable career options. Not because they don’t have an interest in the field, but because they simply don’t know those options are available to them as women.

The media that surrounds girls in their daily lives seldom tells them women can be pilots, which stops them from even considering, Could I take to the sky?

USU’s Girls in Aviation Day aims to prevent this lack of exposure of female aviation to younger kids. On Sept. 9, girls ages 8-18 were welcome to participate in many activities at the Logan-Cache Airport, each of them shouting to the world that women can be and are aviators.

Activities at the event included airplane building, a drone cage, making bracelets with airplane cables, an aviation history scavenger hunt and photo-ops in a plane.

Jaelen Grove was the Girls in Aviation Day lead this year as a member of Women in Aviation, the international organization that hosts the annual event. Girls in Aviation Day is especially important to Grove because it started her journey at USU majoring in fixed-wing aviation and aviation management.

“I didn’t know what I wanted to do in the aviation world, and I didn’t really know where to start as the first pilot in my family,” Grove said. “I went to a Girls in Aviation Day, and it’s why I’m at Utah State, and why I’m in this program specifically.”

According to Grove, these types of events are important because they open people’s eyes to new opportunities and paths, especially as women in male-dominated fields.

“It definitely changes your mindset and kind of makes you feel like you have to push yourself to stand out,” Grove said. “That way you’re remembered a little bit more, especially in a male-dominated career field.”

Grove, who is graduating in the spring, has noticed in her entire college career as an aviation student, she has only had one female instructor.

“Last year on Girls in Aviation Day, I was in charge of the phonetic alphabet booth,” Grove said. The phonetic alphabet system is used by pilots to accurately communicate letters over a radio. “I have a little girl who spelled out her name and she was like, ‘This is so cool.’”

Grove said this was her favorite experience because the young girl told her she wanted to be someone who uses the phonetic alphabet. Grove is excited to be on the planning side of things this year and watch the event unravel.

Amy Monson, professor of aviation technology and adviser for Women in Aviation, said people travel from many different places to experience the event.

“I’m excited to see the looks on all the faces and the energy and excitement towards aviation,” Monson said.

“Exposing young girls to new and different career fields they may not have thought of.”

According to Monson, many young girls don’t know avi-

ation is a career they can choose because they don’t see very many people who look like themselves flying.

“We want to expose them to female pilots, female mechanics, female air traffic controllers, just so they know as young girls that they can do anything they want,” Monson said. “Even though the numbers are small in certain jobs in aviation, they are slowly but surely growing, and Utah State tries to be an example of that.”

Maizy Abbott, vice president of USU’s chapter of Women in Aviation, said in a written response that female representation is needed in various STEM fields.

“When young girls in our community have powerful,

Abbott said organizations such as Women in Aviation have helped to switch the narrative by creating a vast network of individuals.

“This only makes me excited to witness the glass ceilings that are already being shattered and that the young girls at the Girls in Aviation Day will continue to break through,” Abbott wrote.

Monson said she knows Girls in Aviation Day works because they have past attendees who are now going into aerospace engineering, aviation and other related careers.

Students who are not involved in the aviation department can still support Women in Aviation. The club is open to all, and Girls in Aviation Day welcomes people of all backgrounds.

“We have had several students that were not aviation majors involved in Women in Aviation,” Monson said. “We do a lot of fun events and activities, and we welcome all disciplines to join us.”

The members of Women in Aviation are eager to make it known to the next generation that girls can fly, and they encourage those who aren’t in the aviation field to support their effort by spreading the word that women really can take to the skies, no matter what career path they choose.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Young girls learn about drones at Girls in Aviation Day on Sept. 24, 2022.

intelligent, female role models to learn from, it prepares them to step into those roles when they grow up,” Abbott wrote. “I have had the desire to be a pilot since I was seven years old so this event warms my heart, as it is a full circle moment.”

According to Abbott, many people return annually for the event, but they also get a lot of first-time participants.

“The young girls get so excited to be a part of this event which makes us volunteers work harder every year to provide a memorable and educational experience,” Abbott wrote. “Female aviators have undergone a long struggle of adversity and setbacks.”

Avery Truman is a sophomore pursuing environmental studies and geography. She is passionate about anything space, writing and reading science fiction and being the lifestyles editor for The Utah Statesman.

— avery.j.truman@usu.edu

Opening up with local band Cardinal Bloom

By Jacob Casper LIFESYLES REPORTER

C

ardinal Bloom is a local Utah band that played at Utah State University’s Big Agg Show on Thursday, Aug. 31. This was Cardinal Bloom’s second time playing for the students of USU, and they are always a fan favorite with the crowd.

Cardinal Bloom features the musical talents of Joey St. John on vocals and guitar, Jacob Silvester on bass and vocals, Josh Thomas on guitar and Nathan Adair on drums.

“The crowd gave us so much energy and it was very fun to experience that amount of people locked in together on

the same thing,” the band said in a written response.

Cardinal Bloom officially started in Ephraim five years ago at Snow College. However, their current lineup was developed in the last three years.

The band originally had a difficult time thinking of a fitting name.

They said they wanted “something that didn’t really make sense but has some sort of meaning for the band,” and cardinal most represented the music they were making at the time.

“After thinking about Cardinal for a while, I randomly matched bloom to it in my mind and thought it flowed,” wrote St. John. “It slowly developed a meaning of bloom-

ing in the middle part of life because that’s where I was at and what the color tends to mean to me - not happy, not sad… just content.”

Cardinal Bloom is able to capture the human experience through the band name and their music, which tries to help the audience remember to live and have fun because life is short. These messages can be easily seen in their musical influences.

“It’s safe to say that we’re all Beatles fans, we really are still living in that beatlemania mindset,” the band wrote.

“I believe we have a multitude of influences but the songwriting that the Beatles have is something we reflect on.”

The band had a few tips for aspiring artists and musicians trying to make it in the music scene.

“Don’t stop, it’s cliche but it’s true,” they wrote. “If you want to do something or play somewhere then keep trying until it happens.”

As a band, Cardinal Bloom is always working to get new music to their audiences. Using their five years of songwriting experience, they are always working hard to turn the smallest idea into a catchy beat.

“Every song has had a different way about it, but more than not Joey brings in a really small idea whether it be a riff/chord progression/or melody and then the band hashes things out together until a foundation of the song begins and starts to form,” they wrote.

Check out Cardinal Bloom on social media, Spotify and Apple Music for more information.

“We are in the midst of writing/recording our first album. It’s something we’ve talked about for a while and we’re actually getting it done,” the band wrote. “Can’t give a specific date for anything but do expect more singles very soon that will be coming off of the album!”

Jacob Casper is majoring in English with an emphasis in creative writing.

When he’s not working, he’s hanging out with his wife. Jacob is an avid hoodie, card and board game collector, all of which are slowly draining him of all funds.

— a02357545@usu.edu

Cardinal Bloom performs at the 2023 Big Agg Show on Thursday, Aug. 31.

PHOTO BY Phil Weber

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Blooming in the Big Agg Show

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By Ella Stott LIFESYLES REPORTER

T

he USU Outdoor Program has many opportunities for students to experience the outdoors in different ways. For incoming first-year students, there was a canoeing and backpacking trip called Natural Bridges that took place before Connections week.

Sophomore Katie Peterson was one of the leaders of the trip.

“I actually went on Natural Bridges my freshman year,” she said.

Peterson was nervous before going on the trip, specifically about making friends. However, because the people on the trip spent all their time together, she said making friends was built in to the trip.

“It was a really good experience for me because I was able to start to figure out how to talk to people more,” Peterson said. “I came away from that trip with a lot more confidence in myself.”

Peterson decided to apply for the trip leader position because of her positive experience on Natural Bridges last year.

“There’s also something about being out in nature that I think allows us to connect with other people more easily,” she said.

The trip took the group to Labyrinth Canyon.

“We do different hikes throughout the day,” Peterson said. “Sometimes we stop at little places of interest along the river.”

The Stokes Nature Center, an organization in Logan dedicated to furthering outdoor education, sent a naturalist on the trip with the USU students.

“She was there to teach us about the ecology and history of the area,” Peterson said.

First-year student Ellie Goins also attended the trip.

“I feel like we just got to experience a lot of different things,” Goins said. “I loved just being out in nature the whole time.”

According to Goins, the trip consisted of lots of ca-

noeing, playing hacky sack, learning how to set up a camp and do chores around it, hiking, learning how to connect with nature and tons of socializing.

“We still have a group chat,” Goins said. “We all got to know each other pretty well.”

Although this session of Natural Bridges already ran its course, Peterson said there will be another trip over fall break for anyone who missed the first time around.

Furthermore, there are plenty of other Outdoor Program trips open to all current USU students.

“We have all of our upcoming trips listed on our website, op.usu.edu,” Peterson said. “We also have Instagram where we post all of our upcoming events.”

The upcoming fall events, which Peterson said happen almost every weekend, include mountain biking, backpacking, climbing, hiking, canoeing, rafting, kayaking and backcountry skiing.

“We take all skill levels,” Peterson said. “We try to make them as low cost as possible to make them accessible to as many people as we can.”

For those on the fence about signing up for an outdoor program, Goins said it was good for people of all different levels and outdoor enjoyment.

“I love being outside,” Goins said. “But one girl said she’s not an outdoorsy girl, and she ended up loving it.”

Goins said she would definitely sign up for a future trip.

“Nature just lets me reconnect with myself and kind of wash away all the things that don’t matter,” Goins said.

For more information on Outdoor Programs and how to sign up for a trip, visit op.usu.edu.

— A02401436@usu.edu

Listen to Unconventional Underground

by Hunter Hudson every Friday at 10 a.m. It’s for all those who enjoy Alt Rock, especially the heavier side and are also embarrassed to show their friends what they actively listen to.

Avalanche Bring Me the Horizon

All I Want A Day To Remember

Holiday Green Day

Enemy Imagine Dragons, Arcane

With Or Without You U2

SUBMITTED PHOTO Natural Bridges canoe floating on river.

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Natural Bridges trip kicking off Outdoor Programs’ year

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Volleyball unites with Canfield’s conflict management

By Madison Weber SPORTS EDITOR

U

niversity sports teams have a unique opportunity to utilize varying talents on campus to improve the skills of student-athletes. USU Volleyball has taken advantage of this by bringing in nutritionists, sports scientists and communications experts.

Clair Canfield is a senior lecturer in the Department of Communication Studies & Philosophy. He specializes in conflict resolution, a niche he chose because he said he was “really bad at it.” He is now working with the USU women’s volleyball team on conflict management.

“They wanted someone to be able to support those student-athletes and develop those skills and capacities further, so I’m just there to kind of support their growth and development and their well-being in their relationships and how they handle conflict,” Canfield said.

This unique position was proposed by head coach Rob Neilson.

“We love being in a university environment. We love finding professors who are the best in the world at what they do,” Neilson said. “We learn all these different things from great people, and Clair is one of the best at conflict resolution.”

Canfield completed his undergrad at Weber State University with a bachelor’s in integrated studies. He went on to obtain a master’s degree in communication studies from the University of Montana and a conflict resolution graduate certificate from the University of Utah. He is in his ninth year at USU where he lectures

PHOTO BY Heidi Bingham Clair Canfield, a senior lecturer at USU, teaches students conflict resolution on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023.

and manages the Space Makers program within the Heravi Peace Institute.

“It’s kind of a unique situation because it’s not like I’m teaching a class. I don’t go in at set times with them.

What I try to do is meet them where they’re at and see what they might need from me, and then I do my best to provide support in that area,” Canfield said. “I also try to, I like to feel like I’m a part of the team.”

Conflict resolution isn’t just important for athletes, Canfield expressed. But it does give a sports team an advantage. In the environment of college athletics, it is not uncommon to have a team of very competitive athletes. It’s the norm. That competitiveness can be used for good on the court, but it can also cause tension among teammates.

“Volleyball of all the sports is the most interconnected that I can even think of, I don’t even think it’s close.

You get to touch the ball one time if it comes to you.

You rely so much on your teammates to be able to do anything. It’s a very team-oriented, interconnected sport, and so the relationships they have with each other and how they work together are certainly going to impact their success on the court,” Canfield said.

There are different types of styles when it comes to conflict resolution. Some people avoid it, some are competitive, some accommodate and others compromise. Instead of conforming to one of those styles, Canfield approaches conflict as a potentially transformative experience.

“It can change the way we do our relationships. It can change ourselves, it can change our communities, the world around us. And to do that we have to go beyond those basic ways of handling conflict to do it differently,” he said. “I approach conflict as something that’s potentially beautiful and has gifts to offer us and that can strengthen our relationships and create change.

But it takes a whole new way of approaching it.”

Instead of avoiding conflict, the players are embracing Canfield’s methods.

“Being a teammate is hard, especially in a group with tons of competitive girls. There’s bound to be conflict,” graduate student Kennedi Boyd said. “There’s bound to be issues, but we’re butting heads for the right reasons.

Clair is helping us really all turn our heads together, and our team has grown immensely on the emotional and mental side because of his help.”

Competitiveness isn’t the only style that leads to problems, although we tend to see it that way, Canfield said. All approaches can lead to consequences we are not satisfied with.

“They’re all competitive because they care so much.

And when you care that deeply and you’re trying to pursue something, you put a lot of energy toward it, so there’s a lot to work with that,” he said. “I get excited to be able to kind of meet them where they’re at and see what they care about and also help them recognize if something isn’t working, that there might be another way that that you can approach it and get closer to the things you’ve learned.”

Canfield isn’t a therapist or a coach. He’s a friend and a teacher who is helping the team push themselves in

ways outside of physical training.

“Clair has been the best addition to our coaching staff and our team. He is someone who walked in and we all absolutely trust. We love him so much,” Boyd said.

Working with the team doesn’t always look the same.

Sometimes he is teaching and helping them learn.

Other times he is just listening.

“I just want to be able to get to know them and be there when I can because they’re just tremendous individuals,” Canfield said. “I just enjoy being able to get to know them and when I can, support them. I am a really good listener, and I can be there if they need to chat about things, or talk about their emotions or whatever they might be going through.”

Canfield started working with the team last spring and has joined them again for the 2023 season. He has found a deep appreciation for the team, both coaches and players. He hopes more people will get to know the players for who they are off the court and then support them on game day.

“They deserve all the credit in the world for what they do on the court, off the court. I’ve just been really grateful to see how much they put into it, how much they care about each other,” he said. “I think it’s super challenging what they have to face. Everybody has things that they’re going through, but I think it’s tough as an athlete to have that be your primary focus while also trying to get a degree and maybe also worrying about how to make rent and manage your relationships. There’s a lot that they have to face.”

The team’s success this season, including an undefeated at-home record, has proven their unity and dedication to working together. Canfield attributes their success to the players and a caring coaching staff.

“I find it really inspiring to be around a group of people who are trying so hard to be successful at everything that they’re doing. I just can’t say enough about how incredible I think they all are,” he said. “We also have a phenomenal coaching staff — not just in their win-loss record. They care about the athletes, more than just their athletic performance, but also just their development as human beings.”

Whether on the court, in personal relationships or in one of his classes, Canfield recommends learning about conflict styles and how to improve your interpersonal communication.

“Being able to have him come in and teach our team tools about how to have better conversations and you know, get a little bit deeper and unite in values has been amazing,” Neilson said. “Our team trusts him, and he’s been an unbelievable asset for our staff and for our players.”

Madison Weber is an aspiring full-time traveler who finds joy in pickleball, self-help books and petting zoos.

-madison.jenkins@usu.edu @madiweber19

By Hayden Gardner SPORTS REPORTER

O

n Sept. 2, Utah State Men’s Golf opened its season at home hosting in-state rival Weber State at the Logan Country Club. Returning the majority of last year’s squad, the team is set for a successful season.

The seven Aggies that competed were John Cook, Cole Enlow, Josh Pehrson, Julio Arronte Sanchez, Luis Gerardo Cantu, Esteban Jaramillo and Ashton McArthur. Of the seven, only freshman Ashton McArthur was not on the 2022-2023 roster.

The annual two-day USU-WSU cup has left the Aggies disappointed for the past two seasons. The Wildcats defeated the Aggies 12.5-3.5 in 2021 and 11.5-4.5 in 2022. This year, the Aggies were ready to avenge themselves.

The tournament was played in the famed Ryder Cup style, which is played between Team USA and Team Europe. The event begins with four alternate-shot matches where two Aggies are paired up against two Wildcats. Each team plays one ball, alternating taking the shot until the hole is complete.

The “best ball” portion of the contest follows, still in a two vs. two format, where each golfer plays their own ball, keeping the lowest score of the two.

The last segment of a Ryder Cup-style event is played in a singles format, where golfers from both teams are paired up one vs. one. The player with the lower score on each hole wins the hole.

The Aggies opened the tournament by taking three of the four alternate shot matches. They stayed hot, winning three of four best-ball matches to lead the Wildcats 6-2 at the conclusion of the first day of play.

“I don’t think we hit as good as we normally hit,” head coach Dean Johansen said. “But we chipped and putt really well. These kids were so good around the greens, and it’s just so hard to beat somebody that can chip and putt the golf ball, so I was really happy the first day.”

Even with the Wildcats taking four of the seven singles matches, the Aggies came out on top with a 9-6 victory.

“The second day, Weber State came out firing at

PHOTO BY Heidi Bingham Luis Gerardo Cantu looks through his clubs during his match against Weber State on Sept. 3.

us. They’ve got some good players, so we kind of got knocked back on our heels right out of the gate,” Johansen said. “I think we were losing most every match at the turn on the individual, so some of the kids had to really step up on the back nine and even in the last three or four holes.”

The match that mathematically won it for the Aggies was junior Esteban Jaramillo’s 2-up decision over Weber’s Isaac Burger. Burger was up two strokes with eight holes to play, but Jaramillo was able to come from behind to cement the win for the Aggies.

“I was struggling a little bit, my putter went cold. I wasn’t doing very good,” Jaramillo said. “In my mind, I said, ‘I have to do something. I have to turn it around.’”

Jaramillo was the most consistent golfer for the Aggies last year. He played 28 rounds, more than any other Aggie golfer, averaging 72.36 strokes per round.

“Esteban is a phenomenal talent, and I think I would say probably one of the strongest mental game guys I’ve ever coached,” Johansen said. “He was our best player last year and looks to be one of the front runners obviously this year as well.”

As a native of Bogotá, Colombia, Jaramillo said the hardest thing about moving to Cache Valley is the weather.

“I’ve never lived through a winter, so that was hard,” Jaramillo said.

The high praise from Johansen says a lot, knowing how many players he has coached in his career. This season is his 23rd as head coach after taking the position in 2000.

Another standout Aggie who won his singles match on Sunday was freshman Ashton McArthur. McArthur is a four-year letterwinner from Madison High School in Rexburg, Idaho. He shot a combined 41 under par his senior year en route to a 5A state title.

McArthur has been able to continue to play at a high level while also making the same life adjustments every college freshman makes.

“It’s a big adjustment. It’s like you go from being the main guy in your high school and being by far the best, and then having to come here and prove yourself,” McArthur said. “Qualifying was a little nerve-racking for me, just because I wanted to travel, and it didn’t matter what I’d done in the past.”

Johansen says the coaching staff has been impressed with McArthur’s quick adjustment to college life.

“That’s a pretty big challenge for us as coaches to get somebody out of high school. Usually, their game takes a little bit of a small dip their freshman year because they’re trying to figure out how to balance their time,” Johansen said. “So far, [Ashton] has done an outstanding job of figuring out when to get his personal stuff done and when to get his school stuff done and to get his golf stuff done. I think he’s done a great job.”

The Aggies look to build on their momentum Sept.

10-12 at the Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational versus the Air Force Academy. The team heads to Fresno State on Sept. 25 before playing in Somis, California and Monterrey, Mexico to round out the fall season.

Page 9 - The Utah Statesman, September 11, 2023

Golf sets the tone for a successful season

PHOTO BY Heidi Bingham Ashton McArthur swings his club during the Utah State - Weber State cup on Sept. 3.

Hayden Gardner is a civil engineering student from Kennewick, WA. He loves boats, shoes and Seattle Mariners baseball.

-hayden.gardner@usu.edu

Page 10 - The Utah Statesman, September 11, 202

A G G I E S in A C T I O N

My name is Claire Ott, I’m a staff photographer at the Statesman. I am a junior here at USU studying journalism and environmental studies. I enjoy being a photographer for the Statesman because I get to capture visual representation of and learn more about some seriously cool things that are going on here at USU. — A02339922@usu.edu

Sudoku puzzles are provided by www.sudokuoftheday.

Page 11 - The Utah Statesman, September 11, 2023

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Page 12 - The Utah Statesman, September 11, 202