1/24/17 Arbiter Online

Vol. 29 Issue 20

January 24, 2017 IN D EPE ND E NT

ST U D E NT

V O I CE

O F

B O I SE

STAT E

S I N C E

1 9 3 3

A return to roots

The Arbiter

@arbiteronline

@arbiteronline radio

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PHOTO BY JARED LEWIS, DESIGN BY TED ATWELL / THE ARBITER

New Boise nonprofit pursues cultivation of earth and mind p.10

WEEKLY EVENTS Annual Student Juried Exhibition Opening Reception Thursday, January 26

Visual Arts Center at Boise State, 5:00 - 8:00 PM, FREE Ja Students Melissa Anderson, Jared Andreas, Ameerah Bader, Jacob Banholzer, Ann Bell, Aarin Bigler, Eileen Chavez, Catina Crum, Shawn Edrington, Nancy Flecha, Rayshell Glenn, Dean Goulder, Charles Haman, Ben Huynh, Eva Kotowski, Mary Levinson, Morgan Lindsay, Anna Matejcek, Heidi Morel, Carrie Quinney, Erika Reed, Diana Rigsbee, Candace Rood, Vivianne Siqueiros, Patrick Sweeney, Amethyst Tagney, Chanel Talbot, Jessica Tornga, Breann Urlaub and Ashley Young will be honored for the success of their artistic projects in the Annual Student Juried art exhibition, as juried by Blake Shell.

Dueling Pianos Thursday, January 26

Student Union Building Simplot Ballroom, 6:00 - 8:00 PM, $3 w/ Student I.D./$8 otherwise in advance, $5/$10 at door. This event involves dinner, mocktails, and “Killer Keyz,” a show by Dueling Pianos Anywhere.

China Night

Saturday, January 28 Student Union Building Jordan Ballroom, 6:30 - 9:00 PM, FREE (donations welcome) In celebration of the Year of the Rooster, the Boise State University Chinese Club will sponsor Chinese traditional and ethnic group dances, Kung-Fu and Tai-Ji performances, a Korean drum dance and Boise State students will present Chinese songs, a taekwondo demonstration and a magic show. A Chinese dinner will also be provided.

Lounge on Fire Album Release Party Saturday, January 28

Neurolux, 111 N 11th St., 8:00 PM, $5 in advance/$7 at door, 21+ Self-described “Steel cut, blackened and peppered, rock-hopped hip-dipped cock-eyed funk-trunked flat-on-your-back pants-off-dance-off machine” local band Lounge on Fire will celebrate the release of its new “Lips of Calypso” album with a show at the Neurolux. Boise bands Marshall Poole and Thick Business will play as well.

Nonviolent Living: Speaking Up Against Bigotry Sunday, January 29

The Linen Building, 1402 W Grove St., 3:00 - 5:30 PM, FREE According to its Facebook event page, the purpose of this workshop, sponsored

by Idaho Peace Commission, is to “Gain understanding of the principles of active nonviolence,examine personal bias and behavior, reveal the impact of everyday bigotry, explore personal and structural barriers to responding to everyday bigotry and develop and practice ways to respond to everyday bigotry.”

SEND EVENTS TO DARBYEBELING@BOISESTATE.EDU. DESIGN BY NANCY FLECHA

EVENTS

INSIDE: 1/24/17

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Patty Bowen

editor@stumedia.boisestate.edu

OPINION EDITOR Sierra Williams

sierrawilliams659@u.boisestate. edu

INVESTIGATIVE/ENTERPRISE REPORTER Jacob Palmer

jacobpalmer@u.boisestate.edu

CHLOE PAMPUSH / THE ARBITER

NEWS EDITOR

Broncos beat San Jose 86-64 : pg. 19

Samantha Harting

news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

NEWS REPORTER Taylor Munson

taylormunson@u.boisestate.edu

CULTURE EDITOR

Brandon Rasmussen

culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

CULTURE REPORTER Michael Panquin

michaelpanquin@u.boisestate. edu

SPORTS EDITOR Evan Werner

sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu

SPORTS REPORTER Riston Ramirez

ristonramirez@u.boisestate.edu

DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGER Jared Lewis

digitalcontent@stumedia.boisestate.edu

COPY EDITORS

Darby Ebeling Maxwell Peterson

DESIGN MANAGER TAYLOR LIPPMAN / THE ARBITER

CHLOE PAMPUSH / THE ARBITER

Ted Atwell

Boise Marches in storm for women’s march on idaho: pg. 5

Contact Us:

Students bring ghost light to the darkness : pg. 14

A r b i t e r o n l i n e . c o m 1 9 1 0 U n i v e r s i t y D r. B o i s e , I D 8 3 7 2 5 P h o n e : 2 0 8 . 4 2 6 . 6 3 0 0

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Nancy Flecha

Distributed Tuesdays during the academic school year. The Arbiter is the official independent student newspaper of Boise State University and a designated public forum, where student editors make all content decisions and bear responsibility for those decisions. The Arbiter’s budget consists of fees paid by the student body and advertising sales. The first copy is free. Additional copies can be purchased for $1 a piece at The Arbiter offices.

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NEWS

March for Life held at capitol building

Pro-life demonstration part of larger nationwide movement Jacob Palmer Investigative/Enterprise Reporter JacobPalmer@u.boisestate.edu

Hours after the Women’s March on Idaho was dispersed from downtown Boise on Saturday, Jan. 21, a new crowd of hundreds of people gathered in front of the Idaho State Capitol for the March for Life protest with a different message.

This new group was part of the annual “Right to Life” marches, which supports prolife ideals. These demonstrations date back over 40 years, and are held across the U.S. on the anniversary of the supreme court decision Roe v. Wade —which legalized abortion.

Demonstrators stood around the steps of the Capitol, holding signs saying “I am the prolife generation,” and listening to speeches from community members and a special guest.

“The whole point of this rally is to see the equal value of life. No matter born or unborn, how much dependency you have on someone to survive or their walk of life. From womb to tomb, no matter what your beliefs are, your life is just as valuable as everybody else’s,” Fisher said. “That’s what we’re here for.”

In addition to the traditional pro-life message, the protest took on a slightly new meaning this year with the Women’s Marches on Washington taking place around the same time, which leans pro-choice.

The Women’s March on Washington listed Planned Parenthood as one of their premier partners, and also drew some

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Local residents gather at Idaho State house for the Boise March for Life. Photo by Jacob Palmer / The Arbiter.

controversy by uninviting a group from their march called, “New Wave Feminists,” which is pro-life.

Many times during the March for Life, the concept of women’s rights were brought up. Speakers at the event argued the concept of women’s rights, and being pro-life, are not mutually exclusive, but complementary. Some protesters held signs saying, “Women are not commodities.”

The message of women’s rights was also sewn into the speech of Catherine Adair,

former counselor at a Planned Parenthood and special guest speaker.

“I am here today as a woman whose voice was silenced for years by those who claim to speak for all women,” Adair said. “I was told when I was 19- years-old and pregnant that I had to get an abortion.

It was not what I wanted to do, but I felt that I had no choice.

I was told women don’t regret abortions, women feel relieved after they get abortions, and my voice was silenced.”

Demonstrators at the March for Life, such as Boise

community member Faith Snyder, claimed that since its founding in 1974, the March for Life has been more about opposing Roe V. Wade, rather than a direct response to the Women’s March.

“The whole point of this rally is in response to legalized abortion, which has been a sad reality in this country for over 40 years,” Snyder said.

“The fact that these two rallies happened on the same day is nothing but a coincidence.”

However, Snyder said she couldn’t get behind the message of the earlier Women’s

March on Washington due to the pro-choice stance of the movement.

“It’s difficult for me to align my name with the Women’s March on Washington because they have made it very clear they don’t advocate for this fundamental right that I hold very deeply and morally,” Snyder said. “To associate my name with that event is something I can’t do, because they have said they don’t want my participation. So, I will respect that and remain at my distance.”

In addition to the hundreds

of people who gathered locally, a larger crowd is anticipated to march in Washington D.C. on Friday, Jan. 27. Despite being one of the largest pro-life demonstrations in the country, many activists complain that the “mainstream media” is biased against their cause, and often doesn’t report on the march. In contrast to the Women’s March on Washington, which was widely covered and, according to the Los Angeles Times, had an estimated attendance of five hundred thousand, reports on the attendance of the March for Life are sparse and contradictory from year to year.

The New York Times claimed the 2016 March for Life only drew hundreds of people, while the Washington Post reported the event drew thousands. Other news sources with different political leanings claimed attendance was in the hundreds of thousands. Over the years, the Washington Times claimed the event drew an average of two hundred fifty thousand from 2003 to 2009, and a student newspaper from the Monroe County Community College reported the event drew six hundred fifty thousand protesters in 2013. All of these contradicting reports have lead to frustration from pro-life activists.

Regardless of media reports, or current political movements, many pro-life protestors will continue holding demonstrations in the coming years. The protests are planned to continue with the ultimate goal of overturning Roe V. Wade.

Over 5,000 gather for Women’s March on Idaho Participants join in solidarity for different causes in protest of Trump

Samantha Harting News Editor News@stumedia.boisestate.edu With heavy snow coming down, colorful umbrellas and signs filled the streets as an estimated five thousand people walked in the Women’s March on Idaho held Saturday, Jan. 21.

The event was one of hundreds of sister marches that took place across the globe.

The march drew a record-size crowd for Idaho as participants gathered in solidarity—for various causes—to stand up for rights and issues they felt may be threatened by the Trump Administration. Participants’ signs declared messages supporting causes such as women’s rights, climate change, body positivity, immigration reform, LGBT acceptance and many other topics. As everyone gathered for different reasons, it became clear the point was not to make immediate change on only one issue, but rather show support for one another’s struggles—regardless of what those may be—with Donald Trump as President.

“We are marching and gathering today to demonstrate our determination and resolve to add our voices to the movement across our nation with millions of people—young and old—who come together to create a world that is filled with compassion, fairness and justice,” said Melissa Wintrow, State Representative for the Idaho Legislature District 19B and Adjunct Professor for the College of Arts and Sciences.

Colette Raptosh, Women’s March on Idaho co-organizer,

said there has been ample focus on Trump nationally, but that Women’s March on Idaho participants needed to move on and focus on empowering women. “(The movement) was set on fire because of him, but you need to focus on the bigger picture which is that (inequality and objectification) have been going on for years and it is time for women to get the extra push to do something,” Raptosh said. “When the polls came in, that was the final push, and it really put a lot of women at the front lines to stand up for something.”

The official policy platform of the Women’s March on Washington contradicts this, however, stating all who are at risk in the upcoming four years should march.

“We welcome vibrant collaboration and honor the legacy of the movements before us— the suffragists and abolitionists, the Civil Rights Movement, the feminist movement, the American Indian Movement, Occupy Wall Street, Marriage Equality, Black Lives Matter and more—by employing a decentralized, leader-full structure and focusing on an ambitious, fundamental and comprehensive agenda,” the policy platform states.

As Megan Garber said in her article in The Atlantic, “The Women’s March deftly employed, in its rhetoric, the biggest of the big-tent tautologies: The point of this protest wasn’t so much the specific things being protested as it was the very bigness of the crowds who were doing the protesting.”

Though organizers Harren

Women’s MArch on Idaho participants gathered to protest Trump.. Photo by Chloe Pampush / The Arbiter.

and Raptosh said the event was not intended to be a protest rally against Trump, march participants gathered to stand for the various causes they identify with, which may be affected by the Trump Administration.

Latina Activist and former Congressional Candidate, Jennifer Martinez, spoke next and discussed how national policies need to reflect life’s intersectionality.

“This is not something new or emblematic of only this election year, or this administration,” Martinez. “What we are seeing is a manifestation of the systemic oppression that we know has always existed.”

Martinez concluded her speech by encouraging the audience to run for office, as well as vote for elected officials.

Boise State alumna and

LGBT activist, Dianne Piggott began by sharing the news of a transgender teen in Twin Falls who took her own life last week.

“It is very hard when we know the truth about ourselves, but the rest of the world refuses to see,” Piggott said. “When our very existence is seen as a political act—whether it is who we go to bed with, or who we wake up as.”

Piggott offered advice on how to accept people from all areas of the gender spectrum.

“I am often asked what you can do to help LGBT people cope with the constant corrections that society tries to apply to us,” Piggott said. “I would say, ‘Acknowledge us, include us, recognize the humanity in us, support our deep understanding of who we are, call us

by our names—no matter how recently we accepted those names—respect our identities.’”

Freshman Spanish major Sam Rogers, said he attended the march to stand in solidarity with women who face issues he has not had to face in life, as well as bring attention to the topic of climate change.

“It’s no good. We’re going backwards in these times.

(Women’s rights) have been fought for before—now they’re in another position to be fought for again—and that just doesn’t make any sense,” Rogers said. “We have really powerful women—really smart women who are in these positions of power—and they’re not treated equally.”

As the rally ended, the crowd dispersed and posted their

march photos on social media.

With attendees joining together in solidarity, with various causes in mind, it is now up to individuals to continue taking steps on their own to make a change.

“Remember, this day is demonstration,” Wintrow said as she concluded her speech. “Tomorrow is action!”

The Women’s March on Washington’s website released a campaign description titled, “10 actions for the first 100 days,” on Sunday, Jan. 22.

The first action asks people to, “Write a postcard to your Senators about what matters most to you—and how you’re going to continue to fight for it in the days, weeks and months ahead.”

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NEWS

A legacy lost? Healthcare law repeal looms Some see new possibilities in repeal and replace, while others see fear.

Jacob Palmer Investigative/Enterprise Reporter JacobPalmer@u.boisestate.edu

controversy surrounding the law flared up again only weeks before the 2016 presidential election.

According to a report by the Department of Health and Human Services, the cost of premiums for a midlevel benchmark plan will increase by an average of 22 percent in 2017. Furthermore the amount of insurance providers will drop from 232 to 167 in 2017. This means some insurance providers will have a monopoly for approximately one in five customers, according to the PBS article,“Obama administration announces double-digit premium hikes for Affordable Care Act.” These problems have led to a wave of opposition and skepticism regarding the law.

One such skeptic is sophomore mechanical engineering major Mateo

Rios. Rios took issue with the Individual Mandate—the section of the bill requiring individuals to purchase health insurance, or pay a penalty.

“The biggest thing I have a problem with is that having health care is now mandatory. If we can’t afford healthcare—or don’t have a job that provides healthcare—we have to pay a huge tax,” Rios said.

“Honestly, I like the idea of affordable healthcare. But for a single 23-year-old, he can’t get healthcare for free anywhere” Over 20 million Americans depend on the law for their health insurance, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, Americans such as junior political science major Brianna Hale, who is insured through the ACA and appreciates the care it allows her to have.

“There are changes that could be made, but it should be kept because so many Americans depend on the ACA for health insurance,” Hale said. “It has made healthcare a lot more affordable for us. It’s been nice, because I can get all my doctors’ appointments without having to stress about the cost.”

Despite the elements which have caused tension, some aspects of the law remain popular with the general public.

According to a right leaning Fox News poll, 34 percent of Americans would favor repealing only parts of the law, rather than all of it. Overall, 57 percent of voters favor repealing all or parts of the ACA. 41 percent of voters would favor expanding the law or leaving it as is.

Despite all of the intense political debate occurring in

the government and media, the true effect of repealing the ACA is still undetermined.

Boise State will stay committed to its mission of providing students with health care options, according to Brooks.

“If the Affordable Care Act gets repealed, that’s something we’ll all have to wait, watch and see—I don’t know what the plans are for this presidential administration,” Brooks said.

“Boise State will continue to monitor that and do the best they can to make sure students have access to healthcare from Health Services,” Brooks said.

NANCY FLECHA / THE ARBITER

The Affordable Care Act, arguably the biggest part of the Obama administration’s legacy, may soon cease to exist.

As the new Trump administration takes office, many around the country are waiting to see what changes will be made to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare. The Republican platform, which plans to repeal and replace the ACA could soon be a reality. According to a New York Times article “Senate takes major step towards repealing health care law”, Senate Republicans in Washington D.C. approved a budget measure on Thursday, Jan. 12 that would allow them to move forward with dismantling the ACA. Senate Democrats staged a protest in the Senate chamber arguing that more than 20 million Ameri-

cans could allegedly lose their health insurance as a result of Republican actions.

Tara Brooks, director of Business Operations for Boise State Health Services, said the complicated nature of law has led to a public misunderstanding of what it entails. She explained it’s comparable to a set of guidelines for insurance companies to follow rather than a specific plan.

“What’s complicated is people think of the Affordable Care Act as a carving out of the insurance industry—it really is the insurance industry.

All insurance companies have to take in mind the Affordable Care Act and be compliant,” Brooks said.

The ACA has been a contentious issue since it was signed into law in 2010 without a single Republican in the legislature supporting its enactment.

Public opinion of the law has since remained divided. According to Real Clear Politics’ lateset numbers, the average public disapproval of the bill is at 48.3 percent and public approval at 46.7 percent. The

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Governor Otter orders creation of task force to examine higher education The task force will include Bob Kustra and Boise State student Taylor Munson News Reporter Taylormunson@u.boisestate.edu To kick off this year’s legislative session, Governor Butch Otter announced the creation of a task force to examine higher education in Idaho.

Gov. Otter made the announcement on Friday, Jan. 6 at the AP Legislative Preview. Once a definitive list of members on the task force is confirmed, meetings will begin. The two co-chairs of the task force will be CEO of WhiteCloud Analytics Bob Lokken, and Vice President of the Idaho State Board of Education Linda Clark.

“The tie between education and economic development is so close. We have to make sure there is a responsibility of the educational system to prepare students for the reality of life when they leave the classroom,” Clark said.

Clark was heavily involved with the task force assembled a few years ago, which looked into K-12 education and how it could be improved. According to Clark, the task force came up with 20 recommendations for improving K-12 education, all of which are currently being pursued by Gov. Otter.

“Idaho has a real benefit. We’re one of only two states where a single board of education oversees kindergarten through higher

education,” Clark said.

“Part of that is making change that represent the realities of the world we’re preparing students for.”

By making improvements to higher education, Gov. Otter’s hope is by 2020, 60 percent of Idahoans—ages 25 to 34— will have completed some sort of post-secondary education.

This task force will be made up of students, presidents of various Idaho colleges, senators, representatives, business leaders and the State Board of Education.

There will be a total of two students serving on the task force, with one representing twoyear universities in Idaho, and the other representing fouryear universities.

Boise State student and ASBSU Student Lobbyist, Josh Scholer, will be representing the latter.

“It’s definitely the most important thing I’ve ever done,” Scholer said. “It’s a little bit nerve-wracking to sit with some of the greatest educational minds that we have, and to know I’m going to be representing tens of thousands of students. But I’m ready for the challenge.”

Scholer plans to work hard at giving a voice to students at Boise State, as well as all students who attend four-year universities in Idaho.

“I will hopefully be able to provide insight for what it’s like to be your (average) student with college debt, and I’m no different from anyone else,” Scholer said.

Scholer met with Gov. Otter in December to discuss his thoughts about how to address the equitable funding gap between colleges in Idaho. Shortly after, he was asked to be a part of the task force to help address such issues.

“The overarching problem is lack of state investment,” Scholer said. “I

guess you could look at it like this: There is a sickness, and here are all the symptoms. One of them happens to be the equity situation we have.”

The issue of inequitable funding between colleges in Idaho is something that has been previously discussed.

“I’m not surprised we’re here, but maybe the surprise is that we didn’t get here earlier. But, we’re going in the right direction,” said Boise State’s Director of Government Affairs and Community Relations Roger Brown.

Brown plans to attend all of the task force’s meetings and hopefully contribute to the dialogue.

“I imagine there will be a need for expertise from all institutions to form those conversations and make

“

“The tie between education and economic development is so close. We have to make sure there is a responsibility of the educational system to prepare students for the reality of life when they leave the classroom.”

—VP of Idaho State Board of Education Linda Clark

sure they get it right for everybody,” Brown said.

The goal of organizing this task force is to bring in perspectives from diverse areas so as to create a holistic approach to examining higher education.

“You can get all of the right expertise—people from all ends of the spectrum—together to have a conversation and there’s really no reason to think it can’t succeed,” Brown said.

Task force meetings will begin in February and continue throughout the spring and summer, with recommendations being

made in September.

“The world we’re preparing students for today— and in the future—is not the world I was prepared for, or my parents were prepared for, or your parents were prepared for,” Clark said. “We need to make sure that our institutions are changing and our system is changing, so we can prepare students for the right kinds of careers.”

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OPINION Letter to the Editor: A Rose by Any Other Name SHADES writes a response clarifying their petition’s desired outcome Cowritten by SHADES members shades@boisestate.edu Facebook: @SHADESbsu In last Tuesday’s edition of the Arbiter, Opinion Editor Sierra Williams wrote an article calling attention to a petition being circulated by Students Honoring Active Demarginalization Efforts (SHADES).

This petition is asking President Kustra to declare Boise State a sanctuary campus in light of recent events and the current political climate. In the time since Williams’ piece was written, certain requested items have been refined in order to nullify opposition from administration.

Concern had been raised regarding the financial ramifications of demanding the appointment of a new staff position. SHADES would like it to be known that we have since removed the request for Boise State to designate a Vice President for Student Diversity and Inclusion as we do not want the monetary limitations associated with that role to hinder the remainder of our requests.

In fact, we are hopeful that the President’s Council on Diversity and Inclusion, which will be rolling out this semester, will mitigate many of the issues with which we are concerned.

The petition’s remaining requests are all well within Boise State’s administrative power.

After meeting with the ASBSU President and Vice President we have added two additional provisions at their recommendation and are scheduled to meet with the Student Assem-

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bly on Wednesday, Jan. 25. We hope to gain their support in the passing of a resolution. The main concern that has been brought to our attention is the potential financial ramifications that the term “Sanctuary Campus” could create at Boise State because it is a public institution. Our primary objective is not what we call this movement, so long as our requests are taken seriously and enacted. The updated requests are as follows: 1.)Prohibit school funds or resources from furthering federal immigration laws.

2.)Protect student privacy by communicating to Boise State campus security and administrators that inquiries about a student’s citizenship status are protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and are denied.

3.)Communicate to Boise State campus police that universities are designated as Sensitive Locations by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and enforcement actions—(arrests, interviews and searches for the purposes of immigration enforcement or surveillance)— “should generally be avoided, and require either prior approval from an appropriate supervisory official or exigent circumstances necessitating immediate action” according to ICE’s policy for Sensitive Locations.

4.)Offer a public statement and pledge that the university will exercise its rights under FERPA and its designation as a Sensitive Location to protect

the privacy and safety of all students, especially undocumented students.

5.)Dedicate part of Boise State’s website to a description of resources for undocumented/DACAmented students.

6.)Assure that all students receive a campus, classroom and community experience free from hostilities, aggressions and bullying by promoting campus dialogues.

7.)Communicate unequivocally and repeatedly that undocumented/DACAmented students are full members of the Boise State community who will be protected to the fullest power of the administration.

8.)ASBSU president will join other student leaders in signing “Student Leaders’ Letter to President Trump” which urges the president-elect to uphold DACA and H-1B visas.

9.)ASBSU will work with student leaders to develop and sponsor an educational program that highlights the need for safety on campus.

Williams’ article also mentioned that our petition places the burden of action on the university. She highlights plausible barriers to students and faculty if they are not on board with the line of discourse. Given that Boise State is an institute of higher learning, we feel it is necessary to encourage students to engage in a wide array of topics, social justice being one of them. To fully and successfully operate in a diverse and multicultural society, students need to be educated on the issues their future co-workers, clients, bosses and constituents face.

While students and even faculty may initially resist new initiatives on campus that promote a critical understanding of the weight that marginalized identities play in one’s daily interactions and life trajectory, the university is still responsible for producing students who are educated and equipped to contribute to an ever changing society. We would not entertain animosity directed at required history, mathematics and literature courses; therefore, we should not in this regard. Failing to educate students on these issues is a disservice to them and the communities they will be serving.

Obama Era Leaves America Race-Critical Despite Neutrality Sierra Williams Opinion Editor SierraWilliams659@u. boisestate.edu Now that we are officially under the Trump administration, the sense of hyper-awareness has only grown stronger.

It is coupled with a growing lack of sensitivity. The current political climate has created a feeling of divisiveness with racial attitudes being used as a source to polarize in political and social settings. This is not a characteristic of a post-racial society, but a most-racial society where race is used as an agent to divide.

By being our nation’s first African-American president, Barack Obama was a catalyst that forced the nation into discussions about race which suggested that we were in a post-racial society. In his controversial book, “Most-Racial or PostRacial?: Race and Politics in the Obama Era”, author Michael Tesler asks this important question. When reflecting on the past eight years and what

Obama and his administration accomplished—such as the Affordable Care Act, combating climate change, raising the minimum wage and legalizing same-sex marriages to name a few—to say we are post-racial seems like the right answer because of the advancements in civil rights.

On a superficial level, it is easy to make the argument that our society is post-racial.

Obama’s presidency is evidence of this, to some extent.

While this may be true to a certain degree, it fails to address the central meaning of the question. Tesler’s main argument is that Obama essentially racialized the Presidency and anything that he was associated with, but it was not Obama’s fault. It was due to the racial attitudes held within society prior to and throughout his Presidency. Tesler defines this process of as a ‘racial spillover hypothesis’ in which he argues that Obama’s connection to issues led to voters applying their own racial attitudes about Obama to the issues because of

his affiliation with them. This made me rethink my initial response.

Throughout both of his political campaigns and for nearly all of his presidency, Obama avoided relying on race to further his political career as a president. In 2008 he campaigned with the positive message of “Yes We Can” and continued that message in 2012 with “Forward” as the slogan for his last campaign. Neither of these slogans have racial implications—and they should not have any—but they also did not seem to change racial sentiments.

The Obama Era has definitely furthered the likelihood of our conversations about race and diversity. Whether or not we have progressed is more subjective in nature because it depends on who is being questioned. These conversations can be tough to have— depending on the context of the situation of course—but his ethnic background almost grew impossible to talk about especially with the growth of

the birther movement and conspiracy theories that questioned the validity of his citizenship, birthplace and religion in order to determine if he was fit to be a president.

As our first African-American President, Obama was not only placed on the most important and respected platform as the President, but it also put him in a position to be heavily criticized regarding the topic of race. Even though he was receiving pressure from a variety of communities to be more direct regarding race relations, remaining neutral on the topic was the best and most ethical move he could make. Yet, that did not always seem satisfying.

As the President, Obama had to serve all audiences, regardless if these audiences opposed each other. Race relations and conversations cannot be onesided if the goal in the end is to make progress.

But what would have happened if Obama fully pushed a race narrative throughout his entire presidency? If he had, he would have received just

as much—if not more—criticism for doing so. It would not have been beneficial nor ethical for Obama to use his ethnic background for political gain.

As the first African-American President, Obama had a different level of expectations to meet. He had to be more careful than previous presidents which created a sense of hyperawareness surrounding him, but it was also comforting.

Lastly, the Obama Administration also helped with creating a new normal for society.

This makes the transition to Trump seem so extreme. The extremity of this transition goes beyond the ideological war between Democrats and Republicans. It leaves us with the challenge to find our new normal.

Correction: “National Mythstory” exhibit not made to mock the past Brandon Rasmussen Culture Editor Culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu In last week’s issue, The Arbiter covered the latest SUB exhibit, “National Mythstory” by Bryan Anthony Moore, in an article titled “Going down in Mythstory.”

In the article, I described a few of the pieces in the exhibit as “mocking caricatures of dead achievers.” It was pointed out to me shortly after the article’s publication that this wording is misrepresentative of the artist’s intentions in the exhibit.

While these images of our nation’s notable historical figures on the bodies of dinosaurs and mythical beasts are

provocative and humorous, it is important to note these depictions are not made out of a desire to mock the humans in question. Rather, they were made as a comment on historical revisionism, where people of the past are misrepresented in order to fit into a specific narrative. Such misrepresentations ignore their identities as complex humans and ultimately detract from their actual accomplishments.

I apologize for any confusion my description may have caused for those being introduced to the exhibit for the first time. A more accurate version of the original article can be found at arbiteronline.com under the headline “Local Artist Bryan Anthony Moore discusses historical revisionism in ‘National Mythstory’ exhibit.”

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TURTLE ISLAND RESEARCH CENTER / COURTESY

FEATURE

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New Boise nonprofit looks to purchase Idaho farmland for experimental agriculture community Brandon Rasmussen Culture Editor Culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Somewhere in northern Idaho, a farm rests snugly surrounded by legions of pine trees. Though small, the familyrun establishment consists of two houses and a few healthy fields with which to grow fresh food. Recently, like many other family farms, the future of the little alcove became less certain when a ‘For Sale’ sign was pegged into the fertile ground.

That sign was on the mind of Boise State graduate and Adjunct Instructor David Jonathan McKerracher as he took his seat at the Idaho Center for Sustainable Agriculture Symposium on Dec. 3, 2016.

As McKerracher listened to the speakers, he had what he described as a “moment of clarity.”

“They had this keynote speaker from a local, familymodel farm,” McKerracher said. “He was saying one of the reasons family farms are unsustainable is because people are letting their children go play sports at the local schools.

They’re not keeping them on the farm.”

This sentiment coming from the center stage took McKerracher back to his upbringing at that little farm in northern Idaho, to thoughts of cultural isolation and the time he later spent immersed in the world of academia at Boise State.

“A lot of things became visible right then. I suddenly became even more aware of why I was doing this,” McKerracher

said.

Though he had been planning it for months, McKerracher understood with new certainty that his budding organization, the Turtle Island Cooperative Farm and Research Center, was a necessity—and he was going to do anything he could to purchase his childhood home to use as the organization’s central location.

The Turtle Island Co-op is a nonprofit organization hoping to create an experimental community where researchers, artists and other professionals will work to maintain a small farm along with a bed and breakfast to earn their keep as they explore their academic pursuits.

According to McKerracher, though the idea for the Turtle Island Co-op has been forming for the past six years, the project began to truly take off in the last few months, as a volunteer staff of roughly 20 people have jumped on board.

“It’s been a dream of (McKerracher’s) and others’ for a while now,” said Junior Interdisciplinary Studies Major Sammi Lowman, who joined the project early on as a graphic and web designer. “It’s been so exciting how fast things have been moving and how many people have gotten on board with the same dream—to integrate sustainable living with an academic community.”

The rationale One of the Turtle Island Coop’s main goals is to bridge the gap between academic life and the rural lifestyle.

“The reason society decided to start dividing labor in the

first place was so we could make more time in our days,” McKerracher said. “But what are we doing it all for if only a few of us are able to engage in academic pursuits— the fine arts? Why should that only be delegated to the few who are caught up in teaching it?”

McKerracher went on to further illustrate the societal divide between those growing our food and those sometimes referred to as the “academic elite.” According to McKerracher, people in urban, academic communities are often concerned with where their

“

to stay on the farm. I didn’t,” McKerracher said. “When I talk about wanting to go back, it’s not so I can continue this family model. It’s to create this new community model.”

Preparing the ground

In addition to cultural sustainability, the Turtle Island Co-op hopes to use permaculture methods to make the eventual center’s operations as clean and environmentally sustainable as possible. To achieve this goal, the Turtle Island Coop brought on Boise State pro-

What are we doing it all for if only a few of us are able to engage in academic pursuits—the fine arts? Why should that only be delegated to the few who are caught up in teaching it?,” —Dave McKerracher, executive director of the Turtle Island Co.op food comes from, but would be hard pressed to create it for themselves.

“The problem is if we need more of these sustainable, local farms, we need more farmers,” McKerracher said. “We want more people to go into the fields to make us this food.

Why don’t we just go do it?

Because we’re spending all our time studying something we think is more interesting.

Something less culturally isolating.”

McKerracher went on to explain that creating an academic farming community, would not only help to close this social divide, but also potentially solve the problem of the standard family farm’s sustainability.

“The number one problem with family farms across the nation is that nobody’s kids want

fessor Ty Morrison to develop the project’s master plan.

“I’ve watched several organizations falter with lack of planning,” Morrison said. “If you don’t have a master plan with what you want to do with the property, most people will lose interest in it right away.”

Work on the master plan is currently focused on how the Turtle Island Co-op can most effectively utilize the water sources already available and further enrich the soil. According to Morrison, as long as it is done correctly, a farm is most sustainable when it takes a more natural approach.

“I would like for permaculture to prove by example that there are other approaches that don’t necessarily correspond with a full steam ahead attitude of using technology to solve

all our problems,” said Morrison. “The fact of the matter is a handful of soil is the best energy storage system that has ever been identified. Plants and soil can harness the energy of the sun to produce something that we get back as energy, either by burning or eating it. How perfect is that system?”

This emphasis on healthy soil is shared by Dylan Hixson, a senior biology major who is hoping to further her research at the Turtle Island Co-op once it’s established and operational.

Hixson was featured earlier this month in a short video on the organization’s YouTube channel.

In the video, Hixson discussed the issue of overfertilization, citing the excess of nitrogen as a major consequence of modern farming methods.

“This comes as a result of monocropping and not feeding and treating the soil—not using permaculture methods to integrate compost into the soil to feed it,” said Hixson.

Immediate and goals

future

Though the people involved with the project share an enthusiasm for their academic goals to be fulfilled, the Turtle Island Co-op is, for now, focusing mainly on growth. In pursuit of organizing this effort, Philosophy Professor Ann Johnson was recently brought on board as manager.

“Right now, the two major priorities are marketing and fundraising,” said Johnson.

She went on to explain that though the Turtle Island Coop has its sights on McKer-

racher’s old family farm, the purchase of the property isn’t a guarantee. The organization first needs donors who are willing to pledge enough money to buy the land.

According to Lowman, the fundraising goal has been set at $600,000, enough to purchase the farm and cover assets, rennovations and operational costs from six months to a year.

To spread the word, the Turtle Island Co-op will be launching a new website within the first week of February, followed by an Indiegogo page where those interested will be able to donate.

Though fundraising is typically a staple of nonprofit organizations, McKerracher expressed confidence in the Turtle Island Co-op’s goal of becoming financially self-sustaining.

“We want to be soliciting donations from an initial line of donors,” McKerracher said.

“Because once it’s up and going, it must be self-sustaining.

That’s a part of the research— showing this can be a self-sustaining model. Right now, we have a cursory business plan that shows with a minimum of two people living there, we would be able to meet our operating expenses.”

For now, there seems to be no shortage of academic individuals willing to fill those slots.

Many of the students, faculty and community members putting the project together look forward to using the facility themselves in the future.

“We all share the idea that learning is a lifelong process,” Lowman said. “It’s never truly over.”

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CULTURE Army Veteran Travis Mills to speak at SUB about overcoming war injuries

TRAVIS MILLS FACEBOOK / COURTESY

Michael Paquin Culture Reporter michaelpaquin@u.boisestate.edu “Never give up. Never quit.” This has been the mantra of former United States Army Staff Sargeant Travis Mills since an IED rendered him a quadruple amputee on April 10, 2012, while serving in Afghanistan.

After physicians told him he would spend three years in physical therapy, Mills managed to finish in only 19 months. Now he is the author of a best-selling memoir “Tough As They Come.” He has also been a guest on Fox News’ “Happening Now with Jenna Lee” and “The O’Reilly Factor.”

Mills will be coming to Boise State to speak about his struggles with his injuries and his outlook on life on Wednesday, Jan. 25, from 6:30 p.m. to

8:30 p.m. at the Student Union Building. After the lecture, slated for 7 p.m., there will be a time allotted for questions and a book signing.

Mills, who founded the Travis Mills foundation in 2013 to support combat injured veterans, is working with St. Luke’s Medical Center to put on the event. His lecture is part of a larger campaign St. Luke’s is conducting to raise awareness about men’s health.

“We have a number of physicians in our Urology clinic that served in the Navy and the Army and are familiar with Staff Sgt. Travis Mills, who’s retired. He is one of very few surviving quadruple amputees from the war in Afghanistan and Iraq,” said Urology Practice Manager Nate Robinson.

Attendees can take away an inpiring message from his lecture.

“I talk about motivation, like what motivated me to get better when I was

down and out and had nothing really going for me anymore. And then I let people know that in any situation, you can’t control the situation always, but you can control your attitude and to keep pushing forward.”

Mills said that although he has no arms or legs, he’s the same person he was before. Thanks to the medical team at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the use of prosthetic limbs, Mills can drive his daughter to school, take his family out to dinner and lead an average life.

Those present at the lecture can also expect a good dose of Mills’ sense of humor.

“It’s fun. I like to tell a lot of jokes.

People always seem to have a good time. They’re kind of like ‘Oh my gosh, can I laugh at that?’” Mills has put on more than 60 lectures outside of his home state of Maine and he said

they’re anything but somber events.

“It’s not a sad, ‘poor me, pity Travis Mills’ type deal,” he said.

The beginning of “An Evening with Travis Mills” will include a brief explanation about how the evening came to fruition, Robinson explained. He went on to say that it was important to St. Luke’s that Mills’s message resonates with the hospital’s emphasis in men’s health.

“His message is to never give up and to be available for your family.

(Our message) is similar, in that we hope men will make their healthcare a priority so they are available to the people that depend on them,” Robinson said.

Negotiations began on Jan. 4 to adapt Mills’ book into a movie to be directed by Sylvester Stallone, who will play Mills’ father-in-law while Adam Driver will play Mills.

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CULTURE Better to light a candle

Ghost light vigil hosted by Theatre Arts Department encourages students to reaffirm their commitment to causes during coming presidency.

Theatre arts major David Kociol stands among his fellow students while pledging to fight for women, all minorities,the news and people with disabilities during the Ghost Light Project on Thursday, Jan. 4.

Photo by Taylor Lippman / The Arbiter

Maxwell Peterson Copy Editor Culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Small lights ranging from cell phone flashes to lighters gleamed in the dark Danny Peterson Theatre as students gathered on Thursday, Jan. 19—the eve of the inauguration of the 45th president of the United States, Donald Trump.

The gathering was part of the Ghost Light Project, a nationwide rally to inspire hope during the coming presidency.

Over 700 theatres across our timezone gathered at 5:30 p.m., bearing personal treaties and an assemblage of lights.

The campaign encourages participants to identify themselves according to concise labels and pledge how they will advocate for their peers during the coming presidency. Assistant Professor in the Theatre

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Arts Department and organizer of the event, Raquel Davis, gave her own pledge, saying, “I am a woman, an artist, an educator. I fight for equality, diversity and open minds.”

“Theatre has a really important job of telling stories and making sure that the stories that we tell represent all walks of life,” Davis said. “(This event) reaffirms the values that theatre already has, but charges them with a little more importance.”

The rally is one of many events held this past weekend in response to the controversial campaign and presidency of Donald Trump.

According to Theatre Department Chair Richard Klautsch, this event is meant to inspire feelings of courage and solidarity.

“Theatre is a community,” Klautsch said. “That’s how it started so many thousands of years ago.”

The Ghost Light Project is named after a theatrical tradition of leaving a single light when the space is closed up for the night to illuminate the theatre.

“We turn on a ghost light in a theatre as soon as it’s shut down for the night,” said Davis.

She went on to explain the purpose of this is two-fold. The first is practical. The ghost light acts as a preventative measure to keep anyone entering into darkness from tripping or falling into the pit. The second is superstitious. The light is meant to ward off any dark presence that might enter the theatre while it is unattended.

For Davis, these types of events are only the first step towards actualized improvement during the coming years.

“We have to speak to each other. We have to talk about things, but more importantly, we have to do something,” said Davis.

Get the scoop on food at Boise State

Food publication platform starts chapter at Boise State Zoey Nguyen Staff Writer Culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu Enticing photos of chocolate pie oozing caramel and hot chocolate ordained with pink unicorn sprinkles and whipped cream greet the eyes and salivating mouths of visitors scrolling through Spoon University’s Boise State Twitter page. The official launch of Spoon University at Boise State—a food publication platform by the local community—is still being decided, but the tentative date is February 2017.

The main purpose of Spoon Boise State is to bring students an entertaining way to view different cullinary hubs in Boise.

The posts are intended to be made by students, but can be made by community members as well.

“The intention is to highlight the food scene in Boise, downtown and all around, bringing students in the know about the culture of food,” said Morgan Borkowski, marketing director of Spoon Boise State.

Borkowski first heard about Spoon University from her friend who attends Tulane University.

“I had no idea what it was, so I checked it out,” Borkowski said. “The photos of food were awesome, and I realized it can bring lots of marketing and editorial opportunities to students.”

Spoon Boise State is currently run by three members of the Delta Delta Delta sorority: Borkowski, Spoon Boise State’s Editorial Director Hannah Williamson and Photography Director Sam Smith.

Once the site is up and run-

ning, they hope to get more students involved.

“We all applied to Spoon University and were accepted

by Andrea Jacobs,” Borkowski said. “She is head of Spoon University and starts all chapters nationwide.”

Right now, Spoon Boise State is still in its development phase. The team is working on promoting Spoon University to the Boise State community.

“We are definitely on social media. We got a new Instagram, Twitter and we’re going to try and get the word out inperson, too,” Smith said.

Getting involved with Spoon University is a great way to build experience and have it put on the resume, according to Smith. It is also an outlet of artistic passion for writers and photographers. The application is currently open to all Boise State students interested in food photography, writing or marketing.

Spoon Boise State is planning a variety of content and events for their followers, from simple cooking videos to pro-

motional events.

“Video won’t be the main part, but it will be like those little videos you see on Facebook, little things that add up,” said Smith. “In time, we also plan to have events for the public and chapter bonding.”

If successful, Spoon Boise State will try to organize promotional events on special occasions throughout the year, such as back-to-school celebrations, tailgates and holidays.

They are also considering organizing food festival events to bring students and food together.

“We want all Boise State students, and everyone around, to get familiarized with the food culture,” Williamson said.

For more information, students can check out “Spoon Boise State” on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Students can also sign up and apply to join at boisestate.spoonuniversity.com.

A coming-of-age story with a killer beat

Colorful abstract projections rain down on New York-based playwright and actor Brian Quijada as he mimics his third grade teacher telling him the story of Rosa Parks. He sways his hips and raises his voice while portraying her joyous tone as she illustrates the triumphant moment when Parks, an African-American, stayed seated, despite the looming gazes of the Caucasian man who had boarded the bus.

“Where did we sit on the bus?” Quijada asks, referring to Latinos. He raises his hand frantically while pretending to sit. Stumped, his teacher pauses and breathes in deeply before giving an inadvertently detrimental answer.

“Oh, you? You weren’t around yet.”

Quijada is the writer and sole actor in “Where Did We Sit On the Bus?” an autobiographical solo hip-hop production running until Saturday, Jan. 28 at the Boise Contemporary Theater. “‘Where did we sit on the bus?’ is the question I asked in the third grade which was the first instance of me asking where I came from, where my people came from and how is it that I’m here,” Quijada said.

The play uses Quijada’s experiences as a springboard to talk about what it means to grow up as a first-generation Hispanic-American. “Where did we sit on the bus?” flashes through Quijada’s life, using a

mix of hip-hop, spoken word and looped musical performances to tell the charming and intimate story of Quijada’s journey gaining his parents’ approval, finding solace in his racial identity and achieving his American dream.

“My parents came to this country to make better lives for (my siblings and me),” Quijada said. “That definition of the American dream has been redefined into doing what you love and surviving in this country. And I believe I am an example of that, as a lot of us who live in this country believe, and that’s why I believe the American dream isn’t dead.”

Quijada grew up in Chicago where both his parents, who immigrated to the U.S. in the mid-1970s from El Salvador, stressed to him the importance of hard work and success. It was during this time that Quijada fell in love with Michael Jackson, dance and acting—all interests his parents deemed impossible to sustain a career in.

As Quijada grew older, he struggled to gain the approval of his parents and understand what it means to be deeply entrenched in American culture while still identifying with his heritage and the stories his parent’s tell him about who he is.

“It’s a coming-of-age story with a killer beat,” said Boise Contemporary Theater Founding Artistic Director Matthew Clark. “This story is really important for our country to think about right now.”

“Where Did We Sit on the Bus?” premiered in Chicago, then in New York, and then

in Boise, Idaho. Before its offBroadway premiere in New York, Clark met Quijada at the Seven Devils Playwright Conference, where Clark recruited him to perform in “No More Sad Things.”

The play, although not intentionally political by nature, puts topics like immigration and race relations into an intimate light. Quijada balances each topic gracefully, using the heart he wears on his sleeve as a steadying weight.

Quijada has noticed the change in audience tone as he performs in different cities, a reaction to the stiffening political climate leading up to President Trump’s inauguration.

“As people get fired up about things more so than they did six months ago or one year ago, it makes me connect to it in different way that’s fresh,” Quijada said.

“When we’re saying that media is fake news or we’re saying that Mexico isn’t pay-

ing for the

are.”

Still, Quijada reassures viewers that “Where Did We Sit on the Bus?” isn’t about politics; it’s about hope.

“It’s all rooted in a kid growing up in Chicago, and that’s what keeps me grounded.

This play can be enjoyed—it doesn’t matter your political leaning,” Quijada said.

For more information on the play or to find ticket prices, students can visit the Boise Contemporary Theater’s website.

Staff Album review: Foxygen - “Hang”

BRIAN QUIJADA FACEBOOK / COURTESY

Patty Bowen Editor-in-Chief Editor@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Darby Ebeling Copy Editor DarbyEbeling@u.boisestate.edu It is raining colorful candy and lamentations of social norms. The entirety of the musical canon is being shoved through veins and vocal cords. This is the orchestral experience of Foxygen’s “Hang,” released by Jagjaguwar on Friday, Jan. 20.

The album’s vibe oscillates between musical theatre, antiquated tuneage and the feeling of a dance party where everyone is wearing feathers, holding balloons and running around like they’ve just jumped off the playground swing featured in the video for the album’s opening number, “Follow the Leader.”

In a complicated exploration of identity, track “America” includes lyrics such as “And the movie girl said/You walked in on set/But you only play yourself, you’re Hollywood” and its instrumentation sets the listener in a scene most easily described as an intoxicated romp through an inauguration ceremony while wearing a flapper outfit.

I give this album five David Bowie lightning bolts; one for paying respects to musical history, one for spilling rainbows of energy and glitter through every speaker and headphone, one for being incredibly weird—like alien and Iggy Pop weird—one for being larger than life, or death— for feeling infinite—and one for feeling a tad like Bowie’s reincarnation.

wall, taxpayers

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FOXYGEN FACEBOOK / COURTESY

New York based playwright uses hip-hop and looping to exploring racial identity in “Where Did We Sit on the Bus?”

SPORTS & REc Boise State Men’s Tennis begins at home with Coach Patton’s youngest team Evan Werner Sports & Rec Editor Sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu Boise State officially opens the 2017 Men’s Tennis Team season on Saturday, Jan. 21 with a trio of home matches featuring Whitman, Denver and Cal Poly.

The match is a doubleheader, beginning at 10 a.m., with the Whitman Blues from the NCAA Division III Northwest Conference and ending with an ITA Mountain Region match with the Denver Pioneers of the Summit League at 6 p.m. The matches will be held at the new Eagle Tennis Center in Eagle, Idaho.

The weekend of matches will conclude with the Big West Conference’s Cal Poly Mustangs at 10 a.m.

“Boise State’s doubles team of Kyle Butters and Jack Heslin, also known as The Kiwi Konnection, enter the spring semester ranked 51st nationally by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association,” said Boise State Athletics Assistant Sports Information Director Doug Link in a press release.

Last fall the sophomore combo went 6-2 and reached the ITA Mountain Region Championship title match in Las Vegas, Nev., in October.

According to Link, “the duo enters the year ranked second in the ITA Mountain Region behind Denver’s Alex Gasson and Yannick James, who beat them in the regional title match last fall.”

Both Butters and Heslin have been ranked in the ITA Mountain Region going into the new season individually.

Butters, from Wanganui, New

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As the youngest team in coach Patton’s career, these Broncos have a bright future. Photo courtesy Greg Patton.

Zealand, ranked 10 in singles for the ITA Mountain Region and Heslin, from Auckland, New Zealand, is ranked 17.

Butters was the recipient of many awards his freshman year at Boise State, winning ITA Mountain Region Rookie of the Year, Mountain West Freshman of the Year, All-Mountain West Doubles and Mountain West Player of the Week (March 30).

The Broncos will be competing this season with no upperclassmen, junior or senior.

Currently there are five sophomores and three freshmen on the roster.

“I can’t hide my enthusiasm for the upcoming season, but not just for this year but for the

“Since beginning my journey in coaching 40 league’s championship event Shackleton split his two singles has been in Boise. The Broncos

matches on the opening day.

titles in their first five years as

set down to defeat Utah’s Joe Wooley in three 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-2. He then fell in two sets at the hands of UCLA’s Michael Guzman 6-2, 6-4.

Wischer fell in both of his matches on Saturday with a 6-1, 6-4 defeat to Dan Little of Utah, followed by a 6-1, 6-1 loss to San Francisco’s Marco Barretto.

Although some may look at this season as a rebuilding year due to the young roster, Boise State men’s tennis looks to start off where they left off last season: on a positive note.

years ago, I have never had such a young team with have won four Mountain West Shackleton rallied from one so much potential.”--Head Coach Greg Patton members of the conference. next three to four years. We are launching a new generation of Broncos for years to come,” said head coach Greg Patton, since beginning my journey in coaching 40 years ago, I have never had such a young team with so much potential.”

The roster includes the following players: sophomore Butters, sophomore Heslin, sophomore Pedro Platzeck, sophomore Morgan Stone, sophomore Greg Wischer, freshman Ryland McDermott, freshman Harvey Shackleton

and freshman Brian Tran.

There is also a junior on the roster who won’t compete this season, Lewis Roskilly.

Head Coach Patton has posted a 443-176 record while winning 14 conference championships in three different conferences and is entering his 21st season at Boise State.

The 2017 Mountain West Conference Men’s Tennis Championship Tournament will be held April 28-30 at Boise State’s Appleton Tennis Center. This is the first time the

Although this is the season opener for Boise State Men’s Tennis, the team sent two of its team members, Wischer and Shackleton, to participate in the National Collegiate Tennis Classic at Rancho Mirage, Calif. from Jan. 13 to Jan. 15.

The NCTC is in its 42nd year and features some of the top collegiate talent from across the United States who will compete in a singles tournament and a doubles tournament. There is no team competition for this event.

According to the NCTC,

No. 15 Boise State Gymnastics competes at home and on the road Evan Werner Sports & Rec Editor Sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu Boise State Gymnastics continued their hot streak this weekend, posting a score of 196.225 at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, Utah on Friday, Jan. 20.

Boise State competed against No. 5 Utah, No. 7 Denver and Illinois-Chicago.

“Utah holds a 15-0 advantage over the Broncos in their all-time series, but Denver holds just a slight edge at 1413. The last time the Blue and Orange faced off with the Pio-

neers, both teams were trying to get to the 2015 Mountain Rim Gymnastics Conference Championship,” according to Boise State Athletics.

Boise State won that matchup, then Denver left for the Big 12 Conference following the 2015 season. The Broncos are 3-1 in their all-time series with Illinois-Chicago and have won the past three meetings.

Boise State started on balance beam and began with a 49.050. Sandra Collantes obtained a 9.775 and the Broncos hit four-straight routines after a fall in the No. 2 spot. Isabella Amado excelled with a 9.8. Sarah Means earned a 9.825 as the

anchor and completed what was a successful opening event.

On the floor, the Broncos ended up with a 48.900.

Boise State made a comeback in the third rotation on vault, ending the event with a 49.100.

The Broncos beat out Illinois-Chicago, but lost to No. 5 Utah and No. 7 Denver.

Before this meeting, the Broncos had just returned from a meet where they came out on top over Stanford, UC Davis and Yale in Davis, California on Jan. 13.

“There were a lot of routines that were one mistake away from being great,” said Co-head

Coach Tina Bird.

The victory over the Stanford Cardinal program was the Broncos first win over Stanford since 1997. The 195.300 is also the third-highest season-opening score in school history.

“We did what we had to do to win tonight, but we have a long way to go to accomplish the goals we set for the season,” said Co-head Coach Neil Resnick.

The Broncos will return to Boise and compete against BYU at CenturyLink Arena as a part of the Gem State Invitational on Friday, Jan. 27 at 7 p.m.

No. 15 Boise State Broncos Gymnastics proves why they deserve to be ranked in style. Photo courtesy The Arbiter.

$45 PER YEAR $25 PER SEMESTER * Includes one hour of free ride time

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SPORTS & REc Broncos down San Jose State to get back on the winning track Rylan Kobre Sports & Rec Reporter RylanKobre@u.boisestate.edu

Shalen Shaw takes the jump shot over a San Jose State defender. The Broncos won 86-64 on Saturday, Jan. 21 to improve to 4-3 in Mountain West play. Photo by Chloe Pampush / The Arbiter

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Boise State Women’s Basketball Head Coach Gordy Presnell knew his team couldn’t afford to lose many more games in the Mountain West and, on Saturday Jan. 21 San Jose State had to be the unfortunate victim to play at Taco Bell Arena.

It resulted in an 86-64 domination by the Broncos (14-4, 4-3).

“We want to take pride in our defense, and we’ve gotten away from that in our past couple games,” said senior guard Brooke Pahukoa. “We’ve been struggling shooting lately, so we’ve been telling ourselves that if we focus on defense, it will come together. We’re good shooters naturally, so let’s focus on our defense and stop them, then our offense will come.”

On paper, what looked to be an offensive battle between two of the Mountain West’s most prolific offenses, turned out to be an offensive explosion for one team, and an afternoon-long struggle for another. San Jose State shot 33 percent from the field and just 26 percent from behind the arc.

On the other hand, the Broncos found their rhythm quite easily. They shot 41 percent from the field and 45 percent from three.

“We shot the ball well and played with great enthusiasm in the first half,” Presnell said. “Our freshmen played great off the bench, and we really played outstanding basketball in

the first half. The second half we let ourselves down a little bit and didn’t play with the same kind of intensity.

The result wasn’t the same.”

It was a much needed day for a Boise State team who has started Mountain West action relatively slow.

The Broncos started the season 12-1, the best start to any season of Gordy Presnell’s 12 years at Boise State, but since then, the Broncos are just 2-3 and struggling to do what they do best: shoot the three.

As a team, coming into Saturday’s contest with the Spartans, Boise State

“

While the senior leader took charge, it was the Bronco bench that also came to play, scoring 37 points.

Coming off that bench was freshman Jordan Woodvine who had a season high 11 points and freshman, Riley Lupfer-added 13 points on four three’s, all coming in the first half.

“We’ve been losing a couple games, and it was pretty important to us as a team, and to our coaches, that we start getting back on track,” Woodvine said postgame with Chris Lewis. “I think we prepared pretty well for this game, and my team-

We’ve been struggling shooting lately, so we’ve been telling ourselves that if we focus on defense, it will come together.

—Senior , Brooke Pahuloa was shooting just 26 percent from behind the arc, a shocking statistic considering the Broncos came into Mountain West play seven games ago shooting 39 percent from distance.

On Saturday those problems didn’t seem to be in the minds of Presnell’s scorers.

“Brooke had fresh legs and played really well. Then our freshmen came off the bench and shot the ball outstanding. The first and second quarters we played pretty good basketball and got on the right path,” Presnell said. “Then the third and fourth quarters I thought we didn’t have the enthusiasm necessary to win.”

The Broncos were led by Pahukoa, who finished the matinee showing with 23 points and six rebounds.

mates are always encouraging me.”

Boise State also got the usual production from Senior Point Guard Yaiza Rodriguez who finished with eight points and five assists.

Those five assists put her into fourth place on the Mountain West’s career assists category with 548 on her career.

Defensively, the Broncos were able to shut down one of the Mountain West’s best players in Dezz Ramos who came in averaging 30 points a game in conference contests, but she left with just a nine-point fiveassist game.

Boise State will travel to Nevada on Wednesday, Jan 25. for a matchup with the Wolf Pack.

Sports & Rec

MISSED CONNECTIONS PROST! PAL Friday night, I couldn’t get my roommate to come out with me, so I figured I’d grab a pint at Prost! I smoked a cigarette next to you on the patio. We shared a definitive glance and I said your coat looked warm. You were wearing a collar, but your ID tag was nowhere to be seen, so maybe you’d be down to meet again at the same place. Please let me know. I haven’t felt a start like that in so long and, from the look in your chocolate eyes, neither have you.

ALLEY PAL I was walking home alone after having dinner with a few friends. It must have been between 8th and 9th. I was shocked when I saw you because your look was so striking.

Medium build, shaggy black hair, strong shoulders. You were eating trash under a dumpster. We locked eyes and laughed at the absurdity of it all. You followed me home and ate peanut butter off a spoon. I tried to get you to stay but you wouldn come into my house. Please believe that I would wouldn’t never hurt you and come back to me.

IDANHA, THURSDAY I was hurrying to pick up a friend to take to the airport. As I rushed up the stairs, I saw you. I was wearing a white turtleneck and green converse. You had an afro that touched your shoulders and long, thin legs. I’m not sure if you were shaking because you felt the same way I did or because you were about to defecate on the stairs. We spoke briefly about our favorite hangout, but I said I had to hurry to get my friend. On the way back down, you were gone, but the evidence suggests I didn’t didn imagine you. I can’t get you out of my head. Please meet me at our favorite spot if you believe in serendipity.

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