The Arbiter 12.11.2014

december 11, 2014 Vol. 27 Issue 32

In d ep e nd e nt

ted atwell/the arbiter

The Arbiter

St u d e nt

@arbiteronline

V o I ce

o f

B o I Se

Stat e

S I n c e

@arbiteronline

1 9 3 3

arbiteronline.com

NEWS “Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.” –Christian D. Larson

Comic Strip

crossword puzzle FOR RELEASE DECEMBER 11, 2014

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

sudoku

ACROSS 1 Long-necked instrument 6 Spiced beverage 10 Parched 14 Annoy one’s costar, perhaps 15 Suggestion 16 Recording medium 17 Archers’ protection 19 Say openly 20 Ungenerous sort 21 “__ how!”

22 Money-related suffix 24 L.A.-based comedy troupe 30 Hammers obliquely, as a nail 31 “Yikes!”

32 Bit of pillow talk 33 Dress protector 36 Fla. airport 37 Sign of summer 38 Classic 1958 Chinua Achebe novel ... and a hint what literally happens in 17-, 24-, 50- and 61Across 43 MLB team whose home scoreboard is updated by hand 44 Prom rental 45 Full of recent info 46 “Wheel of Fortune” buy 47 See 4-Down 48 Regarding 50 Scoldings 55 Vermeer’s “__ With a Pearl Earring” 56 GI entertainer 57 Sénat vote 59 Bear up there 61 Magi 65 Verb, for one 66 One-named supermodel 67 10 out of 10, scorewise 68 Canadian coin that’s no longer produced 69 Blog entry 70 Yankee manager before Girardi DOWN 1 Rogen of “Pineapple Express”

Pg 2

12/11/14

By Ian Livengood

2 “Let’s get some air in here!”

3 Unyielding 4 With 47-Across, payment for cash?

5 Bull Run soldier 6 Casual pants 7 Believer in karma 8 “Life of Pi” director Lee 9 “You convinced me” 10 Early game console 11 One of Hogwarts’ four houses 12 Nov. 2013 Twitter milestone 13 Morning drops 18 Outback order 23 Variety 25 Prince Harry’s alma mater 26 Pagoda instrument 27 Singer Young 28 Attendees 29 In need of a sweep, perhaps 33 Plate appearance 34 Platter player 35 1992 Crichton novel involving a fictional Japanese company

Wednesday’s Puzzle Solved

©2014 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

36 Upper limit 39 Boot option 40 Gas, e.g.

41 Not pro 42 Drudge 47 Sable or mink 48 Thumbs-up 49 Vegas dealer’s device 51 2014 World Series winning team member 52 Vague qualities

12/11/14

53 Hopeless case 54 Cotton candy, mostly 58 Cruise destination 59 Chapel Hill sch.

60 School of tomorrow?

62 Med. care provider 63 Set to be assembled 64 Binding promise

12/11/2014

IN THIS

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Emily Pehrson

editor@ arbiteronline.com Katie Meikle

managingeditor@ arbiteronline.com

NEWS EDITOR

Alx Stickel news@ arbiteronline.com

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Eryn-Shay Johnson & Sean Bunce news@ arbiteronline.com

SPORTS EDITOR

Nate Lowery sports@ arbiteronline.com

ISSUE

Devin Ferrell/THE ARBITER

MANAGING EDITOR

6

update: The battle for the quad

Courtesy Pixar

23

14

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR Devin Ferrell/THE ARBITER

Brandon Walton sports@ arbiteronline.com

CULTURE EDITOR Justin Kirkham arts@ arbiteronline.com

ASSISTANT CULTURE EDITOR Patty Bowen arts@ arbiteronline.com

Students peek in on pixar recording session

a smashing season

PHOTO EDITOR

Brian van der Brug/mct campus

Tyler Paget photo@ arbiteronline.com

8

17

COPY EDITORS

Brenna Brumfield Briana Cornwall

design manager Jovi Ramirez

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

Christian Spencer Ted Atwell Jared Lewis

college students face stress and loss

BUSINESS MANAGER ED SUBA JR./mct campus

MacArthur Minor business@ arbiteronline.com

NL News Director Farzan Faramarzi

Contact Us

arbiteronline.com 1910 University Dr Boise, ID 83725 Phone: 208.426.6300 Fax: 888.388.7554

warming up to ugly sweaters

Distributed Mondays & Thursdays during the academic school year. The Arbiter is the

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NEWS

Comm 273 Courtesy

As a Latina, Alejandra Mejia is part of the largest minority group on campus.

Yet she still feels underrepresented in the classroom and hesitates to speak out during sensitive discussions.

“I think a lot of us students (of color) have trouble with that because (racial comments) might not be directly to us, but we feel that way since it can be intimidating in the classroom,” Mejia said.

“Like I, myself, could be in a classroom of 20 people, and me myself be the only person of color. That’s just something that obviously could intimidate you to not fully speak your mind.”

Mejia is part of an estimated 8 percent of students at Boise State who are Hispanic/Latino, according to Forbes.com. Last semester during a discussion about immigration in one of her political science classes, Mejia said she felt it was not encouraged to go deep into the issue.

As a person of color with family members who have gone through immigration, she was disappointed that the class did not deal with the issue more extensively.

“I believe that that’s something that should be talked about,” she said.

Diversity issues on campus

According to Francisco Salinas, the director of the Student Diversity and Inclusion office, this is a common issue for students.

“For those students from underrepresented minor-

12/11/2014

ity backgrounds, when it is a conversation in class that revolves around political opinion, or just opinion, they can be frightened into feeling they are very alone,” Salinas said.

One of the goals of the Student Diversity and Inclusion office is to help underrepresented students feel as though they are part of a community.

“For students of color, it tends to be something that they generally kind of learn to live with rather than trying to do anything about,” Salinas said. “We always want to try to make them feel empowered, as though something can be done.”

Student support

In a case in which a student feels discriminated against, the Student Diversity and Inclusion office encourages students to file a CARE report. CARE reports are dealt with by the CARE Team, a behavior intervention team at Boise State.

“What we want to make sure is that if someone has a concern about someone else here on campus, they have a place to turn to to reach out and let someone know … so that we can assess the level of concern and develop a response strategy if one is needed,” said Blaine Eckles, chair of the CARE team.

Sometimes students who come to the Student Diversity and Inclusion office do not want to file a CARE report because the students are worried about repercussions, or sometimes they feel that nothing can be done.

Because the Student Diversity and Inclusion faculty are seldom firsthand wit-

Student Diversity center provides varied resources. nesses to any bias or discrimination in the classroom, Salinas said that they take the students at their word.

“We’re not going to challenge them on it,” he said.

“We’re going to give them a place to be heard and, if appropriate, try to give them a way to be effective in undertaking change.”

Salinas said that how they undertake change varies from case to case. A CARE report can be filed if appropriate or, if the professor made the offensive comment, the professor can be approached to clarify what might be a misunderstanding. “(Professors) have a lot of power on campus, particularly in the classroom,” Salinas said. “But students deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. We want to advocate for underrepresented groups in particular.”

Educating for

inclusion

Salinas said that racial bias is just one of many kinds of biases that can affect how people interact.

“The challenge is to try to recognize it and recognize how it impedes abilities for students to reach their educational potential,” he said.

As the student support coordinator of the Multicultural Student Services, Andrew Geske facilitates training for student and staff, some of which aims to raise awareness about bias. The trainings include systems of oppression and social injustice, power imbalances, inclusive language use and tools to serve international students.

“It’s not about silencing people. It’s about teaching people,” Geske said about the trainings.

For any Boise State students who ever come across

FRANCISCO SALINAS/COURTESY

Bella Pratt

JAKE ESSMAN/ARBITER ARCHIVES

Students face in-class discrimination

Francisco Salinas any kind of bias or discrimination in the classroom, Geske had some advice.

“While it’s not always your job to, you know, come to the rescue of people who are in marginalized groups, you

can speak out against injustice,” he said. “People who are in marginalized identity groups might not feel comfortable starting that argument in class because it has repercussions for them.”

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NEWS Alx Stickel News Editor

Recent controversial freedom of speech incidents in the Quad have sparked discussion in the Office of the Dean of Students about how those topics can be addressed without infringing on the student learning environment.

No clear decisions have come about yet.

Associate dean of students Blaine Eckles came to speak and gather feedback at the Dec. 3 Student Assembly meeting about speech in the Quad policy.

Kacey Kretzler, senior

communication major, said last semester she was trying to focus on end of term projects when the anti-abortion group caused her to have an experience which ruined her ability to concentrate on her school work.

“Just being confronted with that, I almost broke down because I was like, ‘I don’t have the mental capacity for this’ and it made me not even want to come to campus that day,” Kretzler said during the meeting. “I don’t think it’s fair that we’d have to go out of our way, especially during such a stressful time, just to avoid things we are offended by.”

One student at the assembly meeting mentioned speakers in the Quad, “soap box” preachers as Eckles called them, were saying derogatory things about sexual orientation, religion and race.

The student posed the question: “At what point is the line drawn between free speech and oppression?”

Eckles said he couldn’t answer that question because there is a fine line between free speech and hate speech, and he feels even the courts are struggling with that issue today.

“We still need to honor people are allowed to be

racist; they’re allowed to be homophobic in our society,” Eckles said. “They’re allowed to have these thoughts and we have to be very cautious as an institution, especially as an institution receiving public funds, whenever we try to, for lack of a better term, control what (speech) looks like (in) time, manner and space.”

Taylor Neher, senior public health major, took the Quad policy issue to student housing, which she is a representative for, before the meeting and received a consensus that having a schedule for speech in the Quad is the way to go.

Devin Ferrell/THE ARBITER

Quad speech policy needs update

Students engage in abortion discussion.

Neher said there are times when students don’t want anyone in the Quad, regardless of whether or not they are a student or non-student organization and regardless of how controversial their message is.

“Everyone has rights but

we should feel as though, as students, that we’re in a safe accepting environment,” Kretzler said. “I don’t feel as though we always have that because of some of the outside people coming in and talking at our students.”

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12/11/2014

NEWS Chuck Raasch

St. Louis Post-Dispatcher MCT Campus Wire Service

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) said Tuesday that “bad journalism” in Rolling Stone magazine about an alleged gang rape is a “setback” for victims of sexual assault on campus and efforts to help them.

Testifying before a Senate subcommittee reviewing a campus sexual assault bill she co-sponsors, McCaskill said she was “saddened and angry” about a story of an alleged rape at a University of Virginia fraternity that Rolling Stone has now retracted. She

12/11/2014

said she is worried about the willingness of future assault victims to come forward.

“This is not a crime where you have random false reporting or embellishment,” McCaskill said.

“This is a crime that is the most under-reported crime in America and will remain so. Our problem is not victims coming forward and embellishing, our problem is victims are too frightened to come forward.

“So this bad piece of journalism, I think, has set us back and I want to make sure we overcome it and don’t allow it to slow us in our determination to make

sure that victims have the support they need.”

McCaskill and other senators in July introduced legislation to require universities to train confidential advisers for victims; take cases involving student athletes away from athletic departments, mandate new campus resources and support services for alleged victims; require schools to enter into agreements with local law enforcement over how to handle sexual assault investigations; and institute penalties of up to 1 percent of the budgets of noncomplying schools.

But the bill did not get to

the Senate floor before the end of this Congress, and so McCaskill said she will re-introduce it, along with Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) and other co-sponsors, early in 2015.

Earlier this year Congress passed legislation, co-sponsored by McCaskill, to strengthen and clarify how the military handles allegations of sexual assault. Citing a Pentagon study released last week, McCaskill told the committee today that those efforts have contributed to the percentage of alleged victims reporting sexual assaults from one in 12 to one in four.

Olivier Douliery/MCT CAMPUS

Senator says ‘bad journalism a setback’ for campus rape victims

President Obama comforts rape victim.

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NEWS

Boise State assists students dealing with death in college Asst. News Editor

One in 10 students will deal with an immediate family member loss while attending college, according to a ‘USA Today’ article.

Dealing with grief and loss is difficult in and of itself. When loss is lumped together with finals, dead week and term papers, students may feel like tremendous waves are crashing down on their lives.

Fortunately, if a student is in such a situation, there are departments on campus available to offer assistance.

Health Services and the dean of students office make an extra effort to assist students dealing with loss, especially during critical points in the semester.

“The biggest loss is not having someone there,” said Abel Grimaldo, licensed master social worker for Health Services.

When an individual suddenly passes away, students tend to struggle and it’s a huge challenge.

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Grimaldo has been with the university since June of this year and has seen about five students dealing with the loss of a family member since the beginning of the semester.

According to Grimaldo the most difficult part (for students) is not having someone close to talk to anymore. If a parent was a sounding board and is no longer there to listen, there needs to be someone to whom students can reach out and help fill the void.

“Especially during the holiday season, not having that person be there—that is always on their mind,” Grimaldo said. “We work with them to help replace those thoughts with something positive.”

According to Grimaldo, celebrating that person’s life during the holiday season is a beneficial way to acknowledge their passing, especially if done with others who also knew the person.

While Health Services provides services for the emotional burden students might feel after losing a

Don’t be discouraged, there’s plenty of work to do.

TED ATWELL/THE ARBITER

Eryn Shay Johnson

Academic stress may compound student struggles with grief. parent, child or friend, the financial aid office can also play a role in helping students deal with grief and loss.

“When a parent is lost, that can have an impact on financial resources,” said Maureen Sigler, associate director of client services, financial aid and scholarships. “They (students) often need to take time off to handle the situation and that can have an impact on financial aid.”

Sigler helps students with a multitude of financial aid-related problems.

“First we want to make sure a student is doing OK and then we find out what is in their best interest,” Sigler said.

Sigler helps students decide which course of action to follow when faced

with the challenge of loss and school. Sometimes students need to take a short time off which is when Sigler refers them to the dean of students office.

Other times students need to finish the semester with an incomplete or withdraw from courses. Boise State offers a multitude of resources to help students transition after the loss of a family member.

“Students need to know they’re not alone,” Sigler said. “Any office on campus would be anxious to help a student sort through challenges that result from the death of a family member.”

Extra Info Students in need of assistance can contact the Office of the Dean of Students: (208) 426-1527 University Health Services: (208) 426-1459

12/11/2014

NEWS

New academic coaching program gives helpful tips to students Kate White Staff Writer

According to Amy Cuddy, associate professor in the Negotiation, Organizations & Markets Unit at Harvard Business School, body posture can impact how students perceive themselves and how confident they are in their abilities to succeed.

Cuddy suggests that students feeling stressed before an interview or exam spend two minutes in a power pose.

“Our bodies change our minds and our minds change our behaviors and our behavior can change our

outcomes,” Cuddy said in a TED talk titled “Your body shapes who you are” given in June of 2012.

The new academic coaching program offered at Boise State connects students with coaches trained to help students identify their academic strengths, develop goals to overcome their weaknesses and learn other tips designed to help make students more successful.

“The strategies that we share with students are all research-based. It’s not us making things up. We really do look at the literature on topics like time management and note-taking,” said

Jillana Finnegan, associate director for Advising and Academic Enhancement.

“We try to find the best research that we can and translate it into strategies students can use.”

This coaching service is provided by the Department of Advising and Academic Enhancement. It is free to students and anyone interested is invited to participate.

The academic coaching program takes place in three steps.

First, students take an 80-question assessment to measure strengths and weaknesses in time manage-

ment, note-taking, stress management and other academic areas. Then, the student has a one-on-one consultation with a graduate student/academic advisor to discuss the results of the assessment and set specific and attainable goals to help achieve success.

There is then a follow-up appointment after a set period of time to see whether or not the student has implemented the strategies. This is meant to hold students accountable for the goals they set.

“I like the term ‘coaching’ because I think people can understand the athletic

analogy that you might be a great runner, but of course you have a coach who is going to say ‘a little bit to the right, harder here, slower here’ … someone outside of yourself that helps you improve.,” Finnegan said.

“Coaching is really for anyone who wants to improve and set goals.”

The program is new to Boise State this semester and was modeled after similar programs at other universities. Boise State’s program is undergoing a trial run and has 10 student participants but, according to Finnegan, that number is likely to increase in the future.

Extra Info Students interested in scheduling an appointment with an academic coach should contact Advising and Academic Enhancement at (208) 426-4049 or visit Academic and Career Services Building Room 114.

Everything in the paper and MORE visit arbiteronline.com 12/11/2014

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NEWS

Benton Smith Staff Writer

Nicole Cullen gazes around the Lookout Room as if she is still not quite comfortable with the attention. People attending the MFA reading event might not have realized that some consider her one of the most successful young writers of our time.

“I think that the last time I was in this room was as a student in 2006 to see Denis Johnson,” Cullen said.

Now, after winning the Carol Houck Smith Fiction Fellowship and the Wallace

Pg 10

Stegner Fellowship—two of the country’s most prestigious fellowships—Cullen is back at Boise State to teach at the university that first helped her learn to write.

Cullen graduated from Boise State in 2006 with a Bachelor’s of Arts in English before getting her Master’s in Fine Arts from Texas University. Cullen’s short fiction has appeared in “The Dublin Review,” “Ploughshares” and the “Idaho Review.” Cullen has always kept in touch with her Idaho roots, which are reflected in her work.

Her collection is filled with tales of the Salmon

River, the Boise Airport and all the quaint idiosyncrasies that the small towns of her home state are filled with.

Cullen’s return to teach has many of those who remember her as a student excited.

“Nicole was in the first Intermediate Fiction 306 class I taught here at Boise State,” said Brady Udall, associate professor of English.

“It was immediately clear to me that she was one of the most talented writers I’d ever been around.”

Cullen will be teaching advanced fiction for the Department of English next semester. She will attempt

to pass along the skills that have made her so successful.

“Nicole’s talent has everything to do with her ability with language and her emotional intelligence; she writes beautifully and she understands people,” Udall said. “She has an interesting background and there you have the makings of a great writer, which I believe Nicole is well on her way to becoming.”

Those looking to read one of Cullen’s works can find her short story, “Long Tom Lookout” in “The Best American Short Stories 2014.”

COURTESY CAMPUS UPDATE

Nicole Cullen returns to instruct

Nicole Cullen returns to Boise State.

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BOISE STATE WOMENS RUGBY

RUSH AKPsi

opinion

Students struggle with the mystery of adulthood Justin Doering Staff Writer

When The Arbiter asked 50 undergraduate students if they felt they were able to take on all the responsibilities of being an adult, 39 said they did not feel fully prepared. Knowing how to perform the basic duties of being an adult such as managing finances, insurance plans and student loans is crucial knowledge to have when heading into adulthood.

Once students graduate high school, they should be prepared for adult life.

High schools often fail to properly teach students skills that are necessary to have as an independent adult.

If these skills are not

taught during high school, the last step before expected independence, students should be taught these skills during college to better prepare them for the real world.

Repurposing UF classes to focus on teaching the basic principles of adulthood would be more effective in helping students in the real world.

“Maybe they (universities) expect you to know already or don’t consider it school-worthy,” said Andrew Stone, junior psychology major. “If you look at how many kids buy with credit cards and don’t know how to use a credit card, or how many kids buy houses and have no idea how a mortgage works, you can see that there is some important knowledge missing

there.”

Of the 50 students mentioned previously, 48 of them stated that they would prefer UF courses that taught the basics of being an adult instead of the current curriculum.

UF courses focus on topics ranging from storytelling to invention and discovery.

“If you’re going to have a university foundations class, I think it should be more applicable,” Stone said. “It’s pretty obvious that with everybody who takes those classes that there is no content to them. We could use that space to teach more practical things like basic finances, balancing checkbooks or even cooking.”

The mission for the Foundational Studies Program is to “engage our Boise State

University community in a cutting-edge, evidencebased liberal arts education relevant to our continually changing and diverse world.”

According to a four-year study conducted by the U.S. Department of Education, 71 percent of students graduating in 2012 had student loan debt, with the average debt amount being $24,000.

If students are graduating with thousands of dollars in debt, students need to be equipped with the skills to handle their finances.

“Doing taxes is more relevant to my world than storytelling,” said Beth Alderink, senior speech pathology major. “There should be a personal finance class where I can learn what a 401k is and how to set a budget.”

Can I just learn how to manage a budget please?

do you feel UF classes

ted atwell/the arbiter

Prepare you for the real world?

“The UF class that I took was story.

It was all about the future and what we thought technology would be like in the future. From a creative aspect yes it does because it opens your mind up to new concepts and ideas.”

“They’re interesting in theory. In actuality it’s just a bunch of people getting credits toward their major. That’s six credits that detracts you from your major.”

“For people that are transfer age students or have significant life experience, it’s not really applicable for the UF 100 or 200 level classes. There needs to be an alternative.”

“They’re okay. They met my expectations but they aren’t that hard.”

Marcus Birkholz

McAlister Mallory

Joe St. Romain

Gavin Mackey

Freshman Communication

Pg 12

Sophomore English- Creative Writing

Junior Criminal Justice

Freshman Biology

STUDENT VOICES BY NATE LOWERY AND BRANDON WALTON/THE ARBITER

12/11/2014

opinion

y r r e Happy Han M tmas a a z n a w u K kkah s s u o i y o r J h C HaHappy nuk ns o s a e S Joyous kah gs n i t e e r G Kwanzaa Merry Christmas Season’s Greetings

Happy Holidays

Leslie Boston-Hyde Staff Writer

‘Tis the season for holiday shopping, finding the perfect gifts and holiday cheer. As holiday shoppers are rushing through the mall this month, they will most likely hear a seasonal greeting from a retail employee.

However, two simple phrases, “Happy holidays” versus “Merry Christmas” have sparked massive debate in recent years.

It’s two words. Boycotting a store because the company chose to say “Happy holidays” or yelling at a retail employee for wishing a “Merry Christmas” is quite ridiculous and honestly unnecessary.

Companies must choose one or the other. By saying “Merry Christmas,” companies are ostracized for being insensitive to other religious affiliations. By

12/11/2014

wishing a customer “Happy holidays” instead, criticism arises for following a liberal agenda.

As of 2010, 3 out of 4 Americans claim Christianity as their belief system.

While this is a majority, this excludes almost 25 percent of possible customers ready to spend big bucks for presents.

The American Family Association, an organization who promotes fundamentalist Christian ideals, fights big-name retailers who switch to the politically correct term, and encourages their readers to boycott companies and demand “Merry Christmas.”

For other companies, saying “Happy holidays” is not only being politically correct—it opens the possibility to make a larger profit by trying to appeal to every belief system.

Here’s the truth though: Many Americans

don’t care.

In 2013, a study by the Pew Research Center found 8 out of 10 non-Christians celebrate Christmas in the United States. It’s a safe bet that companies aren’t taking a large risk by saying “Merry Christmas” if the Christmas shopping crowd is so large.

Yet, despite the vast majority celebrating Christmas this year, so much emphasis is put on the issue.

In another study conducted by the Pew Research Center, nearly half of Americans don’t have a preference for which seasonal greeting they receive.

Approximately 42 percent said they preferred “Merry Christmas” while the remaining 12 percent prefer “Happy Holidays.”

The whole concept of Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah and every other holiday celebration in be-

Robert Gauthier/MCT CAMPUS

Might as well move to “merry holidays”

tween is about love, tradition and spending time with family.

Focusing on such a simplistic issue draws attention away from the real

meaning of the season for many cultures.

Don’t be an Ebenezer Scrooge and bring bahhumbug to the joy of the holidays by focusing on

such a petty issue.

Tear open the presents, indulge in vast amounts of food and enjoy time with family and friends.

Pg 13

Four music students observed a Disney and pixar recording session.

Pixar score recording brings students up to tempo Justin Kirkham Culture Editor

It was in a small room of dials, limited seating, monitors, headphones and soundproof glass that junior music education and composition double major Leonardo Escobar determined what he wanted to do with his life.

Four Boise State music students were able to sit in on a Disney and Pixar recording session for an upcoming “Toy Story” amusement ride in October. While the attraction and its accompanying tunes are set to open and release in April, these students walked away with more knowledge and firsthand connections than they anticipated.

“It was just an incredible experience all around,” said senior piano performance and composition major Chris Vargas. “It’s an opportunity you wouldn’t normally get unless you went to a film school.”

The trip to Burbank, California began with the Boise Chamber Music Society’s

Pg 14

premiere of songs by the Debussy Trio, in which Disney and Pixar composer Jonathan Sack’s classical compositions were featured.

Music professor David Biedenbender jumped at the chance to connect his students with the composer, which eventually led to an invitation to the recording session.

“If there’s a composer in the city, I want them to meet with my students,” Biedenbender said. “It lets them learn more about music in a professional setting.”

Because Biedenbender was so adamant about connecting his students with Sacks and because ASBSU was flexible in providing funding for the trip, Escobar, Vargas, sophomore music composition major Luke Koenig and senior music composition major Jared Knight were able to make it to the recording session with two week’s notice.

Before attending the session, the students were required to fill out nondisclosure agreements in order to

prevent information leaks about the new music.

“They basically said we would die forever if we broke them,” Vargas said.

During the session, the students were given free reign of the studio. They could observe whatever they wanted and, during breaks, were able to ask whatever they wanted of the professional musicians recording the 60-person orchestrations.

“Every time you hear a soundtrack, that music has been sight read,” Vargas said.

“The musicians haven’t seen it until the day it is recorded, and sometimes they call it good after one or two runthroughs.”

Even in spite of this, the recording musicians maintained an air of friendliness and openness for the attending students.

“They acted so natural in their degree of professionalism,” Koenig said. “They’re all friends and they’re all very comfortable.”

Biedenbender stressed that this sort of connectedness and friendliness is es-

sential in the professional music world. After attending the session, his students were able to walk away with several references in the film score world if they were to pursue film composition later in their careers.

Beyond this immediate gain in networking, the attending students were able to see a tangible appreciation for their degrees.

It made the idea of professional musicianship more attainable.

“It made those wishes and dreams believable,” Vargas said. “If you wanted to climb Everest, it put you at the base where you could see the peak. You could touch it, taste it and smell it.”

Escobar originally thought of his music composition major as an added bonus to his music education major. He never thought it would be possible to utilize it within a career path.

“I’d always had my dreams, but (watching the session) made them a possibility,” Escobar said. “It was like my pencil had been sharpened.”

COURTESY THE PYRAMID

JARED KNIGHT/COURTESY

Culture

The pyramid lacks a solid plot.

Walton’s Movie World: The Pyramid Brandon Walton

Asst. Sports & Rec Editor

There are bad movies, and then there is this one.

“The Pyramid” is the latest horror movie to hit theaters and is the front-runner to win the coveted Walton’’s Movie World worst movie of the year award.

I honestly don’t know where to start with this movie. The acting or lack thereof will have to do.

It’s atrocious. Porn stars would have done better with the script of this film.

Every actor in the movie overdoes their role and makes their character so ridiculously over the top that it makes you not care for a single one.

It also doesn’t help that these characters are perhaps the dumbest characters I have seen in a movie for quite sometime. All of them make idiotic decisions that no one would ever do and it completely ruins the suspension of

disbelief. I am not sure if the actors were really that bad or if they just didn’t care. My guess is the latter, as with a script this bad, I wouldn’t care either.

The movie has no clear focus. It tries to keep you vested with little historical facts and tidbits in between the so-called scary scenes. This movie is so unscary that you could take your 5-year-old kid to it and they wouldn’t scream once. They would more than likely fall asleep due to sheer boredom.

At a point, it just becomes a comedy because of how bad it is. You really just have to laugh to get through the whole film.

Don’t see this movie, that is, unless seeing an angry steroid-crazed Scooby Doo with his army of cats sounds interesting to you. It might sound intriguing, but it’s not on any level.

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Culture

I really can’t stay, but baby it’s cold outside Ugly Christmas sweaters bridge the gap between age and income to spread Christmas cheer Patty Bowen

Asst. Culture Editor

It is enough to make Macklemore cry when the knitting talents of grandmas across nation are being utilized because of the recent ugly Christmas sweater fashion trend.

Although the cheesy, ridiculously designed sweaters have been rising in popularity over the years, it wasn’t until this year that their popularity went through the roof.

“I’ve never seen a product have such a frenzy like this.” said Darrin Sligar, operations manager and owner of Lux Fashion Lounge.

According to Sligar, Boise has appropriated ugly Christmas sweaters into its mainstream culture this year. As early as Black Friday Lux had an influx of customers careening over the idea of having a unique ugly Christmas sweater.

“Today I’ve sold seven, on Saturday we sold 18, on Black Friday, we sold 30,” Sligar said.

“For our size of store, that’s insane. I’ve never sold over 30 of one kind of product in the 11 years we’ve been here.”

The authenticity of the ugly sweater is often one of its main selling points, which is why stores like Lux are perfect for harboring and reselling ugly Christmas sweaters to people who are a little wary about setting foot in a thrift shop.

“You have these business professionals that wouldn’t be caught dead in an ugly Christmas sweater or want to go to a normal thrift store to buy it, but they want to participate

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in the office Christmas spirit,” Sligar said.

Lux gets its selection of Christmas ugly sweaters from several different locations, some of which are from customers who may have originally bought them from thrift stores and then resold them for a higher price.

Jennifer Platt, lead customer service representative of the Fairview Idaho Youth Ranch feels that because of the large range of price caused by ugly Christmas sweaters being sold in resell stores, thrift stores and high end stores, the fashion trend is able to bridge the gap between income brackets.

“I’ve seen (ugly Christmas sweaters) online for upwards of a hundred dollars. Your average person can’t afford that and no matter how cool they are (the high price) takes away from the fun tradition,” Platt said. “We have them for an affordable price so people of all incomes can get in on the tradition. That’s what’s important.”

Platt does feel that despite the convenience resell or conventional clothing stores provide by sectioning off or providing clean ugly sweaters, thrift shops offer the most diverse selection.

“Thrift shops are about finding the weirdest of the weird, the most creative sweaters,” Platt said. “(When you shop at a thrift store) you get uniqueness.”

According to Platt thrift stores also provide the unique opportunity to buy a featureless ugly sweater and turn it into a personal ugly sweater.

JARED LEWIS/THE ARBITER

This personalization could come in handy for students interested in having the ugliest sweater in the bunch at ugly sweater parties.

Nick Getz, a senior marketing major, feels that over the last couple years, ugly sweaters have gained popular in part because of the trend of ugly sweater parties.

“Around Christmastime it seems to be the thing to get ugly sweaters and go to an ugly sweater party, which is just a regular party wearing ugly sweaters,” Getz said. “Within my circle of friends there’s at least a couple that happen per year.”

Even though this trend has been mostly adapted into

youth culture, Platt feels that ugly Christmas sweaters can be something that breaks through age barriers.

“I have had multiple people of all ages, even people in their 80s coming in because they’re doing ugly Christmas sweaters with their families,” Platt said. “It’s really (a trend for) all ages.”

Despite its ridiculous nature, the ugly Christmas sweater has a way of bonding people together.

“There’s not a person who can come in here and not smile at (the ugly Christmas sweaters),” Sligar said. “It’s spreading Christmas cheer. It’s amazing the effect it’s having on people.”

Pg 17

Culture Patty Bowen

Asst. Culture Editor

Students who attended the Shades of Black performance last year might remember the explosion-in-your-gut performance of “Quicksand Blues” by Wooden Feels.

With time, practice and 19 performable pieces at the ready, Wooden Feels is again finding their way to a Boise stage, this time sprucing up the ambiance of the District Coffee House.

“Music is more of a byproduct to our friendship,” said senior social work and political science major and band member Christopher Bower.

Wooden Feels is composed of Bower, sophomore philosophy major McAlister Mallory and junior environmental studies major Drew Riemersma. The band is known for its “2 to 1 beard ratio.”

Listed as an acoustic soul group by the District, Wooden Feels has dabbled

in several different types of music, but is currently working on a spoken word piece that is accompanied by guitar ambiance.

“The spoken word piece really came in after (we formed),” Bower said. “I didn’t know McAlister was as into (spoken word) until we started hanging out. We then began to look into how we could incorporate that into our music.”

According to the group, the rest of Wooden Feels’ songs have been a product of the group’s tight-knit friendship.

“The band is our favorite thing to do when we hang out,” Mallory said. “We’d get really bored if we only had like six songs, so we add some out of natural boredom.”

This natural boredom translates into the talent and punch that students can find in Wooden Feels’ music.

“It’s less of a process and more of a reason,” Bower said. “It’s not like we follow a pattern, it’s more like the

reason we are able to make songs is because our personalities fit and we all bring different things to the table.”

According to Bower, the diverse musical backgrounds of the members of Wooden Feels include Bower’s familiarity with jazz, blues and post-hardcore, Mallory’s Southern indie style and Riemersma’s traditional background.

“My shit is so fringe, his stuff is so hard to understand and his stuff is so generic that we can all come together,” Bower said. “We are a fucking diverse mess.”

After this gig, Wooden Feels is hoping to record an EP and look at the possibility of touring the Pacific Northwest.

“For the future is just one day at a time,” Riemersma said. “I love performing. I love being up there with these guys. Wherever it takes us, that’s great.”

Performing is more about the experience than the show time for Wooden Feels; Bow-

COURTESY WOODEN FEELS

Wooden Feels grows roots in Boise before branching out

Wooden Feels performs one of their 19 pieces. er wants to create connections with audience members rather than just play for them.

“I want it to feel like we’re a family. We’re not looking for fans. We’re looking to offer something that can’t be

found anywhere else,” Bower said. “We’re looking to bridge that arbitrary gap between camaraderie and audience performance.”

Wooden Feels will be playing at the District on Friday, Dec. 12 at 7:30 p.m.

Imagery and emotion make Wintergirls one to read Eryn Shay Johnson Asst. News Editor

It’s not nice when girls die.

But for Laurie Halse Anderson, the death of a character is the perfect way to kick off “Wintergirls.” The 2009 novel that discusses the difficulties of having an eating disorder and loving one’s body is the perfect winter novel for any woman (or man) who has

Pg 18

felt not quite good enough in their own skin.

At the beginning of the book, we learn that Lia’s ex-best friend, Cassie, has just died, alone and in a hotel room. Lia and Cassie were “Wintergirls” that struggled with eating disorders and self acceptance.

Anderson does a terrific job of weaving vivid imagery with the struggles that Lia faces in dealing with an eating disorder and the

loss of her friend.

I absolutely love the imagery that Anderson utilizes when describing food. It’s clear to see the relationship that Lia has with consuming calories is a negative one. It is also a relationship with food that many young women can relate to.

Anderson details Lia’s food consumption and calorie intake in detail: cereal (150), two percent milk

(125), and so on. The use of calories in parentheses is a technique that Anderson repeats through out the book but also parallels the food journals that many of us keep to maintain calorie consciousness.

Another theme that I relate to in the book is the use of the words “when I was a real girl.” Lia is in a tremendous transformational period in her life.

She is a senior in high

school, dealing with her parents’ divorce and helping to raise her stepsister.

As a woman, I find the fact that Lia’s realization of her reality and her “reality” is an intriguing one that the book develops on as it progresses.

The journey that Anderson takes you on through Lia’s eyes also sheds light on more than eating disorders but also on the destructive act of self-muti-

“If you’re into the arts, if you’re into performing arts, if you like the idea that music is fun, if you like popular bands, if you like bands that are more obscure, you can expect to see it all,” Riemersma said. lation.

Lia is a cutter.

While this aspect of the book might differ from Lia’s original eating disorder problem, it makes her more relatable to a reader who has gone through both an eating disorder and is so lost the only way to connect with reality is to feel pain.

Between the imagery and the emotional draw to the main character I give “Wintergirls” a 10 out of 10. It’s a quick read and great to curl up with a cup of hot chocolate.

12/11/2014

Culture

Do hipsters really exist?

While the term ‘hipster’ abounds in average vocabulary, participants steer clear of the title Justin Kirkham Culture Editor

For senior English education major Lila Lake, the term “hipster” points solely to a meaningless pile of stereotypes and assumptions as well as an uncanny collection of Apple products, skinny jeans and black-rimmed glasses. “(Are they) artsy and shallow? Vain and cynical,” Lake said. “Tumblr and Instagram?”

The hipster stereotype

Lake explained that the image associated with hipsters is often attributed to the items one possesses.

She found that students generally associate physical appearance and material possessions to hipster identity instead of their alternative goals and cultural make up.

“They’re well-dressed, empty souls who have read ‘The Great Gatsby’ but really just want to talk about how cute flappers were,” Lake said.

This immediate categorization of “hipsters” into a predetermined subgroup based on trendiness and thrift store clothing may deteriorate the way mainstream culture views and approaches the idea of hipsters.

Sociology professor Desiree Brunette admitted that she was guilty of stereotyping hipsters into a category

12/11/2014

based on appearance and clothing. In spite of this, she found that when looking deeper into the images and associated with hipster culture, it is easier to see the basis for multiple hipstercentric movements.

The ideologies of the hipster movement

“They’re a group that aims to buck social norms, especially when it comes to gender roles,” Brunette said.

“They’re intellectuals.”

According to Brunette, the hipster culture that has come to fruition in recent years might be associated with indie music and local coffee shops, but there is more to them than that.

Because the original goals embedded in such a culture include fighting against categorization and social lumping, being labeled is the last thing that real hipsters are aiming for.

“True hipsters don’t identify as hipsters,” Brunette said.

According to Brunette, this creates a perceived culture where outside social influences acknowledge a subgroup within society, while those supposedly in the group identify as individuals and not a categorized group.

Sorting society into categories

“Google ‘hipster history’ — it and ‘hepcat’ go back to at least the 40s,” said sociology department chair

Martin Orr. “I have no idea how universal this contemporary understanding of the term is, but I’d think people seem to use it more or less the same way.”

According to Orr, the stereotypes that are associated with hipsters generally make sense in depressed economic conditions. For example, alternative transportation saves travel funds and eating local can save consumers money on extravagant meals and purchases.

“There is a bit of a subculture that’s emerged that

shares a lot of characteristics of previous anti-establishment youth cultures,” Orr said.

Oftentimes, because these overarching goals and lifestyle aims might be frowned upon in highly conservative social groups, the entire perceived culture of hipsters is pegged as a circle of haughty know-it-alls.

But, because most mainstream onlookers prefer to categorize those they know based on action instead of ideology, many individuals that ride their bikes instead

of drive are immediately pinned as hipsters instead of cost-conscious or environment-conscious individuals. These supposed hipsters may be seen in a negative light because of the immediate social stigma and historic implications associated with the label.

“I think the term can often be used to reduce people to a fashion statement in order to silence their ideologies,” Lake said.

Hipsters are, according to Lake, categorized mainly for the sake of ease when

it comes to understanding certain individuals and their face value. This in turn creates a society wherein groups are groups for the sake of organization through consumerism instead of philosophy and ideas.

“I’ve often seen this type of rhetoric used against people who identify as feminists, as if dressing a certain way reduces your claim to discuss gender-equality,” Lake said.

“All stereotypes and labels function to silence. This one is no different.”

Pg 19

Sports & Rec

Going for the hat trick

Broncos hope to win third Fiesta Bowl in nine years, first in post-Coach Pete era Brandon Walton

Pg 20

Chris Butler/COURTESY

years earlier in pursuit of becoming a better coach.

Even with Harsin at the helm and an impressive coaching staff around him, fans were not sure if he would bring the Broncos back into the national spotlight—especially after a lackluster 3-2 start.

“I think it’s fair to say that most Bronco fans out there didn’t think there was a chance it could be done the first year,” Boise State president Bob Kustra said.

But after rattling off eight straight wins and a MW Championship to end the season, Harsin has the Boise State Broncos back in the national spotlight.

Harsin and company were able to provide a spark

in the players and got them to believe in his mission of returning the Broncos to their glory days.

“We just started getting hot,” running back Jay Ajayi said. “Our offense really starting rolling and Grant always kept us level-headed and composed. To see his play elevate after that Air Force game was just awesome for me.”

The defense is performing well also, as the Broncos bode the 39th best total defense in the nation. Redshirt junior safety Darian Thompson leads the charge with a team high seven interceptions this season.

“We were just playing our hearts out,” junior cornerback Donte Deayon said.

“We left it all on the field

and we were not going to hold anything back.”

Boise State will have three weeks to prepare for the Fiesta Bowl. For offensive coordinator Mike Sanford, there is no better time than bowl season.

“I love bowl prep,” Sanford said. “Bowl prep is when things get weird. You get a chance to go back and see what you did and see other trends in college football.”

The Broncos will be looking to make it three for three in Fiesta Bowl wins.

This team however, hopes to write their own legacy.

“For this 2014 Boise State team we really have the chance to leave our legacy at Boise State,” Ajayi said.

Tyler paget/THE ARBITER

The Boise State Broncos are heading back to the Fiesta Bowl for the third time in nine years—but their road getting back there was not an easy one.

Boise State will have its hands full as they match up against the number No. 10 team in the land, the Arizona Wildcats.

“Arizona is a tremendous and very well coached,” head coach Bryan Harsin said. “They have played some very good competition the entire season and we are going need to be on point when we go play.”

Last season when Boise State had their worst season in 15 years, people began to worry. When then head coach Chris Peterson left for the head coaching job at Washington, people began to panic.

The mid-major powerhouse and college football’s darling suddenly found themselves at a crossroads.

Was it all really over for one of college football’s winningest programs since 2000?

“Everyone in the country was going to pay attention to how we responded,” Boise State athletic director Mark Coyle said.

After a national search, Boise State decided to bring back former assistant coach Bryan Harsin who had left the program a few

SHAWN RAECKE/MCT CAMPUS

Asst. Sports & Rec Editor

12/11/2014

boise state media relations

Sports & rec

Wicks competes in the back stroke earlier this season.

Sam Wicks drives Broncos to national level

Brandon Walton

Asst. Sports & Rec Editor

Boise State junior swimmer Sam Wicks has the No. 15 Boise State swimming team off to their best start and highest ranking in school history.

Wicks, who was one of six swimmers to go to the NCAA Nationals last season, is on pace to have her best season yet.

She already has won 13 events in head-to-head competitions this season and has set two school records

12/11/2014

in the 200 individual medley and the 100 backstroke.

She was named the MW swimmer of the week earlier in the season and most recently scored in nine events at the Art Adamson Invitational.

“I have exceeded any expectation that I have ever had of myself,” Wicks said.

Wicks swims an astonishing nine events for the Broncos, with her best stroke being the backstroke.

“I used to be the worst at backstroke,” Wicks said.

“Which is weird to say be-

cause that’s why I got recruited down here to swim.”

Wicks came to Boise State by way of Anchorage, Alaska where she started swimming competitively at the age of 8.

“My mom put me into swim lessons when I was younger,” Wicks said. “She saw the love I had for the water.”

A chance encounter with Boise State head coach Kristin Hill at a club swim meet led to her swimming for the blue and orange.

“I had the opportunity to see her compete before we

started recruiting her,” Hill said. “You could tell she was competing at a high level and had a lot of potential.”

The move to Boise was understandably difficult as Wicks was now thousands of miles away from home.

“That was really hard for me because I still wish I could see my parents and my dog more,” Wicks said.

“I made a family of my own here, though.”

One of those teammates became her best friend, Boise State’s other swimming star, sophomore Brittany

Aoyama.

“Sam and I became great friends last year,” Aoyama said. “It is great having someone like her to swim with because she is always pushing me to be better.”

Wicks is known as a great team leader and is always helping her fellow teammates in any way she can.

“She is encouraging others to join her at nationals this season,” Hill said. “I appreciate her drive to help bring her teammates to a higher level.”

While Wicks is off to a

fantastic start to the season, in her mind, she can be better.

“When I accomplish something, I always want to know what I can do better so I can take that next step,” Wicks said.

With over three months left in the season, this could indeed be a record-setting year for the dynamic yet humble star.

“I don’t think it’s a coincidence why she is one of our best,” Hill said. “She does everything it takes to get better and that has really paid off.”

Pg 21

Devin Ferrell/THE ARBITER

Sports & Rec

A long jumper competing in nampa.

BOISE STATE RECREATION FACEBOOK PAGE

Sports offers escape from finals Ali Roberts Staff Writer

Blow off steam after finals Ali Roberts Staff Writer

With finals looming right around the corner and the final crunch of studying before break, the Campus Recreation finals hot spring trip is the perfect way to relax and de-stress after finals.

“This is a great option for de-stressing because you really get to get away from technology, from the rush of the city,” trip manager Preston Hu said. “You get to get out into the mountains and the woods and just breathe

Pg 22

the fresh air and go places where not as many people get to travel.”

The potential locations for this trip are the Kirkham Hot Springs, Hot Springs Campground and Skinny Dipper Hot Springs.

Campus Recreation will decide which one based on the water levels of the hot springs at the time of the trip.

The hot springs are located in some of Idaho’s most pristine wilderness in the local area outside of the city.

The registration deadline

is Dec. 15 and will cost $30.

The trip will be on Dec. 20.

Transportation will be provided by the Recreation Center.

This trip will also give students a chance to go explore the outdoors.

“We are looking at doing a little bit of hiking and depending on the amount of snow, it might just be hiking, or it might be snowshoeing,” Hu said. “If it’s at a campground, we can do a campfire. We can hang around have lunch and talk. Just getting to know each other also

to warm up and end the trip in the hot springs.”

The trip requires a pre-trip meeting to determine the exact logistics of the trip.

Those interested in the trip should make sure that they bring the following basics for the trip: warm shoes, whether it’s tennis shoes or a pair of hiking boots, a good pair of socks wool socks, a good base layer, a thin long underwear and a outer layer that can block the wind and insulate as well as a bathing suit for the hot spring and a towel.

For students that are fried from the stress of finals, going to a game and letting loose can be one of the best things to get one’s mind off finals.

With all of the home games that are coming this next weekend, Boise State athletics has students covered.

Women’s Basketball

The women’s basketball team has had a fair season so far with a 5-3 start.

The Broncos will face rival University of Idaho on Dec. 10, followed by a game against Eastern Washington on Dec. 14, both at Taco Bell Arena.

So far this season the team has beaten Idaho State University, Carroll College, Yale, New Mexico State, and Montana State.

Wrestling

Boise State returns to the

mat to face rival Oregon State this upcoming weekend.

After finishing the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in Las Vegas, with the likes of freshman Geordan Martinez, who took fifth place in the 141-pound weight bracket, the Broncos will hope to get revenge on the Beavers.

Oregon State has won four of the last five meetings of the rivalry.

The rivalry is dubbed “Border War” due to the two schools’ proximity, geographically and competitively.

Matches start 7 p.m.

Saturday Dec. 13 in the Bronco Gym.

Track and Field

The Boise State track and field team will be opening up their indoor season Saturday Dec. 13 at Jackson’s Indoor Track at the Idaho Center in Nampa, Idaho.

This will be the start to head coach Corey Ihmels’ second season at Boise State.

12/11/2014

Sports & rec

Devin Ferrell/THE ARBITER

STUDENT DEALS

The Broncos huddle up during a match.

Volleyball program continues rise Leslie Boston-Hyde Staff Writer

The Boise State women’s volleyball team surprised many by ending the season 18-12, one of its most successful seasons in years.

The Broncos’ triumph this season was recognized with five post-season MW honors, the most received by a Boise State volleyball team since 1981.

True freshman Sierra Nobley ended her first season by setting a new record for kills by a freshman, totaling 432. She ranked 48th nationally and earned two honors: freshman of the year and a spot on the AllMW team.

Junior Sarah Baugh added her first honor to her volleyball resume by making the All-Mountain West team.

“I remember picking up the phone and calling my grandpa and telling him. I got all choked up,” Baugh

12/11/2014

said. “I couldn’t have done it without my team.”

Other MW honors included Newcomer of the Year for redshirt freshman Kaitlyn Oliver and sophomore Maddy O’Donnell’s spot on the All-MW team.

“I think it shows that we’ve got a lot of good, young talent and we’ve been able to develop that talent in the program. The future is really bright,” said head coach Shawn Garus.

With the successful season at an end, the team is already preparing for the off-season.

“It’s going to be overall defensive focus this spring,” Garus said. “Defense starts with serving tough, and then it’s our presence of the net blocking and our back real floor defense.”

While the Broncos were ranked second in the conference for offense, the team ranked sixth for blocks and eighth for digs.

Baugh and Nobley have set personal goals to work on their defense to become well-rounded players on the court.

“As an individual, I want to get better at things that I’m not so strong at, like blocking, digging, and defense,” Nobley said. “We had really successful offense weapons this year and I think having a strong defense and getting more balls up and blocking more balls will make us that much better.”

With almost all of the team returning, Garus anticipates a successful season next year.

“I think our players got a taste of success this year.

I know they’re hungry for more,” Garus said. “We’ll try to hold everybody to a high standard and set high expectations. I think we’ll be trying to compete for a Mountain West Championship next year.”

Pg 23

SAVE MONEY WITH STUDENT DEALS

hoots & giggles

horoscopes Aries- Your chi is imbalanced and it is time for drastic action. Stop planning for the annual visit from Santa and give yourself to the dark lord Cthulhu this holiday season. Bring warm milk, cookies and the soul of your roommate. Hope that he finds you worthy.

Taurus- Warmth is for the weak. In order to pass your finals successfully, you must study on the roof of the library, wearing nothing but your ugly Christmas sweater.

Snow and rain? Just a cold, refreshing shower my friend.

Gemini- Studying for finals? You have more important things to do.

Dark elves are headed for the Boise State Christmas tree, fully intent on stealing the giant B. Defend the school’s honor with a pair of sharpened candy canes and do not let them pass.

CancerDespite loads of homework, a life of crime is calling. Buy a gallon of pure hot chocolate mix and carefully bag the entire bucket, remembering to wrap each bag in duct tape.

Distribute your wares to several freshman and loudly warn them against mixing the product with marshmallows.

Leo- Today you are

Pg 24

a god. As a divine being, your first assignment is to do battle with the rapper known as Kanye West. Engage in a duel of horrible rap lyrics and questionable media quotes. Beware of Kanye’s Kardashian power attack. Kim’s butt broke the internet and it can certainly break a god.

Virgo- The omens are negative today. In order to bring balance to your aura, you must end every sentence with izzle. Do not deviate from this command, especially when giving your final presentations.

Remember, the universe is watching (and probably President Obama as well).

Libra- In order to remain positive and not go insane during finals week, you must make one random act of kindness. Go up to the second floor of the library with a boombox, and play the entire 1989 album for three hours straight. Your sacrifice will be noted by the stars.

Scorpio- Attack your finals the same way Richard Sherman attacks wide receivers. At the end of every class, walk up to your professor and pronounce that you’re the best student in the game and that the

professor should never come at you with a sorry final like that again.

Sagittarius- Do you want to avoid becoming that crying mess that sits in bed all day avoiding finals? Travel to your nearest potion shop and buy eye of newt and toe of frog. Leave one of each at the door of all of your professors offices.

They’ll know what to do.

C a p r i c o r n - Every year, someone has to have a complete meltdown in the library because of finals. Don’t let it be you! Whenever you start to feel stressed out, go up to the first person you see and begin to antagonize them. They’ll have the embarrassing meltdown and you’ll be safe.

Aquarius- Hey girl, Ryan Gosling here. You’ll do great on your finals.

Want to know how I know that? Because you’re great. After this week is over, I’ll fly to you and whisper sweet nothings about pizza and Taco Bell into your ear.

Pisces- The stars have asked you to be bold this finals season. In all of your classes, show up to your final wearing only Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle boxers. Your over confident will reward you with an A.

tic tac toe 1. Where does Santa put his suit after Christmas?

2. Which moves faster: heat or cold?

3. What is Santa’s favorite breakfast cereal?

DA RIDDLES 12/11/2014