March 9, 2015 Vol. 27 Issue 50
In d ep e nd e nt
The Arbiter
St u d e nt
@arbiteronline
MESSAGE RECEIVED P.8
NEWS
photo by emily pehrson/the arbiter
design by jovi ramirez/the arbiter
Blackletter banned, p.4
CULTURE
Fraternity philanthropy p.13
SPORTS
Athlete academics, p.14
V o I ce
o f
B o I Se
Stat e
S I n c e
@arbiteronline
1 9 3 3
arbiteronline.com
hoots & giggles
“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” -Arthur Ashe
Comic Strip
crossword puzzle FOR RELEASE MARCH 9, 2015
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis
sudoku
ACROSS 1 Works with yarn 6 Anheuser-__ Brewery 11 Solomon, for one 14 Valium drug company 15 Snow-block home 16 Logger’s tool 17 Past one’s prime 19 Doc for a kitty 20 Thicknessmeasuring instrument 21 Hiker’s tool 23 Mauna __ 24 Actress Zellweger 25 Perilous course to go down 30 Margarita condiment, in Mazatlán 32 Tiny amt. of time 33 Ballet skirt 34 Vote in 36 Tom Collins liquor 38 Red giant with a carbon-rich atmosphere 39 Say with assurance 40 Red-shirted bear 42 Prefix with bar 43 Achieves one’s goal 48 Skin openings 49 “Saw __”: second “Saw” sequel 50 Popeye’s adoptee 53 Lacking a handle? 57 Bother a lot 58 Interest-paying institution 60 Alphabet finale 61 Where embryos develop 62 Do-or-die poker bet 63 Finale 64 Heat-resistant glassware 65 Writer/director Allen with four Oscars DOWN 1 McDonald’s founder Ray
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3/9/15
By Carol Hacker
2 __ Scotia 3 Atlantic republic at the edge of the Arctic Cir. 4 Roller-coaster ride feeling 5 Climactic tennis match situation 6 Oktoberfest quaff 7 “That turns my stomach” 8 Deli machine 9 Ant complex 10 Watson’s associate 11 Perked pot contents 12 Couple that’s split 13 Dampens 18 Piles 22 Furrier’s hides 24 Cookbook contents 25 Streamlined 26 Take down a __: humble 27 Navel variety 28 School support gps. 29 Peseta replacement 30 Tailor’s line
Saturday’s Puzzle Solved
©2015 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
31 Thomas __ Edison 35 __ suzette: dessert pancake 37 Christmas quaff 38 Logger’s tool 41 Round gasket 44 Cleans with a paper towel, as a spill 45 War-ending pact 46 Shot put competitor, e.g.
3/9/15
47 Devil, in Durango 50 Small or medium 51 Small songbird 52 __ out a living: barely got by 53 Windows alternative 54 Bueno’s opposite 55 City near Tulsa 56 Big Apple fashion initials 59 Anger
3/09/2015
IN THIS
Emily Pehrson
editor@ arbiteronline.com
MANAGING EDITOR Justin Kirkham
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
14 boise state media relations
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
ISSUE
Off to the NCAA championship multi-cultural student services facebook page
7
15
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR devin ferrell/the arbiter
Brandon Walton sports@ arbiteronline.com
CULTURE EDITOR Patty Bowen arts@ arbiteronline.com
ASSISTANT CULTURE EDITOR August McKernan arts@ arbiteronline.com
Tyler paget/THE ARBITER
PHOTO EDITOR
Tyler Paget photo@ arbiteronline.com
COPY EDITORS
Brenna Brumfield Leslie Boston-Hyde
Fight opression with experience
Men’s Basketball takes MW title
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11
design manager Jovi Ramirez
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS george bridges/tribune news service
Ted Atwell Jared Lewis
BUSINESS MANAGER MacArthur Minor business@ arbiteronline.com
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circumcision: genital mutilation?
Expect gas tax increases
Distributed Mondays & Thursdays 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 apiece at The Arbiter offices.
NEWS
Justin Kirkham Managing Editor
Emily Pehrson Editor-in-Chief
Ryan Blacketter, an adjunct professor in the English Department, was fired from his position and received a lifetime ban from the university last week. According to Blacketter, this is due at least in part to his decision to teach an unpopular essay entitled, “My Dad, the Pornographer” to his advanced fiction writing class. “A faculty member in the English Department suggested I not teach the essay ... One or more students had complained about it,” Blacketter wrote in an email to colleagues and friends with the subject line, “BSU First Amendment Issue.” “The next day the dean emailed me with the news that I was to meet with him and an HR rep, scheduled for the morning before I was going to class with the offending essay in hand.” While the university is legally prevented from releasing any
details pertaining to the hiring or dismissal of personnel, the English Department denies Blacketter’s removal was a matter free speech or censorship. “This was not about academic freedom,” said Michelle Payne, chair of the English Department. “The reasons for it have to be serious. We don’t make the decision (to remove faculty) lightly.” Other reasons—including the intensity of fiction workshops in Blacketter’s fiction writing classes—may have played a roll. In his email, Blacketter described seeing breakdowns from students in his fiction classes, including one woman who left the room crying. “There are no drama queens like undergrad fiction writers,” Blacketter said. “They said my workshops were too negative, too mean.” Chelsea Mabbott, an English major currently taking a semester off from school, left Blacketter’s fiction class in the middle of last semester, because of her negative workshop experi-
ences. “He straight up, to my face, told me that my writing was crap,” Mabbott said. “To have him tell me that, having only one week to write my story, was really demeaning and hurtful.” Mabbott felt the best thing she could do for her mental health was drop the class. Blacketter’s instruction left her without the inspiration to write instead of building up her technical skills and creative process. “With so many things in the world that make it hard to be a writer already, we don’t need someone like that,” Mabbott said. “We need someone that is there to teach and help you get better.” Derek Patterson, English alumni, also took Blacketter’s fiction course last semester. He completed the semester, graduated and noticed marked improvement in his writing. “Writers seem to have a lot of ego, and Ryan sought to destroy that ego inasmuch as making one’s writing better,” Patterson said. “I can see how
ryan blackletter/courtesy
English prof fired mid-semester
Ryan Blacketter was dismissed last week. some students may take that and misconstrue it in their minds as something negative.” This workshop experience only strengthened Patterson’s passion for writing and eagerness to improve. He found the in-depth critiques more beneficial than any other workshop in his writing career. “The biggest enemy of an artist is being told ‘good job,’” Patterson said. “Ryan never
FAFSA filing aid is available DR Reff
Staff Writer
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid offers students the opportunity to get loans and pell grants. Many factors are taken into account when it is processed: whether students have been in the military, parental educational levels, grade levels, type of study
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and eligibility to file a certain tax form. Ten years ago, the FAFSA promotional campaign began. This year, it started around mid-February and will end March 15—the date the FAFSA should be submitted for priority aid. It can still be submitted afterwards. “There has been much success with the FAFSA cam-
paigns both past and present but there is always room for improvement,” financial aid counselor Niki Helsel said. “It does truly help to reduce student stress over the financial aid process if your application is filed by that March 15 date.” FAFSA is an application that collects information on students and families in order to calculate a student’s
expected family contribution. The Department of Education then uses this to determine what types of aid a student is eligible for. Financial aid counselor Jessica Hacker has made it her mission, with her colleagues, to get as many students as possible signed up for FAFSA for the 2015- 2016 school year. It’s an annual campaign that’s
told us that directly, but if one read between the lines—the very essence of writing—then one would see that Ryan Blacketter cares.” As an adjunct professor, Blacketter is considered an at-will employee, meaning he can be removed from his position at any time for any reason. However, the English Department stressed that, in Blacketter’s case, there was a review
process before the decision was made. For Payne, who has been the chair for nine years, this is only the second time she’s had to remove a professor mid-semester. “I think it’s important that everybody knows that when decisions like this are made, they’re very carefully reviewed and we have a pretty extensive process that we go through,” Payne said.
been worked on for years. “Just by filling your FAFSA, no matter what your family income is like, you qualify for (a) federal unsubsidized loan that typically has a much lower interest rate than what you might find from a private lender,” Hacker said. There will be digital promotions in the Student Union Building and Albertson’s Library as well as to-do items on student accounts, email reminders and bulletin boards. Filling out the application online takes a 10-15 minutes,
though time may be extended if you do not have the necessary information for it such as social security number, tax forms and other knowledge of benefits received throughout a student’s lifetime. Students can receive help with their FAFSA at the Financial Aid Office located in the Administration Building in room 113. They can be reached at 208-426-1664 or emailed at FAQuest@boisestate.edu. Other resources include fafsa.gov, studentaid.gov and nslds.ed.gov.
3/09/2015
NEWS
Idaho Fuel Tax to increase at end of session Asst. News Editor
Idaho has one of the nation’s lowest fuel price brackets, but Idaho doesn’t come close to having the lowest gas tax. Since 1996, the fuel tax in Idaho has been a standard $0.25 per gallon for regular gasoline, diesel and biodiesel. One bill that has been proposed to the house considers increasing the fuel tax by 8 cents on July 1, 2015 and a penny every July 1 that follows. The yearly penny increase is included to keep the tax up to speed with inflation. Increased taxes will fuel maintenance on Idaho’s deteriorating roads.
3/09/2015
In Gov. Butch Otter’s State of the State address, he emphasized that infrastructure and maintenance needed to be tackled this year. According to Idaho’s Transportation Department’s fiveyear plan, one-third of Idaho’s bridges are over 50 years old, and, with infrastructure’s current funding, the bridges need to last 120 years. The state’s 12,000 miles of
“
state highway is also deteriorating, which means 600 miles need to be repaved each year to keep on top of maintenance. Upkeep isn’t cheap. The increase in fuel tax isn’t the only aspect of the proposed bill. The bill would also raise registration fees on individual and commercial vehicles. The bill proposes increasing the registration fee by 50 percent.
“
Eryn Shay Johnson
This bill (HB144) just taxes and spends and doesn’t look at cost control,” said Rep. Steven Harris (R) district 21. “This particular bill won’t move any further. —Rep. Steven Harris
If all goes to plan the bill could help raise the $262 million needed to maintain the system that is in place. However, this wouldn’t solve all of the infrastructure problems. “This bill (HB144) just taxes and spends and doesn’t look at cost control,” said Rep. Steven Harris (R) District 21. “This particular bill won’t move any further.” According to Harris, there are other bills being developed that would look at controlling costs. Regardless if HB144 moves forward or a similar bill takes its place, fuel taxes will most likely increase.
Little support for gas tax hike
A bipartisan group of senators has proposed raising the gas tax by 12 cents over the next two years, and indexing the tax to inflation for the future to fund highway and road improvement projects. Would you favor or oppose the proposal? Favor
Oppose
55%
63%
61%
36% 41%
25%
20%
19%
Total
Democrat
Independent
Republican
Support depends on current local road conditions Favor increase
31%
Local road conditions are ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ good
Northeast
50%
47%
36% 24%
33%
Midwest
25%
West
22%
South
Source: yougov.com Graphic: Tribune News Service
dan good/tribune news service
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NEWS
Tunnel of Oppression returns this April Shelly Bohorquez Staff Writer
The Tunnel of Oppression staff has tasked themselves with raising awareness about the impacts of oppression on various minority groups. This involves months of preparation where the staff and volunteers do their best to understand the represented oppressed groups in order to be able to portray their persecution through the acts that they create. Casey Desmond, a junior marketing major and secretary of the Pride Alliance, has volunteered with the tunnel since Desmond’s freshman year. “I learned a lot about the topics that they touch on in tunnel, and how they impact both my life and people’s lives I hadn’t originally thought about,” Desmond said. Desmond explained that the issues can be highly sensitive. The staff and volunteers
pay close attention to the details surrounding these issues by discussing them as a group. “All of the volunteers at the end of the day have their own volunteer debrief and we all just sit there and we’re like, ‘I don’t know man, that was rough,’ and we all talk about it and how’s it’s impacted all of us and what we’ve learned by how the people going through react, because how the people that go through react really impacts how we as volunteers do our work,” Desmond said. According to Desmond, due to the draining nature of the heavy topics that they talk about, it becomes a “silent effort” amongst the volunteers to keep the group energy going. Each year, the staff decides on the subjects that are most prominent in current culture. This year, they have decided to address transgender issues, Islamaphobia and bi- and multiracial identities. “In our current group now, we only have one person who
identifies as transgender and that’s a little bit of a problem because we’re going to be making a scene about transgender issues. We need to understand what they actually are,” said Jasmine Herrick, director of Tunnel of Oppression. To best execute an understanding of the oppression faced by these groups, the staff is holding three separate panel meetings from each population. Members of these groups will come in to talk with the volunteers about the issues that are specific to them. “This time, we’re trying to bring in the voices so the students can actually hear them and hopefully make something that the community will be happy with,” Herrick said. By “the community,” Herrick is referring to the transgender, Islamic and multi-racial communities that they are representing. While a main goal of the Tunnel of Oppression is to educate Boise State students on the discrimination that these
tunnel of oppression facebook page
groups are subjected to, a crucial part of equal importance is to accurately represent and portray what these groups face as a minority so that the communities feel understood; the volunteers are not talking for them, but talking
Boise transit demands overhaul Gustavo Sagrero Staff Writer
Portland and Seattle transit systems, featured as national models, quickly and efficiently move large amounts of people from one part of the city to the next. Boise has a long way to go if it were to adopt a transit system like Portland’s TriMat or Seattle’s light-rail. “It would have to evolve
3/09/2015
out of current routes of transportation that already experience high volume,” said Walt Satterfield, associate planner of the Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho, COMPASS. The projected population of Ada and Canyon county is expected to expand to around 1 million by the year 2040, according to COMPASS report “Com-
munities In Motion, 2040.” COMPASS, along with The Idaho Division of the Federal Highway Administration, recently hosted a public event called, “Transportation Funding: What happens to my gas tax dollars and why should I care?” It discussed how budget shortfalls coupled with myriads of red tape is making progress difficult. “We can only sustain
80 percent of what we’re billed. The rest of the 20 percent we will have to wait until our coffers fill back up (with money from the state gas tax) to be able to pay back that amount,” said Frank Tooke, a member of the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Idaho Division of the Federal Highway Administration. Satterfield noted that COMPASS is interested in
through them. While Herrick spreads the word about the tunnel through email and class visits, a large portion of volunteers become involved through word of mouth. Volunteers are welcome at
any point of the preparation process. The annual Tunnel of Oppression will be held April 15-17. For more information students can check out mss.boisestate.edu or email jasmineherrick@boisestate.edu.
developing a possible lightrail project. He said that the biggest hurdle to developing a rail system is navigating the waitlist and funding requirements required by the federal government to receive any real backing. “Most of the project money granted from the state comes into competition with other critical state expenses, like the police,” Satterfield said. According to onthemap. ces.census.gov, almost 80,000 people commute to Boise in their cars for
work, 55,000 of them from Caldwell, Nampa and Meridian areas. According to Satterfield, the lack of apparent need for public transportation, due to the popularity of driving, makes it a challenge to gauge how many people will adopt new forms of public transit. Ultimately though, COMPASS notes that a better transportation system is needed to accommodate a growing population, regardless of the uncertainty.
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feature
Exploring the exchange of n 28%
of women have sent nudes
20%
sent nudes while minors August McKernan Asst. Culture Editor
The Arbiter surveyed 100 Boise State students.
The most common reason listed by both sexes for sending nudes was to “please their partner”
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She posed naked in front of her bathroom mirror, held up her cellphone and took a picture. Then she pressed send. The full frontal photo shot off, racing toward her boyfriend, Boise resident Aaron James, whose name has been changed to protect his identity. “I remember trying not to open any pictures she sent me when I was around my family or in public, in case it was something scandalous,” James said. The couple began swapping sexy photos about nine months into their two-year-long relationship. “A lot of times she’d be taking a bath, or have just gotten out of the shower and she’d send me a picture,” he said. “Usually not a full nude, just something sort of design by ted atwell/the arbiter
teasing—like a leg or a picture of her face that had enough of her shoulders in it that you could tell she was topless.” Texting, Facebook Messenger and, more recently, Snapchat have increased the rate of these sort of exchanges.
Legal Implications
It is generally not a crime when consenting adults swap nudes, but that changes when teens get involved. The Arbiter recently asked 100 Boise State students if they had received a nude. A total of 66 people responded yes. And out of those 66, 20 had received a nude from a minor. Idaho does not have a separate statute to address sexting crimes. However, sexting falls under state and federal child pornography regulations. Right now in Idaho, it is per-
fectly legal for two 16-year-olds to have sex. But if they take naked pictures of themselves, it’s a matter for the police. “I guess I was aware that it was technically considered child porn, but we were both the same age, so basically I just didn’t give a shit,” James said. “I figured a law that forbids consenting 17- yearolds from sexting is a stupid law and probably not well enforced. I trusted her, and she trusted me, and that was about all there was to it.” Under Idaho law, anyone who creates, distributes or possesses an image of a minor engaged in a sexually explicit act may be prosecuted under the state’s child pornography laws. If convicted, one could serve up to 30 years in jail and be required to register as a sex offender.
Sexual Implica
Lynda Smith, co State of Mind C Neurofeedback C “18, 19-year-olds result of 14,15 an girls sending nude she said. “(There is) e and humiliation victim and offen they don’t think as such,” Smith sa their friends and does it.” But, setting th aside, she still has opinion of exch Smith believes people to sex and man form. James thinks t tion is a good th can lead to less st ing sex and the hu
3/09/2
feature
nudes on college campuses
cations
ounselor for the Counseling and Center, has seen s go to jail as a nd 16-year- old es or vice versa,”
extreme shame for both the nder, (although) k of themselves aid. “They think d everyone else
he legal aspect s an unfavorable hanging nudes. it desensitizes d the naked hu-
this desensitizahing and that it tigma surrounduman body.
2015
42%
of men have sent nudes
16%
sent nudes while minors “I think maybe it says that our society is becoming more sexpositive,” he said. “My grandfather’s generation didn’t have cellphones, but even if they did, I feel like they would’ve found this sort of thing appalling, mostly as a result of what I can only call a fear of sex.” He feels as though that fear is fading, little by little. “The less afraid we are of sex and the more accepting we are of the realities of it, the more we’ll be able to talk about it and educate people,” James said.
Unintended Consequences
Boise State freshman Danielle Carver, whose name has also been changed, began sending nudes the summer before her senior year of high school. She felt insecure about the
small size of her breasts and, instead of sending full nudes, sent photos of herself in lingerie or of her butt. Looking back, she laments that she did not consider any possible consequences before beginning to send nudes. Eventually, Carver found out that many of the boys she was sending these pictures too were saving them without her permission. “After a while I finally realized they didn’t respect me anymore and I felt stupid,” she said. Luckily, the photos of Carver were never passed around, at least to her knowledge. But if they were shared, she could have faced further personal compromise. Idaho legislature recently passed Bill H0563, which made the extortion of ex-parters, specifically through revenge porn, a
felony. It went into effect July of 2014. The bill states that those who disseminate, publish, sell or conspire to sell “any image or images of the intimate areas of another person or persons without the consent of such other person or persons and with knowledge … that the images should remain private.” Although James has not experienced any of these negative consequences after sending nudes, he is aware they exist and takes precautions to avoid embarrassment and legal repercussions. “It’s basically just important to be confident that the person you’re sending the picture to isn’t a piece of shit who might post it on 4chan,” James said. “If you’re not sure, taking a photo that just doesn’t have your face in it sounds like a good strategy to me.”
31 out of the 50 male respondents have received a nude picture*7 of those have received a nude from a minor
35 out of the 50 female respondents have received a nude picture*13 of those have received a nude from a minor
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3/09/2015, Page 10
Culture
Is circumcision cutting it? Patty Bowen Culture Editor
Although parenthood isn’t in the immediate horizon of most traditional students, junior philosophy major Dave Jonathan is has been confronting issues of ethics, terminology and choice, taking words right from the mouth’s of babes. “(Male) circumcision is just not something that is really talked about,” Jonathan said. According to Jonathan, several contradictory viewpoints frame the common knowledge surrounding male circumcision, creating a social environment where parents often decide whether or not to circumcise depending on outdated scientific studies or cultural biases. To address this issue, Jonathan is putting on a lecture exploring circumcision or infant male genital mutilation oncampus raise awareness. According to the World Health Organization, roughly 70 to 80 percent of United States males are circumcised compared to the roughly 5 to 20 percent in western European countries and 50 to 60 percent in Australia. Jonathan feels this stark divide in male circumcision rates comes from a lack of knowledge about the properties of the foreskin. “The function of the foreskin is to protect the glans,” Jonathan said. “Without the foreskin, the glans dry out. You lose 40 to 60 percent of your pleasure sensory.” According to Max Veltman,
3/09/2015
assistant professor in nursing, the main medical concern regarding not circumcising males—the higher risk of males being prone to sexually transmitted diseases during risky sex—shouldn’t play a substantial role in whether or not parents in developed countries decide to circumcise their male child. “There’s a small elevation in risk, but it’s not enough to recommend all boys be circumcised,” Veltman said. “The percent chance of getting those four diseases is so small. If you’re my patient and you’re holding your baby there and you’re on the fence about circumcision, I always say ‘Statistically speaking, there is a small chance (in the likelihood of your child getting an STD if they are uncircumcised), but more importantly, scientific evidence shows that the percentage (of difference) is so small that it really doesn’t really matter.” According to Veltman, the reason this minute escalation of risk is still taken into account has to do with the spread of human immunodeficiency virus in several African countries. “In Africa. HIV is a big problem, so in Africa there’s a huge push public health-wise to circumcise male babies that are born because there is a higher risk of HIV adult unprotected anal intercourse, hetero- or homosexual,” Veltman said. “Luckily here, the HIV epidemic is not as rampant, so there isn’t a real push to circumcise boys because the dangers of HIVs aren’t as rampant
courtesy tribune news service
Student presents lecture on why male circumcision needs to be rethought in the United States
70 to 80 percent of males in USA are circumcised. of a problem here.” According to Veltman, uneducated parents can let rumors of possible urinary tract infections scare them into circumcising their male newborn. Several decades ago, it as thought that UTIs were caused by not circumcising ... However, it was proven several year ago that, as long as the foreskin is kept clean, there will be no increase in UTIs. Veltman explained that generally, parents are unable to think clearly about circumcising their child because the decision is usually left up to moments after childbirth when the parents is unable to project how circumcision could affect their child in several decades. “Parents rarely want to think about their kids having sex,” Veltman said. “More impor-
tantly, just because they will engage doesn’t mean they will engage in unsafe acts.” According to Jonathan, this lack of foresight can cause negative effects for a male for the rest of his life. “This is a choice that not every male in their right mind would make if they were old enough to choose for themselves,” Jonathan said. “This is not a practice that is affecting only babies; this is determining factor in the entire sexual future of an adult male’s life.” Jonathan’s “Infant Male Genital Mutilation” lecture will be March 11 at 12 p.m. in the Liberal Arts Building, Room 208A. “Infant Male Genital Mutilation” will be part of the Brown Bag lecture series, which is sponsored by the Gender Studies Department.
From a survey of 100 Boise State students: •80 percent of females Boise State students have or plan to circumcise their male children. •76 percent of male Boise state students have or plan to circumcise their male children. •52 percent of female Boise State students feel there is a negative stigma towards not circumcising male children. •44 percent of male Boise State students feel there is
a negative stigma towards not circumcising male children. •Both female and male students were affected most by health and hygiene when forming their opinions about male circumcision. •Male students were more concerned with ethics than females when forming their opinions on circumcision, whereas females were more concerned with family values than males.
Pg 11
Culture
Refugee Alliance provides support Staff Writer
Patrick Wangoi, a sophomore majoring in social work, had high hopes when he immigrated from the democratic Republic of Congo five years ago. “The circumstances of this life couldn’t allow me to finish my school back home,” Wangoi said. “When I got here to the USA, I decided to pursue my education.” Like many other international students, Wangoi had many struggles knowing what resources were available to him at Boise State. However,
he found the Boise State Refugee Alliance (BSRA) to be an extremely helpful tool when figuring out his classes and finding a place at on-campus. The BSRA was created by Belma and Refik Sadikovic, refugees from Bosnia. The organization provides support for refugee students who are struggling to navigate higher education and help them obtain a college degree. In 2013, Wangoi applied to Boise State and he got admitted. He had a hard time applying for financial aid and figuring out class registration. In April of 2014, Wangoi met Refik at an advisory board
meeting. His Boise State application had a hold on it because he did not pay for the application fee. “Refik did not even hesitate to help me. He immediately opened up his computer and helped me reapply for summer classes. Refik called the admission administration office and he explained to them
“
that I had paid the fee the last year and that I never attended any classes,” Wangoi said. “He went on and explained to them that I am a refugee and I don’t have the money to repay the fee. Two days later, my application was approved.” Belma and Refik both teach at Boise State as graduate students and have experienced
“
Asraa Abdulwahab
A lot of (international students) are motivated but motivation is not enough. They need resources, tools and people who can advise them. We also share our experiences and knowledge on how to pursue higher education. —Refik Sadikovic
the struggles of navigating the school system during high school and undergraduate studies as international students. “I had a very difficult time figuring out what resources were available at the university and how to apply for scholarships,” Belma said. “Having gone through the hardships myself, now I can use my knowledge to pay-it-forward -to help other people.” BSRA actively reaches out to high schools to emphasize the importance of pursuing higher education, empowering students to pursue their dreams. “A lot of them are motivated but motivation is not enough. They need resources, tools and people who can advise them,” said Refik. “We also
share our experiences and knowledge on how to pursue higher education.” Alongside their advocacy work, Refik and Belma have created refugee workshops over the summer semester. These courses inform students about the refugee population, which helps create bridges among communities in Boise. “On my own perspective, the BSRA has changed my life, but I have not met with many people here that have been helped by the BSRA,” Wangoi said. “I believe there might be more students that have benefited from this program because many refugees are finding it difficult to get started with college and many refugees are attending the university now than before.”
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3/09/2015
Culture
Derby Days races off at full speed Patty Bowen Culture Editor
Boise State’s chapter of Sigma Chi kicks off its annual philanthropy week, Derby Days, on Monday. Derby Days focuses on raising funds for the Huntsman Cancer Institute and creating competition between the sorority chapters participating on-campus. “It’s our way of giving back,” said junior general business and human resource management major Connor Jones, chairman of Derby Days for Sigma Chi. “Last year was our first year doing (Derby Days) here at
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Boise State, and we raised over $6,000 over the week. We have an awesome matching donor so we ended up with a little over $12,000.” According to Jones, Derby Days creates a fun environment where members of the Greek community and the rest of campus can mingle and enjoy a variety of fun activities while supporting a good cause. The Sigma Chi chapter president, sophomore biology major Steven Roth, feels that the philanthropy side of Derby Days is a great way for members of Sigma Chi to understand the importance of caring for those in need.
“We try to help our brothers see that there are a lot of people out there that need help and we should go out there and help them,” Roth said. This message hits home specifically for Roth and Jones because their fellow Sigma Chi member, Kendall Francisco, lost his battle with cancer in December 2014. “It’s a very personal thing this year,” Jones said. “This week is all about him, remembering who he was and celebrating his life. We’re raising money for cancer research so families and fraternities and all these other organizations don’t have to
go through the same thing we all felt.” The Huntsman Cancer Institute became Sigma Chi’s sole philanthropic partner in 2012 and has strong ties to the fraternity because its founder, John Huntsman, was a Sigma Chi. “I was privileged enough to get to visit (Huntsman Cancer Institute) a couple weeks ago and it was an awe-inspiring experience,” Jones said. “It’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited in my life. I’m so proud to get to work with them and a cause that is important to a lot of people.”
sigma chi/courtesy
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Sports & Rec Ali Roberts Staff Writer
As the late Nelson Mandela once said, “It is not where you start but how high you aim that matters for success.” Despite all the adversity the Boise State wrestling team faced with a poor 3-9 record this season, the Broncos finished on a high note by getting two wrestlers into the NCAA Championships. After their performances at the PAC-12 championships, freshman Geo Martinez and redshirt senior Steven Hernandez both received automatic bids in the tournament. Martinez was the PAC12 champion at 141 pounds, while Hernandez finished second at 157pounds.
For Steven Hernandez, this will be his first and last NCAA tournament. “(Steven is) a talented wrestler. He has some big moves that he can hit,” head coach Greg Randall said. “He’s well-scouted on his big moves and he has a nice headlock that he could hit on anybody at any given time. He could be the number one guy in the country or the 40 th. He still has that move. Just depends if he can get into that position. If he get’s there, you better watch out.” Hernandez’s road to the NCAA tournament has been a long one. “I’ve had some ups and downs, sitting out because of injuries or because of my weight, but this year it went a lot better,” Hernandez said. “I guess I wanted
courtesy boise state media relations
Martinez, Hernandez earn auto bids to NCAAs
Hernandez has overcome several injuries. to have a good season. That way, I was put in a good position. I did well enough to automatically qualify, so it feels good.” Martinez is the first Bronco, since Jason Chamberlain in 2009, to win a conference
title as a freshman. He has not only been the best werestler on the team this season but one of the best in country. Martinez is currently ranked 6 th in InterMats rankings at 141 pounds.
While the accomplishments are rewarding, Martinez is more excited to see his family. “A lot of my family is going to be there— more than normal. I haven’t seen some of them since last
July, so it will be nice to see my family and my brother again,” Martinez said. “My sister just got back from Korea, and I haven’t seen her in almost a year.” The NCAA tournament begins March 19.
Leslie Boston-Hyde Copy Editor
Between 20 hours of practice, hours spent in the weight room, and competing, playing a collegiate sport is like having a fulltime job, according to Gabe Rosenvall, assistant athletic director of academic success. Despite the long hours, student-athletes at Boise State are having success both on the field and in the classroom. On Feb. 18, the MW named 42 Boise State student-athletes to the MW
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all-academic team. Five of the 42 student-athletes maintained a 4.0 GPA in fall 2014. In order to receive an all-academic team award, a student-athlete must maintain a 3.0 GPA and play in at least half of the games throughout the season. For Rosenvall, the success that student-athletes are having is remarkable. “I think it’s definitely a point of pride for what we’re doing,” Rosenvall said. “I think a lot of sports, football in particular, sees it as we’re trying to be excellent in all we do.”
For the fourth year in a row, the football team had the most honors in the MW conference with 25. According to Rosenvall, 50 of the 86 Boise State football players have at least a 3.0 GPA. Athletic director Mark Coyle believes academic success is just part of the culture at Boise State. “When our coaches recruit kids, we talk about all of the time they have to fit in athletically and academically,” Coyle told The Arbiter in July. “Because we want to make sure that when they leave this institution that
they have that degree because that’s going to help them so much more.” Time management is the skill that Rosenvall sees student-athletes struggle with the most. “The thing about time management is using the time that you have effectively,” Rosenvall said. “We do a lot to help (studentathletes) set up a game plan of how they’re going to go through their day and get all those things taken care of.” These game plans can include calendars and mapping out studying times to meet with tutors or study
leslie boston-hyde/the arbiter
Boise State scores in the classroom
Gabe rosenvall tutors students. groups. By the time an athlete is a senior Rosenvall hopes that they are mostly or completely independent with time management. Rosenvall believes that student-athletes shouldn’t have to sacrifice athletics for
academics or vice versa. “I think it’s a real mistake to think that,” Rosenvall said. “It takes some planning and it may take some extra effort to do that, but one doesn’t have to be at the cost of the other.”
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devin ferrell/the arbiter
Sports & rec
Derrick Marks celebrates with fans.
Riding the fairy tale into March Nate Lowery
Sports & Rec Editor
From only three conference wins in 2011—their first season in the MW—to an 0-3 MW start in 2015, head coach Leon Rice’s hunt for the promised land has been a long one. However, the dream was finally realized Saturday night as the Broncos secured their first MW title. Back in Derrick Marks’ freshman season, when one win in the MW was hard to clinch, the Boise State men’s basketball head coach instilled belief in his team: one day, the team would be able to win the MW title. “When all these guys were freshman, the MW title was not on our minds,” Rice said. “I was focused on get-
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ting that one win. It was our goal, but to get here in four years is a great feeling. No question.” Amidst the falling confetti in front of a sell-out crowd following a 71-52 win over Fresno State, the Broncos proved they are indeed one of the top programs in the MW. “I’m just a little worried I’m going to wake up,” Rice said. “You can’t script it like this. Our guys have a lot of belief. After that (Wyoming) loss, I thought I was going to have to do a lot of convincing. The guys just nodded their head and we went out to work.” With the win, the Broncos earned a share of the MW title during the regular season with San Diego State. Because of Boise State’s two
wins this season over the Aztecs, they hold the tie-breaker and earned the No. 1 seed for the MW Tournament. The tournament will run March 11-14. Despite four 20-win seasons in Rice’s five years as the head coach, Rice believes the team needed to win the MW trophy to be considered in an elite program. Senior guard Igor Hadziomerovic, a freshman during the team’s first year in the MW, agrees the Broncos have arrived. “This is definitely a program now,” Hadziomerovic said. “We’ve built it over the years and it’s grown and grown. We’re starting to take over the MW now. That will help us a lot.” Following Anthony
Drmic’s season-ending injury, senior Derrick Marks led the team to a 14-1 finish. He is widely considered to be the leading candidate for MW Player of the Year. “I can’t describe it,” Marks said. “I’ve been talking about (MW title) for the past four years. To get it on senior night— it’s a blessing.” Going into this week’s MW Tournament, Rice says the “hungriest dog” will win the MW Tournament. For now, however, he will let the players and coaches soak in the falling confetti and enjoy the cut net dangling from their necks. Regardless of the outcome of the MW Tournament, the Broncos are likely to earn a bid into the NCAA Tournament for the second time in Rice’s tenure.
Athlete of the Week: Arianna Paules Aldrey Nate Lowery
Sports & Rec Editor
Every week The Arbiter sports staff will be selecting a Bronco student-athlete for their athletic performances over the week. Selections will be run on Monday and be based off of the previous week, running from Sunday to Saturday. Despite dropping two of their three matches this week, the Boise State women’s tennis team has a freshman quickly rising up the team’s ranks. Arianna Paules Aldrey has been named the Arbiter Athlete of the Week for March 1-6. Paules Aldrey, a native of A Coruna, Spain, lost only one of her three singles matches over the weekend and was undefeated in duals with her partner, junior Megan LaLone. The duo dropped No. 44 ranked Alexandra Aiello and Ashley Tiefel of Colorado 6-3 Mar. 1 at the Boas Tennis Center. In singles competition, a Colorado athlete was the only one to defeat Paules Aldrey. Paules Aldrey fell
in two sets to Kyra Wojcik, 7-5 and 6-2. Paules Aldrey did not lose another match over the next seven days, however. In singles competition, she edged Idaho State’s Madelyn Wletzin on Friday in two sets at the Appleton Tennis Center. Paules Aldrey pulled out a close 7-6 win before dropping Madelyn Wletzin 7-5 in the second set. In doubles play, she and LaLone notched a 6-2 win over Wletzin and Wiebeck Boeckmann. Paules Aldrey was again the difference maker on Saturday in a narrow loss to No. 68 ranked Denver. She and LaLone teamed up for their third doubles win of the week. The pair is now 10-8 on the season in doubles play and 5-3 during the spring season. Paules Aldrey, kept the Broncos loss to Denver close as one of two Boise State players to win their singles matches. She defeated Charlotte Derbyshire in three sets going 6-2, 2-6 and 6-2.
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hoots & giggles
march word search
Word List clover leprechaun patrick
saint gold pot
Da riddles
shamrock green march
luck rainbow springbreak
hang man
1. What has to be broken before it can be used? 2. What has roots that nobody sees, and is taller than trees. Up, up it goes, and yet it never grows. 3. Name an eight letter word that has kst in the middle, in the beginning, and at the end.
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Da riddles from thursday 1. A blueberry. 2. Darkness. 3. v
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