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Volume 25
Boise, Idaho
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Lack of a clear plan for Boise State’s new logo worries students Staff Writer
Students react to the apocalypse. Or lack thereof.
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MW B-ball
Men’s basketball in MW is neck-deep in competition
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Re-brand?
Did the university make the right choice with its image?
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Boise State unveiled the new redefined “B” logo on Nov. 27 to replace the diamond logo which has represented the university since 2001. However, as education costs continue to rise, questions about the new logo come to light: How much is it costing to make the change over to this new logo and where is the money coming from? Boise State is aiming to have everything fully transitioned to a new logo by Sept. 1 of this year, but Melinda Keckler, assistant director of marketing explains, at this point there is no committed funding source for swapping out significant pieces of architecture. And although Nike designed the new logo at no additional cost to the university as part of the renewal of its contract with the athletic department, some costs will show up in different ways. A clear picture of exactly what the cost associated with the roll out of the new logo still remains murky. However, Boise State Public Radio reports in 2001 when Boise State switched over to the diamond logo it cost the university an estimated $25,000.
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Before recently moving on to a new job position outside of the university, Frank Zang, former director of Communication and Marketing said, “We are identifying some of the key elements that will need to be changed in the long run, whether it’s the signage on the Lincoln and Brady garages or the tile in the SUB. Then individual plans will be developed for those projects after they’ve been prioritized and addressed,” Zang said. “We just haven’t gotten to that level of detail on those kinds of projects.” Stacy Pearson, vice president of Financial Affairs, seconded this in an email. “We don’t know those costs yet, but once we have good estimates, we will determine the timing and various funding sources for the changes,” Pearson said. The old diamond logo must be changed over from several permanent positions across the university. Tile insets, paintings on walls, floor mats and more must be changed over as well. The plan for these seems less concrete. This is cause for concern for some students. “It kind of bothers me that they didn’t look at the cost before they decided to change the logo,” said Dallas Pullen, junior applied mathematics
major. “It seems backwards.” Seth Townsend, a sophomore electrical engineering major agrees, “I don’t like it,” Townsend said. “How do you do something this big with no plan?” Many departments on campus will have to make room in their budgets for the changes that need to be made. For example, once it is decided what changes need to be made to the Student Union, the changes will come out of the budget the school is given every year, Pearson explains. However not every department will have the necessary funds. “Some of these projects will require central funding,” Pearson said. “But we don’t know yet how much that will be.” With departments facing the possibility of funding some logo changes on their own, they will have to take a close look at their budget. “It’s important for departments to identify where they see significant costs being involved in replacing the logo and definitely document that and make a case for when the best time would be from a budgetary standpoint (to make the change),” Keckler said. Some of the smaller changes can be made from the existing marketing budget.
CODY FINNEY/THE ARBITER
A large diamond logo is prominent in the SUB. As Zang explains, allowing time for the transition from the old logo will cut down on the cost of switching over to the new logo. It allows departments to use letterheads, business cards, stationary and other products they currently have and re-order when supplies are low, as they usually would. “The goal is to have as little
waste as possible,” Zang said. “This should allow them to make changes during a regular budget year cycle.” “Some of the initial materials, such as the pin and a couple banners on campus, have all been covered through existing funds. So there have really been no extra costs so far,” Zang said.
Boise dance group to bring the heat to Tyga Lauren Hooker Staff Writer
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Cost of Change
Emily Pehrson
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“Tank tops, low-cut, STOP!” shouted Miranda Palacio, stamping her foot in rhythm to the lyrics. “In this joint!” The room echoed as members of The Armada, a local Boise dance crew, counted steps, recited lyrics and directed movements as they practiced—for the umpteenth time—a portion of Nelly’s “Hot in Here.” This preparation was for their 13-minute-long set to open Tyga’s show on Friday,
Jan. 25, at the Revolution Concert House. “Take it from the top,” shouted Palacio. “Can we make it louder?” asked Alexandra McLaughlin. Music poured from the speakers, reverberating through the floors and filling the room. Sneakers squeaked as the dancers rehearsed again and again. The Armada was formed a short five months ago by director and choreographer Max Nguyen. The seven members of the
group were chose by Nguyen, who teaches workshops and classes, based on their personality and talent. “We chose ‘The Armada’ because it seemed to fit,” said Nguyen, who has been dancing for the past five years. “You think of a fleet of battleships—it’s intimidating. Strength in numbers.” After posting a freestyle video to Tyga’s “Faded” on YouTube, Mikey Castro was approached by promoter for Tyga, and The Armada was eventually asked to perform an opening sequence. Juggling a budding
dancing career while being a full-time student takes hard work and time management. “I make sure all of my classes are during the day, and all homework is over before practice,” said Castro, who is a junior Marketing major at Boise State. Practices are held two to three times a week in the evenings, though the group has been smashing in seven practices a week to put the finishing touches on their set for the show. “It’s a good thing school is just now starting,” Melissa
Grund, junior exercise science major said. “But we all understand we need to do this, so it’s not bad.” Though the style of dance they move to is general hiphop, the group tries to incorporate more of a musical element to their sets. “We try to embody more music driven versus just rap,” said McLaughlin, who has been dancing since she was 15. “We stick to movement rather than moving to rap.” The 13-minute set will be a mash-up of a variety of different rap songs.
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The Armada, a local Boise dance crew, practices a choreographed dance in preparation for Thursday’s Tyga performance. arbiteronline.com
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January 24, 2013
Commencement
Some library services to go offline
Winter commencement will take place Friday, Dec. 21, at 10 a.m. in the Taco Bell Arena. This is a final opportunity for students, faculty and staff to recognize the achievements and hard work which is finally paying off for this semester’s grads. The ceremony includes the processional and recessional of candidates as well as individual recognition of each
During Winter Break, Albertsons Library will be performing maintenance on one of its main computer systems. From 7 to 7:30 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 27, most library online services will be offline for regular maintenance. This includes the library webserver, Bron-
person and hooding of the doctoral candidates. A reception will follow the ceremony in the Jordan Ballroom, located in the Student Union Building. Hosted by the Boise State Alumni Association, it will immediately follow the ceremony. Designated areas will be set up for each college for families to meet up with graduates.
Annual faculty, staff campaign kick-off Boise State kicked off its annual Faculty and Staff Campaign in support of student scholarships this week, renewing an effort that raised more than $130,000 for the university, its students and its programs last year. Student needs are a priority for the university’s fundraising efforts as enrollment and student costs continue to rise, meaning more students than ever rely on financial assistance. In fact, financial concerns are the top reason students leave Boise State before graduating. That’s why faculty and staff are being asked to direct this year’s gift to the General Scholarship Fund or earmark it for a scholarship
in the college of their choice. Faculty and staff have the online options of making a one-time gift or making their gift through payroll deduction. The Campaign is part of an ongoing annual giving program that invites alumni, friends, faculty and staff to make an annual gift in support of the university. In the past year, the annual fund grew by nearly 100 percent and is expected to double again this year. The success of the Faculty and Staff Campaign also gives other donors an understanding of how committed faculty and staff are to the success of the university and its students.
coWeb authentication, interlibrary loan and the library catalog. On Dec. 27 and 28, the back-end library catalog will be offline for a software upgrade. Patrons will be able to search for items held by the library by using the search box on the library’s homepage, but will
not be able to place holds, renew books or see availability of items. Searching for and downloading articles from databases or journals will be available. Downloading of ebooks will be available from the ebook vendor databases: EBL eBooks Library, Ebrary and Overdrive eBooks.
New online MBA program Beginning fall 2013, Boise State will offer a new online Master of Business Administration (MBA) program. The State Board of Education approved the new program during its regular meeting in Coeur d’Alene. The new online MBA will provide access for students who cannot attend courses on campus. It will be offered in addition
to Boise State’s unique full-time MBA program for recent graduates, a part-time evening MBA program for working professionals, and an Executive MBA program. All of Boise State’s graduate business degrees are accredited by the international Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB),
the gold standard of accreditation. Boise State’s is the only graduate business program in the Treasure Valley to achieve this distinction. Enrollment in the online MBA will begin in late spring 2013, and classes will start in August 2013. For more information about the college and its programs, visit cobe.boisestate.edu.
These stories have been trending on Twitter: Read the headlines here to look smart, browse discussion points at arbiteronline.com to act smart, or be smart by following links to full stories.
Brother of Newtown shooter races to dispel false ID How can I help myself if I am depressed? GOP’s Latest Fiscal Cliff Offer
FOR RELEASE JANUARY 24, 2013
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis
ACROSS 1 Polynesian tongue 6 Early Democrat’s foe 10 Diary closer 14 Pump name 15 Premoistened cloth 16 Still-life subject 17 Luminous Spanish king? 19 Practitioner of meditation 20 Lassie’s “In a pig’s eye!” 21 Monopolize 22 Seed source of omega-3 23 Back-of-the-book items 27 Bloodhound’s 48Across 29 Chart containing only threes? 31 Salt’s “Halt!” 35 Flat hat 36 Like a comics Pea? 37 Close tightly, as one’s hand 38 Groggy response 40 “Welcome to Maui!” 42 Seldom seen, to Seneca 43 Grinch portrayer 45 Myrna’s “Thin Man” role 47 KoKo or YumYum, in Lilian Jackson Braun mysteries 48 Plus 49 Turkish sty leader? 51 Bulldogs’ home 53 Seven-time MLB All-Star Soriano 54 Fair 57 Sighing sounds 59 Consume 60 Bee’s charge 61 Rock in actress Susan’s path, perhaps? 66 Hon 67 Lang of Smallville 68 “Monster” (2003) co-star 69 Like many LAX flights 70 First place? 71 Trap
By Michael Sharp
DOWN 1 Large body of eau 2 Dismiss 3 Acne treatment brand 4 Longtime “60 Minutes” pundit 5 Babies 6 Teens conflict, briefly 7 Up in the air 8 Droid alternative 9 Day one, informally 10 Casual greeting craze? 11 One who might get caught off base 12 Company with a hedgehog mascot 13 __ fixe 18 Took out in handcuffs, say 23 1971 prison riot site 24 Works on stage 25 Expresses doubts 26 Biblical brother 28 ESPN reporter Paolantonio 30 Sierra __ 32 Analgesic brand
BY LINDA C. BLACK Tribune Media Services Today’s Birthday (01/24/13) The first six months of 2013 are especially creative; set financial goals to take advantage. All this energy is attractive, too. Travel and explore. Work really begins to pay off. Build healthy practices to keep you thriving all year.
Aries (March 21-April 19) Keep your objective in mind and focus. Distractions could trigger an emotional breakdown. Cooperate with one who has what you lack. You get a secret surprise.
E ditor - in -C hief Haley Robinson
Taurus (April 20-May 20)
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You’re extra brilliant for the next few days. Others may object to a plan, so devise a persuasive argument and dress it glamorously. Get to work and leave celebrations for later.
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Crossword
1/24/13 Wednesday’s Puzzle Solved Tuesday’s Puzzle Solved
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33 Skinny types 34 “Oh, really?” 37 Itinerant Yuletide singer 39 How owls know when mice are bluffing? 41 Georgetown player 44 LAX posting 46 Business matters 49 Execute, in old France
1/24/13
50 Deep-dish comfort food 52 Soup dispenser 54 Author Picoult 55 Supported by 56 Bank deposit 58 Last word on New Year’s Eve? 62 Brown in a bed 63 Loan no. 64 Old French coin 65 Upholsterer’s target
The Future
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Shoot pistols, shotguns, and rifles! craigskaar@u.boisestate.edu
The Funnies
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) You’re doing a great job with what you have; search for allies anyway. You don’t have to go at it alone. Imagine your space reorganized. Love your friends.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Practice obedience, and get stronger. Team projects go well. Accept spiritual encouragement, and open the door to a romantic adventure.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Break out of your shell and shatter your next ceiling. Expansion can be sustainable if done with respect for the shared environment. Explore the outdoors.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Now’s a good time to pay bills and complete past homework. In the face of controversy, consider another perspective. Use what you’ve learned to cut costs.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Update your skills and make
The next phase could be profitable and perfect for traveling, more fun with a partner. Imagine a future goal realized. It’s a good time to win debates.
inroads quietly. You don’t have to brag about your accomplishments. Just believe in yourself and continue pedaling forward. Keep the balance.
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
You’re awesome and extremely creative, even under pressure. And you’re getting stronger. Look forward to two days in the spotlight. Dream a special dream.
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) If you’re going to worry, do it effectively and where you can make a difference. Some of your best work comes from confronting difficulties.
Somebody very interesting finds you fascinating; stay cool. Don’t go shopping for treats yet. Focus on making money for a few days instead. In the meantime, primp.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) By now you should have done the homework. If you haven’t, don’t put it off anymore. Move up the ladder with increased confidence. What kind of world do you want? Build bridges and alliances.
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January 24, 2013
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Understanding healthcare Gov. C.L. Butch’ Otter Says ‘no’ to Medicaid expansion for now
Mckenzie Perkins Staff Writer
Late in June of last year the Supreme Court largely upheld President Barack Obama’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act with the exception of Medicaid expansion. Instead, the Supreme Court made the expansion of Medicaid optional for each individual state. During the State of the State Address on Monday, Jan. 7, Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter declared Idaho would not expand Medicaid for now, against the unanimous recommendation from his 15 member Medicaid expansion working group. “There’s a lot more work to do, and we face no immediate federal deadline,” Gov.
Otter said. However, the choice to expand Medicaid will largely rest with the legislature and while he did elect not to expand Medicaid as of this time, Gov. Otter did acknowledge a flawed system and suggested Idaho would alter its current Medicaid system in the future. “I hope to return in 2014 with specific proposals based on that work, and I encourage all Idahoans to get involved with this process,” Gov. Otter said. Medicaid, a health insurance program implemented in 1965, is the nation’s largest provider of health insurance for eligible, low-income individuals and families. Children under age 19, parents or legal guardians of chil-
dren under age 19, pregnant women, women diagnosed with breast, cervical or precancer, blind and disabled persons, and people over age 65 are eligible currently eligible for enrollment in the Medicaid program in Idaho. Other criteria, including income, citizenship, and work status, are also determining factors. If a single family’s income is too high to be eligible for Medicaid, children may still be eligible for State Children’s Health Insurance Plan (SCHIP). Under the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid would be expanded to cover individuals between ages 19 and 65 with no children, deductions from certain groups, and a simplified expansion process; under the current system, individu-
als between 19 and 65 without children are not eligible for Medicaid. However, since Idaho isn’t expanding its Medicaid program at this time, none of these proposed changes will be implemented. The federal government would allocate up to 90 percent of the funds necessary to expand Medicaid to each state. This would alleviate the financial burden for any state which completely complied with the Affordable Care Act’s proposed expansion plan. Idaho, being one of the ten states that did not participate in the expansion, will not receive federal funding. However, the question remains: where would the federal government get the funds to support Medicaid expansion across the country.
MCT Campus
Otter suggests revisiting healthcare system in 2014.
President Kustra highlights growth, need for equitable funding Courtesy Campus Update In his Jan. 21 presentation to lawmakers on the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee ( JFAC), Boise State President Bob Kustra focused on how the university has advanced over the past decade and what lies ahead for the state’s metropolitan university. He also highlighted Boise State’s expanding role in the region’s economic development and detailed his continued request for equity funding. Since fiscal year 2002, Boise State has grown from 17,161 students to 22,678. The university is also a much more traditional campus than in the past, with 66
percent of students coming right out of high school and 45 percent boasting a GPA of 3.5 or higher. Kustra noted that Boise State is growing academically as well. The number of doctoral programs offered has quadrupled from two to eight, the number of master’s degree programs has more than doubled from 35 to 78, and digital learning has expanded to encompass 13 fully online programs, with plans to add even more as resources allow. Currently, Boise State awards 41 percent of all of the degrees granted annually by Idaho public higher education institutions. “With our exceptional faculty, staff and student body, and our location in the heart of a thriv-
ing metropolitan area, we take pride in serving as Boise’s university and we are poised to reach the next level of achievement,” Kustra said. To achieve that next level, Boise State is continuing its emphasis on research funding and support of students, community and faculty research innovations through industry and other partnerships. The University’s goal is to move into the Carnegie Foundation classification of “Research University— High Research Activity” by 2014. Thanks in part to funding from Gov. Otter’s IGEM initiative, Boise State is on track to double its graduates in computer science, a field the Department of Labor estimates has one of the
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largest employment gaps in Idaho. The university is expanding and restructuring the Computer Science Department, hiring new faculty to address course backlogs, creating an advisory board to integrate industry into the program and increase student interaction through team projects and proposals, and developing a tutoring center to enhance student success. “With only one new faculty member and one new research assistant this year to date, we have already realized an additional $1,286,000 in external funding,” Kustra said. “There is still much to do, but we are making progress and committed to continual improvement in this area.” Finally, Kustra addressed
the Enrollment Workload Adjustment (EWA), which is intended to help pay for enrollment growth at the state’s four-year colleges and universities, while taking into account the cost differences by program. While calculated each year, it has not been consistently funded. Unfunded EWA from 2008-present totals $10.3 million for Boise State. Because Boise State’s enrollment has grown the fastest among Idaho’s public universities, it has suffered the most in the years the state did not fund the EWA. Kustra called for help in addressing how far behind Boise State is in funding the growing enrollments at the state’s largest public university when compared to the
other four-year institutions. Failure to remedy this situation, Kustra said, means we are headed for a “perfect storm.” Without additional resources, Boise State would be forced to cap enrollments, continue to enroll at the current rate and risk not offering enough sections, or increase out-of-state enrollments and increase tuition and fees. None of these options is best for our students, he said. “The state’s appropriation should follow the student wherever they enroll in a public university in Idaho. Currently, that is not happening and we must find a way to fix it and give Boise State students what students at our other universities enjoy in state financial support,” Kustra said.
circumstances of war
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
January 24, 2013
{STUDENT
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ARMA-
The undaunted undergrads
GEDDON
Pre-post grad crisis
TIRED OF THIS! And though few ACTUALLY expected something to happen on this now-famous day, many of your fellow Broncos had fun toying with the idea.
I think it’s always fun when a lot of people get together and make something so completely non-existent fearful.
Back where I’m from [Hawaii] we don’t really get too busy concerning ourselves with things like this. But it’s pretty scary to think about.
Will Birdsall
Dondi Iannucci Freshman Business
Chris barfuss/THE ARBITER
In case you hadn’t noticed, mankind survived its anticipated assassination attempt by nature on Dec. 21, 2012.
Junior International Business
Dude… if the world ended, there’d be like… NO reason to live.
Nick Scarpelli Freshman Pre-med
Poetry slams in a niche
AlxStickel
Assistant Arts and Entertainment Editor
Alex Hatter, Boise State alumnus, waits on the bluelit stage for the rock music to fade and then addresses the audience, “Poetry slams were invented in the 1980’s by a construction worker named Mark Smith.” The audience shouts “Who cares?!” Hatter laughs, continues welcoming the group to Poetry Slam deLux then proceeds to serve as the “sacrificial poet” to kick off the poetry performances. Critiqued on a scale of one to ten, seven com-
Alx Stickel
Assistant Arts and Entertainment Editor
The Arbiter
petitors evoked polarizing judges’ scores with poems concerning matters of the heart, Toys R Us, music in Hell and slices of life. Scores decide whether performers have the opportunity to attend the National Poetry Slam or move up to the Grand Slam event. Past and present Boise State students were in attendance, performed on stage or sat back with drink in hand. “I come to get my fill of good performance art,”said Jessica McCafferty, public administration graduate student. “I feel like I’m in a good spot to hear local artists doing something they
Facebook games
Guilty pleasures is a weekly series chronicling common and some not-so-common guilty pleasures of Boise State students. I am a recovering Facebook game addict. I used to
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spend hours logged in playing Farmville. I hid the symptoms, making sure to keep my wall clear of claimed prizes and growth updates. It was my guilty pleasure. I knew I wasn’t alone. However, according to Boi-
I mean, Boise can’t really get any worse. So I say bring the heat, nature!
Maddie Acosta Freshman Physical Therapy
I’m going to be so upset if this happens again next year.
Connor Liess Freshman History
love and it’s always different. There’s always something funny and there’s always something sad and it’s always good.” McCafferty said she particularly enjoys poets that take a mundane situation and turn it into a funny poem. Poetry Slam deLux is managed by Hatter and Lexy Leahy, who got involved after taking a poetry class with former professor Isaac Rambo. After watching, competing and getting to know people in the group, Leahy said she enjoys what these poets have to offer. “I like when they go off
page and they get really into it,” Leahy said. “They’re really emotional and I think that’s really cool to watch. For performing, it’s fun to push the limits and see what you can do.” Initially just in it for the extra credit, Leahy said she was surprised at her desire to continue attending and participating in poetry slams, including performing a poem about her challenge with public speaking. “When I first heard about it, it seemed intimidating and honestly I didn’t think I would like poetry slams but they’re very interesting, they’re fun,” Leahy said. “It’s not just people sitting around reading boring poetry. People are up
onstage performing. It’s a good atmosphere. People are very accepting and I encourage anyone who’s written anything at all to come perform.” Leahy said despite the close-knit familiarity of most of the poets and listeners, new poets come in and are always welcome. Leahy said she encourages anyone interested to attend Slam of Steel (for those under 21) and/or Poetry Slam deLux (for those 21 and up). “You won’t have a bad experience,” Leahy said. “Anyone can fit in. You just get up there, do your best and whether you’re reading off page or you have it memorized, you’re good.”
se State students, I was wrong. Only one of the five students interviewed admitted to playing Facebook games. Brady Mesenbrink, freshman computer science major, said he plays Ruzzle everyday with his friends on Facebook, but he is not an addict. “I’m not big on Facebook,” Mesenbrink said. “I don’t even make posts on it. I just use it to look at friend’s stuff usually.” While I am alone in my addiction, students said my choice of poison is nothing to be embarrassed about. Of these students interviewed, all agreed there
is nothing to be ashamed or guilty of playing Facebook games. Senami Hodonu, senior mechanical engineering major, said he has tried playing Facebook games, but no longer is a part of that community. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it,” Hodonu said. “I just think I’ve never really given it a chance.” Hodonou did confide he had found himself to facebook, signing in without really meaning to, but now that problem has passed. My search for accompani-
ment in my prior Facebook game addiction yielded a worrisome new addiction. Sawan Sulaiman, freshman entrepreneurial major, confided it wasn’t Facebook games she wasn’t addicted to, but Twitter. “Facebook, I just log in, check whatever, then log out. That’s it,” Suliman said. “For me, I find that I’m more into Twitter.” Is Twitter the new online drug of choice for college students? Or is it Pinterist? Instagram? Stick around for the next campus guilty pleasure spill.
Nicole Reither is a senior graduating in May with a degree in Communication and a certificate in Public Relations. Like Tasha Adams, she is also `terrified of graduating--missing out on free food at the BRC, student tickets to events and the luxury of the free gym. “The undaunted undergrads” is an account of working through last-semester fears and getting the most out of the college experience. Remember freshman year? You were excited about the prospect of a new beginning, making new friends and starting something which could potentially change your life forever. I will always remember my last semester of my freshman year. I had finally found my friend group, the freshman fifteen was catching up to me and the dorm room was starting to lose its appeal. I remember calling home and complaining to my parents who lived all but 12 hours away about my English 102 professor and the amount of credits I was taking. But what they told me was, “slow down, take it all in, the next four years of your life are going to go by way too fast.” I know what you are thinking; I’m preaching to the choir, right? Here I am about to start the last semester of my college career and I am freaking out to say the least. Fall semester was extremely busy. So busy I almost forgot how to enjoy myself. And isn’t that what college is about? Learning but enjoying yourself at the same time. These are supposed to be the best four years of our lives. But now that I’m barreling toward spring semester I have realized how unprepared I am to leave behind this life. And like I said before; I am freaking out. If you know me well, you know that I love to make lists. I even make lists to make lists and I make plans to make plans. So after May 18 I am not sure what kind of lists I will have or if my calendar is going to be full. Because at the moment it is looking completely empty. After hours of contemplating I have come up with a strategy. I will longer have this prepost graduation stress control my life. Instead I am going to take what seems like to be the very opposite of senioritis and create a bucket list. Each week I am going to do something different around Boise State, something that every graduating senior should partake in. There has been so much to accomplish here in the past four years. At times it is overwhelming and can seem slightly impossible. So between pulling all-nighters at the library, falling asleep in your roommate’s bed instead of yours and accidentally having one too many drinks at Suds, it is sometimes hard to keep up with all the simple stuff that a college campus can offer. Follow me along on my prepost-grad crisis as I embark on a journey to accomplish things that I think every Boise State grad should do before they flip their tassel and walk across the stage.
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Opinion
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January 24, 2013
5
Re-branding was the right decision New look more consistent with progress made by the university Opinion Editor
Re-branding can give your organization a whole new look. The idea is simple; organizations such as companies and universities have a public face which people see and recognize, and when you re-brand that public face is changed or updated in some way. There are a lot of reasons for an organization to rebrand, and in the case of Boise State our diamond logo—which has been in use since 2001—was perhaps not a great icon for the school if only because it doesn’t seem to relate to anything. The change was a good call. While a really straightforward letter logo such as our
new one is not particularly flashy or exciting, it is clean and easy to reproduce. Soon it will probably start showing up on sweaters and other Bronco swag at the bookstore. As the university grows it is important for our image to be easily recognizable and easy to spread. The diamond logo was just not easily recognizable. Boise State’s growth has been steady over the last few years and a cool developments have come as a result of student work, such as work on ion thrusters by the College of Engineering. There is no telling where university developments will eventually end up. With cool sci-fi stuff like Google-backed, Planetary Resources Inc. talking
about mining asteroids in the not-so-distant future, it’s not farfetched to think some of their space vehicles could one day be using components developed by Broncos. The point is Boise State is making progress as a university and that is good news for everyone here. A more reputable school means a degree from Boise State will carry more weight, and a more respected degree is what students should be getting from their school. Mikhiale Camacho, a sophomore studying radiology, shared some of her thoughts on the new look and if it was a match for what the university is offering. “We were known as a commuter college and now with something more fun and inviting, we have a new logo to look forward to. I think it’s more appealing to newer generations coming into Boise State,” Camacho said
Boise State’s new look is similar to that of University of Oregon, which is both a respected academic institution as well as a football school. Part of the new logo is that it will almost certainly appear on Bronco football
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school appear to be more of a commercial institution where students go in, pay their money and get a degree with the receipt more like a fast food restaurant, but input from students familiar with the updated
We were known as a commuter college and now with something more fun and inviting, we have a new logo to look forward to. I think it’s more appealing to newer generations coming into Boise State.
gear at some point. In regard to the comparison, Camacho said, “I do feel like we have really great programs here such as the radiology program and the nursing program, our business program is booming, we just got a brand new building. Of course people are going to come here because they want to see BSU play, but I mean they didn’t do so hot this year so you can’t really say that ‘yes, we are just a football school,’ now I think that academics is starting to rise too.” Ariel Strasser, an English and German double major, said, “It keeps trying to move away from football, we get a lot of football everywhere, I go home to Illinois for summer and winter breaks, and someone sees my sweatshirt it’s ‘oh my gosh Boise State football.’ But it’s got its engineering program, it’s got its business, it’s got other things besides that.” Another concern worth mentioning would be if the new identity for the university would make the
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Zachary Chastaine
—Mikhiale Camacho
look quickly quelled this concern. “I don’t think a logo can do that, no. We were a B before the diamond that we had … It’s definitely more stylish than it was previously. I did like the diamond, but it (the new logo) does have that diagonal line it looks like its moving forward. But other than that it is just a B. It doesn’t have 20,000 students for a logo,” Strasser said. Camacho said, “I don’t believe it cheapens the university in any way. I think it attracts more people to it; it’s not as dull as the other logo that we had. I think it’s more fun and inviting.” Boise State will continue to grow and it will likely see many changes in years to come, but it is important that it adapts to new changes. So, while there are many facets to a university’s public image and if it really has the credentials behind its look, one thing is certain, Boise State has come a long way over the years and its look should reflect this. We’re a sharp, progressive campus, so it should represent itself as one.
Fresh Perspectives: Learning to stay motivated Zoe Colburn is resident freshman and Arbiter opinion writer chronicling her experiences at a new university in a new part of the country It’s sort of like August all over again, but without the soul-clenching fear and excitement that accompanies leaving for college for the first time, and a little more experience in being a student. The main difference from August, however, is that rather than already being excited about leaving for a brand new school experience, I need to sort of psych myself up to get back to work. Everyone should have something that they can get excited about for when they return to class. To do that, I’ve taken to focusing on what has become my beacon in university studies: literature. It’s something to look forward to which I also enjoy. I never realized how much I would miss literature until it wasn’t a part of my curriculum any longer, and once it was gone I felt a hole in my heart much like the one a person might feel when they’re away from their family. So, rather than freaking out about school coming my way, I’ve chosen to focus on how I’ll finally be reunited with my one true love in this world: analytically reading literature. This, I’ve been told is super weird, but given that I am completely baffled by people who actually enjoy spending time doing pages and pages of math, I think my love of literature is just fine. In any case, the point remains that the only thing keeping me from pulling my hair out in chunks is the promise of getting back to class to start dissecting literature and examining it under an academic microscope before placing it delicately next to my own bookshelf. I assume most people have some sort of dear subject in school they focus on, be it a certain class they’re especially excited about (like me), or seeing friends again, or even if it’s just not being around their parents, we all need a little something to look forward to in order to get ready for the post-winter, end-of-hibernation semester.
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Sports
January 24, 2013
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West Coast Bias
The growth of something special Corey Morgan Staff Writer
The people and supporters of Boise State are going insane. No, not because the Boise State football team just got one of their highest-rated recruits or because the Boise State wrestling team, a longtime powerhouse in the PAC-12, just won their first home duel of the year or because the new Dave & Busters just opened up, even though quite personally I'm excited about it. They are happy because of the Boise State basketball team. Plain and simple. For those who are unaware, Head Coach Leon Rice has assembled a young and impressive team that looks like a seasoned team competing with the big names in college basketball. The team is currently 13-4 in a heavily, I mean heavily, competitive Mountain West Conference. But wait, didn't they just lose to a 10-6 Air Force team in conference play ? Yes, but here's another interesting fact: Boise State also beat Wyoming and Creighton, who were ranked and undefeated at the time. The Broncos handed not one team, but two teams their first losses of the season. Since then, both Wyoming and Creighton have only lost two other games, combining for a 32-4 record. Boise is excited, people. A fact that people seem to forget, or maybe deny, is a majority of "fans" are only fans of winners. No one likes losers. Who’s going to buy a ticket to go watch their team lose? Very, very few. Boise State basketball is winning. Not just against the small, less-impressive teams; they are beating the ranked, tough or even undefeated established basketball programs. Enter the fans on stage right. The attendance has skyrocketed from 3,061 in 2010-11 to 4,954 in the current 2011-12; which is the 7th largest increase in all of the NCAA, according to Joe Dorish from Rivals.com. That also doesn't count multiple close sellouts for Taco Bell Arena, which holds 12,480 people. Call it what you will, that's impressive. This may no longer just be a football town, or Blue Turf City to those outside state lines. The people of Boise are ready for a solid, consistent basketball team.
The Arbiter
A Mountain of quality West coast basketball Michael Steen Staff Writer
Conference realignment has caused a lot of stress
and anxiety for Bronco fans over the past couple years. But as the dust settles, Boise State’s athletic future has a bit more clarity to it and the
future looks bright. The decision to stay in the Mountain West Conference (MWC) may come as a shock to Bronco fans as the
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Big East deal fell through, but it appears to be a wise choice for the school and its athletic programs. Football drives this school and has propelled it into the national spotlight over the past decade, but an upstart basketball program could put Boise State on the map
for good. Boise State men’s basketball looks like the biggest winner following the decision to stay in the MWC. Third-year Head Coach Leon Rice knows what it takes to win as he comes from a Gonzaga program that has made the NCAA tournament the past thirteen consecutive seasons. Rice has already established himself as a winner, taking the Broncos to just their fourth postseason tournament in the last 17 years in his inaugural season at Boise State. Now this young Bronco squad's 2012-2013 campaign got off to a 13-4 start that included two road wins over ranked opponents. Conference play however, brings a whole different animal for the Broncos as the MWC boasts some of the deepest and most well-coached teams in the nation.
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Mountain West to split into two football divisions John Garretson Sports Editor
It's been established that Boise State will head back to the Mountain West despite a brief agreement to move to the Big East starting this season, but now things become interesting for the west coast-based conference. Tuesday afternoon, after the winter meetings that took place in Denver, Colo., the league announced football will be split into two divisions: the Mountain Division and the West Division. For Boise State, it takes its talents to the Mountain Division, along with Air Force, Colorado State, New Mexico, Wyoming and Utah State. The West Division will be comprised of San Diego State, Nevada, Fresno State, Hawai'i, San Jose State and UNLV. These divisions are most closely related to respective time zones. Before Boise State fans begin to sigh over the division opponents, all schools will play each school in their division once and also have three inter-conference games which will rotate annually. The rotation of the inter-conference games will be randomly selected by a computer. Here's the more intriguing part of the separate divisions: a Mountain West title game will be played between the division winners on Dec.
7, 2013 on the home turf of the school with the highest BCS ranking. Now there's an incentive if I've ever seen one. Last season, Boise State took home the Mountain West title in a three way split with San Diego State and Fresno State. However, the Broncos were the highestranked BCS team from the Mountain West at No.19. Make of it what you would like. While football will have a change in landscape in the conference, the conference has said the men's basketball format it currently has will remain the same. Teams will play 18 conference games, which include eight home-andhome games and a twogame rotation between the remaining opponents in the conference. The conference voted in favor of this rather than expanded conference games due to the fact that non-conference games tend to boost the conference's ratings percentage index (RPI). This addition of divisions gives the conference more legitimacy in an effort to separate itself amongst the others in the Group of Five — Big East, Conference USA, Sun Belt and MAC—and follow suit with what the more notable conferences have been doing for years and can prove to be a workable outline for the conference in the foreseeable future.
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