September 1, 2015 Vol. 28 Issue 3
In d epe nd e nt
The Arbiter
St u d e nt
@arbiteronline
V o i ce
o f
B o is e
Stat e
S i n c e
@arbiteronline
1 9 3 3
arbiteronline.com
state faculty On Display: Boise showcases artwork
“Bernie�; Jim Budde, Ceramic, 2015/ COURTESY of Visual Art Center
in biennial exhibition p. 14
Justin Kirkham
editor@stumedia. boisestate.edu
MANAGING EDITOR Patty Bowen
managingeditor@ stumedia.boisestate.edu
NEWS EDITOR
Patrick Adcock news@ stumedia.boisestate.edu
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
IN THIS
ISSUE
riot games/ COURTESY
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Fight minions with LoL at Boise State p. 15
Shelly Bohorquez news@ stumedia.boisestate.edu
SPORTS EDITOR
Ali Roberts sports@ stumedia.boisestate.edu
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR Rylan Kobre sports@ stumedia.boisestate.edu
CULTURE EDITOR
Brittany Lindstrom culture@ stumedia.boisestate.edu
ASSISTANT CULTURE EDITOR Cheyene Austin culture@ stumedia.boisestate.edu
DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGER
COPY EDITORS Andrea Batton Reba Rice
DESIGN MANAGER Ted Atwell
DAve Johns/ COURTESY
Patrick Adcock/ COURTESY
Jared Lewis digitalcontent@ stumedia.boisestate.edu
BUSINESS MANAGER Connor Jones business@ arbiteronline.com
Distributed Tuesdays during the academic school year. The Arbiter is the official independent student newspaper of Boise State University and a designated public forum, where student editors make all content decisions and bear responsibility for those decisions. The Arbiter’s budget consists of fees paid by the student body and advertising sales. The first copy is free. Additional copies can be purchased for $1 a piece at The Arbiter offices.
Fire season heats up
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Editors note
Our perspective only reaches so far Editor-in-Chief
We’re only a week in, and things seem to be as chaotic as ever, but in a good way for the most part. With ticket confusion and textbook rearrangements haunting the SUB and bookstore, there are several new things for students to be frustrated with—and we want to hear about it. This year our main goal is to increase engagement with our readership. This can come in multiple forms. You can talk to us on social media or write and send us a lengthier letter
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to the editor at editor@stumedia.boisestate.edu. Sometimes we get lost in a reporter haze, which is to say we become numb to some of the stories circling at our fingertips. Your input and engagement helps us keep our finger on the pulse of campus events, confusion and excitement. Our Sports & Rec Editor Ali Roberts is especially talented when it comes to seeking out unsung club heroes here on campus. She combs through organization lists to find students that may have yet to feature their voices here in The
Arbiter. Check out her article on the airsoft club on page 18. It isn’t often that these sorts of groups are highlighted. But, when approaching our role as a sort of voice for students, we want to feature as many of them as possible. But, sometimes, the only way we can get to know or uncover groups like this is through your constant engagement and connection with us as a news source. I had yet to meet or see anyone from the League of Legends at Boise State club until I saw their promotional Facebook post scroll across my
newsfeed. Their group is pretty large, but I still had yet to hear anything about their up and coming events, even as a video game enthusiast myself. It’s important to note that, sometimes, even with larger events and groups, things don’t always bubble to the surface of our news feeds. Don’t be afraid to reach out and tell The Arbiter about something important that you or your group is either attending or putting on or write us a letter expressing your opinions as a student here on campus--we can never have too many of those.
/ARBITER ARCHIVES
Justin Kirkham
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crp facebook page/ COURTESY
NEWS
Community planning master’s starts teach out Patty Bowen Managing Editor
Kyle Prewett had just started his first year in the Boise State Community and Regional Planning master’s program when the department announced its closure. “My main fear is that we’ll be rushed through the program so we are out of the way, but that has not happened at all,” Prewett said. Prewett is part of a handful of students finishing their master’s while the Community and Regional Planning program implements its teach out program — the three year process of cycling a program out — starting this semester. “Whenever a program is announced to close we want to make sure that our students are our number one priority,” said Andrew Giacomazzi, Associate Dean of the School of Public Service.
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During the teach out, students will work closely on projects or with faculty, providing them with some flexibility in their experience while still “maintaining the integrity of the degree.” “We’re trying to make sure the opportunities that students need with a full set of faculty occur this year, and the plans incorporate the fact that three of the five faculty members will not be with us by Fall 2016,” Giacomazzi said. The decision to cut the Community and Regional Planning master’s program was made by members of the Boise State administration due to budget issues. According to Bob Kustra, the program was not bringing in enough students to pay for itself. “You need to have student generated revenue to keep the educational business going. The demand for CRP did not turn out to be what
was expected,” Giacomazzi said. “It was nothing to do with the students, faculty or staff. It was a really difficult decision made at the top.” According to Susan Mason, associate professor in the School of Public Service, the master’s community and regional planning program started as a certification program in 2006. After support from the community and over 30 letters requesting the program, it was scheduled to start in 2009; however, because of the 2008 recession, the start was pushed back. “Ultimately the MCRP program implementation was delayed until the 20112012 school year,” Mason said. “By this time, many of the students who had planned to start our program had found other programs to attend elsewhere on campus or at different institutions.” The Community and Regional Planning master’s
program started with 16 students, which Mason stated was enough to start the program but not enough to sustain it. Many students may have been discouraged from entering the program because the planning jobs were slow to recover, decreasing the demand for planners. “There was certainly still interest and a need, but the economy tempered much of the activity we had anticipated,” said Mason. “Another factor may have been that some students may also have been waiting to see if the program would be accredited before they enrolled. The MCRP was slated to be evaluated for accreditation in 2016 had the program not been phased out.” Although the program is being shut down, Eric Lindquist, director of the Public Policy Center, isn’t worried about graduating students’ market prospects.
“The current graduating students will be in demand. Corey Cook (Dean of the School of Public Service) is now thinking about what our plan is for urban affairs.” Lindquist said. “There was a lot of support in the community for planning and they were looking for students for not just jobs, but to contribute to the conversation.” Currently, plans are in the works to possibly partner with University of Idaho’s Bioregional Planning and Community Design program to continue to provide Boise with quality regional planners. Bioregional Planning and Community Design is also located in downtown Boise and will continue to train regional planners during Boise State’s Community and Regional Planning shutdown. According to Lindquist, the work planners do is key to the development of
Boise. “(In Community and Regional Planning we are) looking at land use over time, being able to take the long view,” Lindquist said. “Boise is growing and planning is important to any growing community.” Despite the program’s shutdown, Prewett feels the work the Community and Regional Planning program has done for Boise has been instrumental in the community’s development. Prewett feels confident his diploma will still hold worth after the program is cut. “The program is amazing and has been nothing but a good experience,” Prewett said. “I think the community will miss students going in and out of Boise State. We lose a little bit of a connection with the planning community because we have been a small program. I think our influence has been bigger than our numbers.”
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NEWS
Rand Paul talks 2016 presidential election Patrick Adcock News Editor
Shelly Bohorquez Asst. News Editor
Randal Paul, a Republican senator from Kentucky and one of the several prospective candidates for the 2016 Republican presidential primary, made a stop in Boise on Thursday, Aug. 27. In the Bishop Barnwell room in the Student Union Building at 11:30 a.m., the son of the two-time Republican presidential candidate, Ron Paul, started his presentation with a video of his wife explaining his humanitarian efforts as an ophthal-
mologist, his life as a father and his desire to help others. Promoting his “Stand with Rand” campaign, Paul gave a 30 minute discourse highlighting his preference for small government, his appreciation of the sixth amendment and his concern in balancing the U.S. government budget. Paul revealed his plan to eliminate the current tax code and implement a 14.5 percent tax for businesses and individuals. “American jobs and American companies are being chased overseas by a 70,000 page tax code. You know what I say? Let’s scrap the
whole damn thing and start over,” Paul said. Idaho’s first district Congressman Raul Labrador has been standing with Rand throughout his campaign and introduced him as the most moderate candidate for the Republican primary. “Guess what Rand Paul has been doing for the last five years? He’s been going to Howard University and speaking to only black audiences and getting standing ovations,” said Labrador. “The best thing about Rand Paul is the message that you’re going to hear today at Boise State University is the same message that he
delivered at Howard University… and the same message that he has been delivering across the land.” Because of this, Labrador insists that Paul “will be consistent, that he will be true to his word and that he will do everything that he says he is going to do when he becomes the next president of the United States.” Paul pointed out that initial polls can often be misleading, to defend his low ranking among the other Republican primary candidates. “They’re very soft polls and they’re very movable,” Paul said.
Paul spoke Aug. 27
bsupulse.com
Your independent student-run radio Tune in at bsupulse.com
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NEWS
SUB offers free feminine hygiene products Asst. News Editor
Blood and panic are typically slasher film adjectives, but throw in some casual humiliation that comes from a stigmatized natural process, and we arrive at menstrual health issues. Although activism for the availability of feminine hygiene products has helped raise awareness to the high volume of menstrual health issues facing impoverished women around the world, tampons continue to be taxed as a luxury and are not prioritized in most restrooms. That being said, restrooms in the Student Union Building now offer free feminine hygiene products. Nancy Kramer, founder and chairman of the marketing agency Resource/ Ammirati, gave a TED Talk in the Fall of 2013 in which she spoke about the lack of necessary feminine care products in restrooms. “As it turns out, not all restrooms are created equal. Some of them have all the
items in them that a person needs, and others don’t,” Kramer said. In her talk, Kramer revealed that not all restrooms even have working tampon dispensaries, let alone free ones. This was the case in all Student Union Building restrooms until about twelve years ago, when the SUB staff noticed that the tampon dispensers were being broken into almost monthly. According to Ric Hobart, Student Union Building Facility Coordinator, it is believed that these break-ins were due to the dispensers being in high traffic areas. Costing about $200 to replace the dispensers each month, the SUB directors decided that it would be more efficient and cost effective to provide the tampons free of charge. “It doesn’t make sense to have to pay for them,” said Paige Paris, a sophomore biology major. “I mean, I guess people could just take a bunch of them; but sometimes you don’t have quarters on you and you re-
ally need them. So it’s really inconvenient. They should just be free.” Paris went on to note that free feminine hygiene products could positively impact a person’s education. “They won’t be worrying about their period, they’ll be focusing on school instead,” Paris said. Tampons in these restrooms are restocked about four times daily, costing $150- $200 each month. This allows the SUB to break even on the dispensers, and save on labor costs from repairs. “I think it’s just the same as toilet paper; I think it’s even more important, you know what I mean?” said Malak Abureehan. Abureehan is not a student, but like many members of the community, utilizes the SUB’s resources. “It’s more of a push to be aware and take care of your personal hygiene,” Abureehan said. “I think that when something is provided in public spaces, people will actually realize how important it is.”
Shelly bohorquez/the arbiter
Shelly Bohorquez
restrooms in the sub dispense free products
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NEWS
Campus police require bikers to dismount Jade Donnelly Staff Writer
Campus Security and Police Services along side Transportation and Parking Services have teamed up to turn the quad into the ‘Pedestrian Prioity Zone’ to help create a safer area for pedestrians and motorists. “The goal is to increase safety in general (as well as) create goodwill in the community,” said Stephen Ritter, Traffic and Parking Supervisor. “The less conflict we have with cyclists and pedestrians or other motorists, the better.”
BSU has added more regulations to policy number 9010, the Pedestrian and Non-Motorized Wheeled-Transport Safety Policy, including the right to ticket motorists who do not abide by the dismount policy. “The requirement to dismount while in the Pedestrian Priority Zone is limited between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, unless the Rider cannot maintain a three foot minimum distance from Pedestrians, then the rider is required to dismount regardless of the time or day,”
the policy states. Campus Security and Police Services distributed warnings the first week of classes, Aug. 24 to Aug. 28. However, $25 citations will be given to students who fail to abide by the policy starting Sep. 1. “The charge will be $25 but there is also an additional reckless operation of a bicycle and that could actually double the fine” said John Kaplan, executive director of Campus Security and Police Services. Kaplan said dangerous operation of a motorized vehicle will result in a reckless operation ticket.
“If someone is going at an extreme rate of speed into a crowd and happens to hit someone, they will receive a doubled fine,” Kaplan said. Kaplan explained the security department has hired a part-time officer to monitor the area during “high-use times” like passing periods and during events in the quad. Both Kaplan and Ritter have encouraged the alternate routes that are now provided at Boise State. “What we are trying to focus on are the alternatives and the registry (of bicycles) at the Cycle
Learning Center and police substation,” Ritter said. Some alternate routes include the recently added bike lanes along University Drive and the green belt along the other side of campus. “I am surprised it has taken this long for any tickets to be distributed,” said Victoria Weyand, a senior communication major. “I have had more run-ins with inconsiderate longboarders than anything. Kudos Boise State for finally following through!” Weyand said. However, some students like Austin Rowe, a junior
meal plan information www.BSUdining.com
business economics major, have ideas for improving the law. “(Ticketing is) necessary for in between classes, but when classes are in session I should be able to ride through there,” Lowe said. Lowe said they have monitored this area throughout the summer but most students were confused when asked to dismount. Students who ride a bike on campus can avoid fines in the Pedestrian Priority Zone by taking alternate routes through campus or walking their bike through this area.
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Connect with us: /BSUdining
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@DiningBSU
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Opinion Vmas shape culture, despite tabloid status, stigma Editor-in-Chief
Justin Bieber cried, Taylor Swift walked away with a few new awards and Miley Cyrus pranced on stage in several different outfits. And, while none of the above come off as deeply, intrinsically impactful in a higher, societal sense, they are exactly that: pieces of our cultural puzzle. MTV’s Video Music Awards (VMA) dazzled the Internet last night in a few different ways--some seemingly good and some strangely disconcerting. Cyrus graced the show with her hosting skills and an array of nipple-enclosing outfits. MTV was so worried about having another foam finger incident that they set the show on a tape-delay, which proved useful in censoring the blur of profanity Cyrus selected during key parts of the night.
Shaping our social constructs
This is the kind of stuff we should be talking about. Most people see celebrity gossip and entertainment trends and shake their heads instead of digging further into it. Everyone listens to music in one way or another. It hums from the Student Union Building speakers during strings of bowling games and billiards matches; it blares from open car windows in busy streets and strikingly calm neighborhood roads and it buzzes along behind Word documents in minimized YouTube windows. This stuff is so deeply ingrained in our daily lives that we can’t avoid it in any facet. It may all seem like silly shenanigans and backstage treachery-and some of it is. But, the rest
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is genuinely important in shaping the social constructs and cultural structure around us.
Intersectionality, Representation and Nicki Minaj
Those who watched the VMAs know Nicki Minaj had a bit more to say about her lack of nominations in the Video of the Year category. Or, at least, she had more to say to Cyrus and her own critique of Minaj’s heavily Tweeted frustrations. In essence, Minaj was frustrated. She believed “Anaconda” deserved the nomination. She spoke about the distinct lack of representation that black women have in the music industry and how MTV instead chose to celebrate the white “slender” women that they were more comfortable with. Taylor Swift even got in on the discussion, but stepped back after realizing Minaj was speaking about intersectionality, the cross-section of oppression that one sees when they can identify with more than one minority group. For Minaj, that was her race and gender. In an interview last week, Cyrus critiqued Minaj’s frustration, saying she was “not polite.” While I don’t personally believe either of these women are 100 percent in the right, I do think that it is incredibly important that these sort of discussions are becoming more and more mainstream. It might take a Twitter “battle” to do it, but the points are out there and being discussed. What’s great is people are happily talking about it. Entertainment news is so incredibly hyped that generally uncomfortable topics become important. It’s not great that the
only way we talk about issues of oppression is through celebrity aruments, but it’s a start—a start we should run with.
Miley Cyrus and Her Dead Petz
Cyrus ended the VMAs with exploding smoke tubes and dancing eyeball dresses—and a new album. This one, however, is free to stream online. It cost mere thousands of dollars to create “Miley Cyrus and Her Dead Petz,” while millions went into the making of “Bangerz.” Cyrus is trying something different with this album, and it speaks volumes to the consumption of music we see today. I end up streaming a lot of my music on YouTube, and I’m sure that most other students don’t buy every single song they are interested in listening to each month. Cyrus seems to be eager to make it much easier for new and old fans to reach her 23-track creation. Is this something that students want? Is this something that is sustainable in the current model of music business in the world? I’m not sure, but it’s definitely something that’s happening and working, at least for the past few days. Talking about these things is essential. Sharing these stories is essential. If it’s going to change how music is consumed in the future, that’s something I more than want to be a part of the discussion on. Don’t be afraid to hop into the discussion. Share a link or comment on an article. Even send us a letter to the editor. Sitting back and ignoring the insanity of the culture around us won’t change anything. Talk about it and choose what to consume.
MTV facebook page/courtesy
Justin Kirkham
Miley Cyrus sports minimal clothing.
Nicki Minaj confronts VMA host.
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opinion
Artificial sugars aren’t sweet deal for health Arbiter Staff The editorial column is agreed upon by a panel of Arbiter staff members and reflects the stance The Arbiter is taking on different pressing issues. Follow up is encouraged; our desire is to start the conversation on campus, not dictate a campus opinion.
The powerful fizzy buzz that comes with cracking open a cold soda is a staple part of a lot of student’s days. But, when choosing between regular and diet soda, many students are at a loss. The decision, in a hyperbolic sense, is like choosing between calories and putting their intestines in harms way. It’s well known that soda isn’t a healthful option in any regard. But, pressing a cold, sweaty palm against the vending machine’s Diet Coke button is not the only way to enjoy a riveting rush of fake sugars—substances that cause just as many problems when hidden in options
that are low in calorie, carbohydrate and fat options. Students should be hyperaware of these food additives. They are in circulation in a large percentage of the consumer’s dietary intake. The only way to circumvent the problems associated with sugar substitutes and unhealthy options in general is awareness. If the consumer chooses the healthier option, the seller will provide more of it. It’s all about retraining ourselves to choose better in a sea of less than optimal choices. These sugar substitutes are happily nestled in almost all food options at Boise State. Unfortunately, their inclusion isn’t something to be easily rid of. They’re everywhere--from the sweet white bread at the SUB’s Subway to the low-fat, generic brand yogurt parfait in the C-Store. Tate & Lyle, a main manufacturer in sugar based ingredients, is releasing a new
sugar substitute this year called allulose. Chemically, it is very similar sugar, with the exception of the rearrangement of its hydrogen and oxygen atoms. Taking a look at nutrition labels is rather eye-opening. With new chemical sweeteners and enhanced substances clogging our food options, it is more than likely that allulose will wind up in a local eatery near you. Although no studies have been done specifically about allulose due to its relative newness to the market, a 2014 study in the Science News journal found that ingesting saccharin, aspartame and sucralose, three artificial sweeteners, leads to a mutation in the microbiota, small bacteria, in our bellies that leads to diabetes and obesity. “What (scientists have) done is they’ve adjusted those naturally found compounds making it so the digestive enzymes in our body
don’t recognize them,” Campus dietitian MarLee Harris said. “Then they’re not absorbed and processed like normal sugars are. They’re just passed.” This “pass” translates into their low to zero caloric value. That’s why low-calorie options are so popular. Their taste is so succulently reminiscent of the naturally sweetened foods we enjoy. This makes the low calorie juices, sodas and energy drinks found stationed at all campus stores incredibly delicious and deceivingly harmless. Even further, they’re found in our food. Just in 2009, Panda Express’ orange chicken was reported to have 500 calories per serving in Allan Borushek’s “Calorie, Fat and Carbohydrate Counter.” Now in 2015, Panda Express itself reports to have only 360 calories in each serving of orange chicken. Curiously, the sugar con-
tent, which is wildly overwrought at 19 grams, has remained the same. This means that, in order to reach a lower caloric value, the company instead has to rely on fake sugars to bolster the “same great taste” that so many new recipe foods are promoting as healthy. This is not necessarily the case and should be taken with a grain of salt--or allulose. In the previously cited study, rats who ingested saccharin, aspartame and sucralose had abnormally high glucose, a type of sugar, circulating in their blood compared to rats that ingested the same amount of natural sugar. This suggested that these artificial sweeteners resulted in metabolic problems digesting any sort of sugar, which leads to diabetes and obesity in humans. “In general we’re an obese nation, so when we see something that says ‘no sug-
ar’ or ‘zero calorie’ the majority of people tend to lean towards that because they think it’s healthy,” said Emily McKay, freshman nursing major. “In reality there is always something in there that is probably not the best for you.” Excessive calories aren’t great. Drinking an entire two-liter bottle of Throwback Mountain Dew isn’t a stellar option, even if natural sugars are the only sweeteners therein. Eating an entire all-natural cake still isn’t a smart option either. But, even if a food or beverage is low in calories, it could end up causing a chain reaction of problems. Sugar is converted into fat--and so are sugar substitutes--but only one of them translates into the end calorie total With our health and general welfare on the line, students might want to reconsider how they use their $2 at the vending machines.
Jill Wenzinger
Ahmad Abtaibi
Garitt Meyer
senior, english linguistics
junior, marketing
freshman, chemistry
“Most likely I do. Like 90 percent of my food intake contains it.”
“I don’t really drink soda but I do have an energy drink a day.”
“A lot. I’m not a very healthy person. I ate PeachOs today and yesterday.”
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Sarah Taylor
sophomore, finance
“A couple times a week. Due to medical issues I’m trying to eat healthier—I’m trying not to eat carb stuff.”
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patty bowen/the arbiter
Student Voices: do you eat artifical sugars, and if so how often?
Feature
student firefighter tells stori Patrick Adcock News Editor
Patrick Adcock/ COURTESY
The air quality in the Treasure Valley this past month was anything but enjoyable. This is due to the forest fires that set the Northwest ablaze. According to Ken Frederick, public affairs specialist at the National Interagency Fire Center, there have been 44,000 fires reported this season with over 8 million acres burned. Frederick said this season is definitely one for the record books. In August, 32,000 firefighters, alongside 130 fire specialists from New Zealand, Australia and Canada, battled to control the burning landscape. Dylan Fischer, a senior studying health sciences at Boise State, is one of those fire fighters. Fischer has been working for Red Truck Wildfire - a contracting company - since
2012. Fischer is a type one firefighter, meaning he has some experience working with fires. Type one firefighters have completed a task book that takes several years to complete, as opposed to a type two, or basic, who is only required to take a week long course. According to Frederick, students are a big part of the fire fighting industry. “It’s a pretty common way to get into the career,” Fredrick said. Fischer said his experience fighting fires had been hectic with a lot of hard work, as well as calm with a lot of time spent waiting. Fischer explained the action becomes most intense at the head of the fire, where it is actively burning. Slop overs, where a fire has burned over a road, are also zones of high intensity. Fisher’s most harrowing experience took place during his first year.
“My first year buddy,” Fischer s Fischer told of ence guarding a tion deep in the w a friend. “It’s crazy, ther of heat. We were ed by a bunch of trees and it was hell,” Fischer said “When you’r much smoke, yo adapt to it. You tearing up; you your eyes from b tearing.” The two had d referred to as ‘c or digging a kin around the stru ting line prevent spreading by ex fire to mineral so the fire to burn o “There were so pinecones that the line and sta ing near the rang Fischer said. Fischer’s frien put out the fire
“All of a sudden I heard this stomping, out of nowhere this huge boulder comes out of the smoke, and it’s headed straight for him.” - Dylan Fisher
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Feature
ies from fires in the northwest
I saved my said. f his experiranger stawoods with
re’s a bunch e surroundf brush and s smoky as d. re in that ou have to ur eyes are u can’t stop burning and
done what is utting line,’ nd of trench ucture. Cutts fires from xposing the oil, allowing out. ome flaming fell inside arted burnger station,”
nd went to e started by
the pinecones while Fischer watched for incoming debris. “All of a sudden I heard this stomping, out of nowhere this huge bolder comes out of the smoke, and it’s headed straight for him.” Fischer yelled to warn his friend. “He looks up and barely just dodged it,” Fischer said. “It almost took off his head.” “If I wasn’t there to have eyes on him, making sure I had his back, he wouldn’t be here,” Fischer said. Fischer said what keeps him and his fellow firefighters safe in situations like that are fundamentals. “It’s dangerous no matter what,” Fischer said. “We’re always relying on the fundamentals and that’s what keeps us safe. When people are running and evacuating, we’re the ones who have to stay calm.” With the Northwest being the most active region for fires, Fischer was in the
heat of the flames this summer working on both the Soda fire and the Rapid fire in McCall. Fischer said he got into firefighting because he has always been an adrenaline junkie. “I really didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life, I wanted to do something epic,” Fischer said. “I like to get my hands dirty and I love adrenaline.” Fischer saw an ad to become a firefighter on Craigslist and decided to pursue it. After graduation, Fischer hopes to become a structural firefighter for the city department or fight fires under the federal government. “I love it,” Fischer said. “Something about working through the smoke.” Fredrick says there are a lot of fires that aren’t going out unless it rains or snows. By the end of the season this year will be in the top five for most acres burned.
In 2013, there were 1,240,000 fires reported in the United States. These fires caused 3,240 civilian deaths, 15,925 civilian injuries, and $11.5 billion in property damage.
188,000 were vehicle fires, causing 320 civilian fire deaths, 1050 civilian fire injuries, and $1.3 billion in property damage.
Information provided by the National Fire Protection Association
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Patrick Adcock/ COURTESY
487,500 were structure fires, causing 2,855 civilian deaths, 14,075 civilian injuries, and $9.5 billion in property damage.
Culture
Brittany Lindstrom Culture Editor
Generally speaking, people take and share far more photos today than at any other point in history. The university lifestyle is filled with so many firsts and special events for students that it’s only natural to want to capture as many precious memories as possible. Digital content is fragile. Every student has experienced the sting of losing photographs due to changing phones, accidental deletion or a computer failure. According to Michal Davidson, collections archivist for the Idaho State Archives, students should ensure they have access to their digital memories for decades to come. The question of digital preservation is one that archivists and other museum professionals are struggling to reach a consensus on. Professionals are concerned that digital objects are not safe and that we risk losing an entire generation’s history. This fear isn’t unfounded. Thankfully, there are measures students can take to protect digital photographs, documents and more. Davidson takes a userfriendly approach to personal preservation, which boils down to a two-step system of storage and organization. “A lot of it is remembering what you have and migrating it as you go along,”
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Davidson said. “If you switch phones then we want to back that up on your computer before you do that. Then, back up your computer. As a person who lost their master’s thesis on the failure of a hard drive, it’s always good to have a back-up plan.” The concept of having a back-up plan also applies to cloud storage and social media. Davidson points out that relying on these systems leaves users at the mercy of the service provider. If a student doesn’t know how a service provider stores its data, Davidson suggests creating their own offline copies of important documents and photographs. Davidson also believes students should take a little time to organize and add details to their digital memories—especially photos. “Just saving the picture is not enough,” Davidson said. “If you’re going to have a good shot with friends, then having an idea of who these different people are (is important). A lot of that is documenting it for yourself so you can go back and find it.” There are two main methods to document photographs. Tech savvy students can edit the metadata of a file. Students can also record basic information on a Word document and include it in the folder with documented content. Regardless of technique, it is important for students to remember to utilize a
method that works best for them. Jenaleigh Kiebert, librarian for Idaho State Archives, believes that students should also consider printing important items. “Paper is still the most stable way of keeping something long-term,” Kiebert said. “There’s still that unknown of what digital formats are going to stick around and which ones are not. Every time you change from one format to another, you’re losing little bits of data.” Both Kiebert and Davidson agree that printing off every photograph and document for the sake of preservation is an unfeasible task. Furthermore, printing off pictures means that students lose the metadata embedded in digital files. This metadata includes precious information such as GPS location, date and any tags students choose to add. Regardless if students choose to store their memories digitally or physically, there are plenty of resources to aid them. The Library of Congress has an in-depth section of their website containing information on personal preservation. On Oct. 21, from 7-8:30 P.M., Boise Public Library will be hosting an event in conjunction with Idaho State Archives on digital preservation. The event will be free to the public and is a wonderful opportunity for students to learn more about the topic.
Boise State/ courtesy
Archivists preserve memories for future decades
Students make precious memories
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Culture
Novels for readers and non-readers alike Cheyene Austin
Asst. Culture Editor
reading schedules to broaden their literary horizons.
Despite what most people believe, reading isn’t just for English majors, and it doesn’t always require a deep analysis of themes and metaphors. Outside of class, reading can be whatever students want it to be—a relaxing break from homework, a mystery to solve or a challenge to world views. Sometimes reading can simply be fun. Yes, fun. Here are three novels students should fit into their
This title has been floating down the rivers of book lists since last year. It follows the story of Cadence, who spends blissful summers with her cousins on a private island until an accident takes place changes everything. “We Were Liars” by E. Lockhart is hailed as a masterpiece on many literary websites and magazines; it even made the ALA Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults for 2015 list. The
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“We Were Liars”
writing is quirky, simple and comprehensible, but not without emotion or mystery. Whether the claims of masterpiece are true or not, this novel is creative, well written and worth checking out.
“Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?”
The science fiction classic “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” was written by Philip K. Dick and published in 1968. While many students might not
be familiar with this title, perhaps they’ve heard of the 1982 film it spawned: “Blade Runner.” Readers don’t need to know anything about science fiction to enjoy this book. Even though it was published several decades ago, it’s still clever, both in the way it fleshes out the bleak future of the world and its philosophical musings. The novel is grounded in reality and explores the possibility of creation outsmarting its creator. It also analyzes the question of
what sets humans apart from other living beings— or, in this case, non-living sentient beings. If nothing else, students should read it for the fact that Dick considers “disemelevatored” an appropriate substitution for the phrase “disembarked from the elevator.”
“Between Shades of Gray”
Ruta Sepetys’ “Between Shades of Gray” is about a Lithuanian girl named Lina, who was taken to Siberia with her family dur-
ing the Holocaust. The story is touching, and the poignant, stark narration paints a realistic perspective on the brutality of the Holocaust. She struggles to maintain her freedom of expression through art while laboring at a Soviet camp, fighting for her and her family’s lives. As a work of historical fiction, “Between Shades of Gray” is not filled merely with dry facts, but rather tells an engaging story to illustrate what life was actually like for millions of people during the war.
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Visual Art Center/ COURTESY
Culture
Faculty show off art
Faculty Biennial offers students rare glimpse Culture Editor
Students in the art department are being graded and critiqued by a faculty whose body of work they are unfamiliar with. The 2015 Biennial Art Department Faculty Exhibition offers students a rare chance to see around 20 tenured and adjunct faculty members in action. Kirsten Furlong, gallery director for the Visual Arts Center (VAC), emphasized the unique opportunity this exhibition gives students. “In the classroom, when (students are) working with the faculty, even the faculty they work with really closely, there’s generally not an instance within a classroom situation where they would get to see the
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faculty’s own work and research,” Furlong said. The art department faculty is not hiding their objet d’art from their students on purpose. Faculty are so busy balancing their professional artistic careers alongside university duties that they simply lack the time, or a proper venue to showcase their work locally. “Just because of the nature of what they do, oftentimes their work is going to exhibitions all over the country, or all over the world,” Furlong said. Though local fine art venues are rare, several faculty members, including Stacey Chapel and Sue Latta, exhibit locally at Gallery Five18. This exhibition has evolved from an annual to biennial format due to the
faculty’s packed exhibition schedules. “Eight or nine years ago, we switched to every other year. The faculty have so many other shows, it just kind of made more sense. A year goes by so fast,” Furlong said. “They could show more significant projects, and it also freed up the gallery space to show outside work that we’re bringing in from other places.” According to Furlong, this exhibition offers an important opportunity for the community and all students to engage with visual art. As Boise lacks a plethora of visual art venues, students and the community are invited to view a body of work typically reserved for display in other metropolitan regions. The exhibition itself is
a delectable smorgasbord of visual styles, media and philosophies. Works range from traditional photography to contemporary installation, and even a ceramic ode to Bernie Sanders. This year’s biennial is also significant as it marks the first time Lily Martina Lee, assistant professor of sculpture, will be showing in the faculty exhibition. Lee’s work can also be seen at the Student Union Gallery in the exhibition “Half Sister.” The 2015 Biennial kicks off with an opening reception, Sept. 3 from 5-8 p.m. The exhibition will be on display in both the Visual Art Center’s Gallery 1 in the Liberal Arts building and Gallery 2 located in the Hemingway Center until Nov. 5.
Visual Art Center/ COURTESY
Brittany Lindstrom
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Culture Justin Kirkham Editor-in-Chief
When it comes to fighting over enormous dragon objectives, Boise State League of Legends players are split. Some prefer to be in the fray, dodging metal snares and rainbow lasers, while others aim to watch the chaos from afar, cheering for their favorite summoners as they battle on the rift. Junior health science major Karla Rogers wanted to create a space where all League of Legends enthusiasts could connect and enjoy the game together. In February of 2014, she and past Boise State OIT staffer Steven Lineses founded League of Legends at Boise State, a club devoted to filling
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both veins of LoL excitement. League of Legends is an online multiplayer strategy game featuring an array of champions that players summon to siege and destroy the enemy team’s base. Over 67 million people play League of Legends each month, making it massively popular amongst computer gaming fans across the globe. “It was really just something to create a community for gamers and nerds alike,” Club President Rogers said. “It’s for both the competitive gamer and the social gamer.” Having worked for campus OIT, Lineses knew a handful of students and full-time employees alike that would be interested in joining the club. So,
after posting about the group on a forum, he and Rogers had 20 prospective members register for the club. Their membership numbers continue to increase every month. “Our first event, I would say we had 35 or 40 people show up,” Lineses said. “And later, when we hosted a (League of Legends World Championship) viewing party, we had 70 people show up out of our 130 registered club members.” Both Rogers and Lineses have played League of Legends for over a year. They figured, if a game could capture their attention for so long individually, it would garner a large audience in their immediate community. “The game is the largest in
the world right now, so we knew we would get a great following with that,” Rogers said. The club hosts several events during the year, aiming to keep everything free for student members. From championship viewing parties to tournament match sessions, the members are encouraged to come and enjoy the company of like-minded League gamers. Currently, Rogers hopes to expand club membership over the coming months. Her longterm goals include the creation of a cross-university funded competition series. “It would be great to see Mountain West esports teams,” Rogers said. “It would be something legitimate and sustainable.”
League of Legends at Boise State LOLatBoiseState@ gmail.com Register at LoLatBSU.org
riot games/ COURTESY
LoL club vies for all gamers
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Sports & Rec
Bronco Volleyball ready for a year of success Rylan Kobre
Asst. Sports & Rec Editor
According to Senior Standout Sarah Baugh, Boise State women’s volleyball loves all you can eat pasta bowls from Olive Garden. They also would love to win a Mountain West Championship. If they had to trade one for the other, I think they would take the latter, especially after the high expectations they have for themselves this year. “I think the volleyball program is really on the rise,” sophomore and preseason All-Mountain West Team selection Sierra Nobley said. “I think we have a chance to be the best team in program history.” the summer months
the importance of having a senior setter
It is not every day you have a senior setter as good
as Sarah Baugh and head coach Shawn Garus knows the importance of this year. “You can’t pass up having a great senior setter who is touching the ball so much,” Garus said. The team has a tremendously balanced group of both new and veteran talent. One of those veteran talents is Baugh, who has 2,425 assists-third in Boise State history. With the great balance for the 2015 team, this season weighs heavily on everybody in the program. “This is our time, let’s be a good as we can right now.” Garus reiterated.
tive Maddie Osburn has a chance to ignite this team. “Maddi Osburn is going to be a stud. She is so fast and so exciting to watch,” Baugh said. Osburn saw time in 29 matches last season, including 21 starts at defensive specialist. This year she will take over the libero position and has her coach’s attention as well. Garus believes that her defense and serving skills can really benefit this team. Add those to her speed, and that is a pretty good combination the Broncos are excited to see play out.
the sleeper
Having to play two quality teams to open conference play is a tough task. But it is even more daunting when you are on the road for both. Mountain
She is definitely not “the sleeper” in the literal sense of the term, but everyone seems to agree sophomore libero and Nampa na-
conference foes
West Conference play will begin Sept. 24 and the Broncos will have their hands full. They will take on Wyoming in Laramie and then travel to Fort Collins to take on Colorado State. Wyoming was picked to come fourth in the conference and Colorado State was picked to come in first. Sierra Nobley attested to how important the Wyoming game is to start the season, especially after how close the matches were in 2014. “We were very evenly matched with Wyoming last year after splitting the two games and I think it will be a great matchup this year,” Nobley said. hot ticket item
Boise State students are fortunate enough to receive
free tickets to all Bronco Athletic Events and they need to take advantage of that luxury this volleyball season. This team is ready to get to new heights and have the right mindset to do it. A theme Sarah Baugh continued to touch on was how the Broncos “have a lot to prove”. Whether you have an interest in volleyball or not, this season’s Bronco team will be fun to watch and they want the fans to come out in bunches. With a determined and energetic group, they will make you realize how great volleyball is. “I want people to get the word out so they will come see us and support us,” said Nobley. “Volleyball is really fun to watch.”
Nik Bjurstrom and Devin Ferrell/ The Arbiter
The Broncos took advan-
tage of the time they had during the summer to get better as a group. A key ingredient to accomplishing that is having strong senior leaders who can help foster that growth and keep players attentive. “During the summer months we had a lot of great upperclass leaders,” Nobley said. “They kept reminding us why we were here and kept us on track to continue getting stronger.” One of those leaders was senior Sarah Baugh. She was thrilled with the way the off season went. “We worked really hard and are excited to show people how much better we have gotten,” said Baugh.
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Sports & rec Ali Roberts
Sports & Rec Editor
The school year is in full swing. Female students new to a big city such as Boise, or even just a large campus, recognize it never hurts to be too careful. In light of this, the Rec Center has organized several women’s self-defense classes that will take place over the next few months, available for sign up on the Rec’s home page. Admission is free, so there is no better time to get into a class than now. “Self-defense and prevention awareness are great skills for any college student,” said aquatics and safety coordinator
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Heidi Powell. “Living on your own and surrounded by lots of people, you should know how to avoid dangerous situations.” The class is led by Tuckie Shaver, the Boise Police Department, personal safety program coordinator, who has been teaching this class on campus for seven years. “The Boise Police Department, as you know, are the law enforcement we partner with on campus security. I work for Boise police and I’m in the crime prevention unit.” Shaver said. “I am their personal selfdefense coordinator, so I teach personal safety from the little kiddos all the way up to the elderly population. Here on
campus, there’s a huge population and a willing and able audience.” The class will teach students basic things like how to get out of wrist grabs, chokeholds and what to do if thrown to the ground. “In this particular class, it really is geared toward prevention. The key here is you’ve got to communicate to your audience that you still have to be aware of your surroundings. You still have to listen to that internal voice because those two things are helping you recognize potential danger,” Shaver said. “I don’t want you to just out of the blue have to poke somebody in the eyes. It’s
about recognizing danger and then removing yourself from it.” For female students that have already taken self-defense classes in the past, this class is still recommended as a refresher to remain safe and current in knowledge. “It is about empowering an individual and allowing them to see that they can take care of themselves and they have every right to protect their life no matter what that means, whatever it takes,” Shaver said. “The bottom line is that at the end of class, I want these girls to feel empowered. I want them to feel like they have gotten something out of it.”
Heidi Powell/ COURTESY
Women’s defense class sports student safety
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Sports & Rec
Airsoft Club supplies newcomer gear, safe fun Ali Roberts
Sports & Rec Editor
Player Relations’ 2015 poll, an airsoft player can spend an average of two thousand dollars on replicas and gear. But, this shouldn’t be a deterrent for someone who wants to play for the Boise State Airsoft Club. The club will provide all gear and replicas for beginners so anyone that is interested can try out the sport for themselves. “We encourage people who are going to try it for the first time to come and borrow our equipment because it’s a big investment, and I would hate for someone to get invested and decide that they don’t want to do it,” Johns said. “(After) they
come a couple times and decide that this is what they want to do, we have community partnerships with a retailer who can hook them up with a little bit of a student discount and help them get good equipment.” Johns also warned against the purchase of cheaper equipment for the possible higher price tag that may come with faulty equipment. “Just with any sports equipment there’s good equipment and bad equipment. You can buy a cheap baseball glove, but it’s going to fall apart and you can buy a cheap airsoft gun but it will break,” Johns said. “So we re-
ally want people to come try it a couple times first. If they decide that they want to do it, we will get them hooked up with inexpensive but reliable equipment.” For those that might be fearful of injury while being in such an environment, there’s no need to worry. Within the same poll taken by TCASPR, players reported overwhelmingly that the most common injuries sustained while playing were minor cuts and dehydration. This, however, did not include the welts that can occur by being struck from in-game BB strikes. Majority of injuries within
this sport are preventable with being aware of ones surroundings, and being actively prepared. For the Boise State Airsoft Club, play and practices are fairly laid back and mellow compared to other groups in the area. “It can be intimidating at first but we are super relaxed and really about having fun, we play a variety of skill level games and variety of intensity games” Johns said. “If you have any interest in history or any interest in joining the military some day, or if you’re just looking for an inventive way to get off the couch, we are a good option.”
DAve Johns/ COURTESY
Students seeking more thrills than just the daily routine of classes, check out the Boise State Airsoft club where combat brings people together. The Boise State Airsoft Club offers students the chance full combat simulations without the danger featuring fully functioning replicas of real life weaponry, battle and mission type scenarios that would make any “Call of Duty” fan’s heart flutter. “The guns that we use are like a one for one copy of the real world weapon. There’s
this aspect of it that people can get in and work with something that’s the same size, has the same weight, and feel as a real weapon.” said club member Dane Johns. “Without any of the danger. The idea behind airsoft is getting more realistic, some people like it because it simulates warzone scenarios, or policing scenarios.” For anyone unfamiliar with the sport, airsoft is sightly related to paintball in that it requires a modified type of gun, protective gear, and several styles of game play. According to The Center for Airsoft Statistics and
Safely Practice Combat
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Sports & rec
Boise State/ Courtesy
Kobre’s Korner: Coach Pete changes Boise forever
Rylan Kobre
Asst. Sports & Rec Editor
I made a list of significant people to the City of Boise and I had one man far and above the rest. He’s not a government official or an entrepreneur. His contributions to this university could lead to a stutue of himself in front of the athletic complexes some day. This man will return to Bronco Nation in colors no one has seen him wear around this town. On Friday, University of Washington Head Coach Chris Petersen will make his comeback to the blue turf, a place he made so prominent during his tenure. For the first time ever, he will be the opposing coach in Albertson’s Stadium. It has been nearly 10 years since he was hired as head coach at Boise State. In those 10 years, he held a record of 92-12, won five conference trophies and two fiesta bowl champi-
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onships. He also had the broncos in the top 25 in six of his eight seasons. In two of those, he had his teams competing for a shot at a national championship. Had he waited a few more years before leaving, he might have had that opportunity in the new College Football Playoff era. Putting football aside, the argument can be made that everything Boise State has become as a university, is due to Coach Pete. I vividly remember the 2006 Fiesta Bowl as an 11-year-old. I remember watching the broncos pull trick after trick out of Petersen’s magic bag to beat Oklahoma, in what is widely considered the greatest college football game of all time. That game changed Boise State university forever. Directly after that 2006 win, Boise State saw an increase in student applications by 9.1 percent and an increase in 2007 Fall enroll-
ment by 4 percent. Between the 2006 and 2014 school years, Boise State has seen the amount of degrees awarded increase by 52 percent and enrollment overall has increased by 18 percent. Students have many different motives to attend a university, but football has put this one on the map. During President Obama’s address to Idaho on campus last year, he attested to how Coach Pete changed this school. Obama referred to Boise State as “The home of the team with the most famous statue of liberty play in history,” and was welcomed by cheers. Boise State admissions can thank coach Pete for making that play-call. When the opposing team runs out of the locker room this Friday, tip your cap, clap your hands and, most of all, remember what one man did for an entire community, university, city and state.
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bucking around
Crossword
Comic Strips
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DOWN 1 Czech composer is a high flier at university (7) 2 Bound to upset militant, having dismissed worker (5) 4 Football side gets the axe, I see in report (6) 5 Rent out English vessel in port (8) 6 Republican element largely opposed to authority ousted two leaders (14) 7 Lucille ate without a worry, becoming fat (9) 8 Tree maintenance (7) 9 Where one learns to do the ironing? (7,7)
ACROSS 1 Rob a philosopher (4) 3 One crosses river to find some land (4) 6 Fool locks copper in cell (5) 10 Test ground after some radiation displacement (7) 11 Nominal union leader is involved in tense criminal trial (7) 12 Concentrated, finding Einstein very complex? (9) 13 Jelly, say, mostly produced with one kitchen device (5) 14 Modelled in nude, representing waterspirit (6) 16 Duke has daughter that’s outgoing – it’s
15 Once, millions read new version of Boccac(9) 17 Nonconformist church building a healing pool in Jerusalem (8) 18 Depending on artisan to turn up about one (7) 20 European alliance with West America has Homeric character (7) 21 Edible clam from Ohio raised in boggy area (6) 24 Poem telling of journey to Uruguay (5) cio’s tales
a disadvantage
(8)
18 Bike featured in red was green (8) 19 Decorated band of woollen cloth (6) 22 Serpent-witch depicted in plate (no name given) (5) 23 Swift horse’s whinny heard by maiden (9) 25 Checks decisions involving head of state (7) 26 Unfriendly landlord’s lazy without a hint of doubt (7) 27 Garments about to leave African city (5) 28 Ship from past? That’s about right (4) 29 Smack is a fishing boat (4)
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