The Arbiter 3.13.18 Vol. 30 Issue 25

Vol. 30 Issue 25

March 13, 2018

IN D EPEN D E NT

NEWS

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The national gun debate in Idaho

ST U D E NT

V O I CE

O F

B O I SE

STAT E

CULTURE

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“Sweeney Todd” makes its way to campus

S I N C E

1 9 3 3

SPORTS & REC

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BSU team wins third straight National Title

EVENTS egyptian theater

TUE MARCH 13 7:30 pm

“AND BEYOND”

A combination of multiple Boise State departments, the Narrative Television Initiative presents three episodes of their “And Beyond” series. The production includes several faces that may be familiar to Boise State students. The event

student union building

WED MARCH 14 10:30 pm

CIVILITY SYMPOSIUM

Boise State hosts a collection of panels and special events on the subject of civility, and how we continue to communicate in public spaces in the face of political polarization. The event is free and open to the public.

hemmingway center gallery

FRI MARCH 16 7 pm

A READING WITH KERRI WEBSTER

Boise State English professor Kerri Webster reads from her newest collection of poetry titled “The Trailhead.” Webster has a long history of published works and sharing the Boise community. The event is free and open to the public.

lookout room

SAT MARCH 17 10 am

SUPERHERO PARTY

The gender equity center hosts a friendly, fun party for all ages. Sporting a superhero theme, attendees can snack, play and get creative with other students or loved ones. Complimentary parking is available at the Brady Street Garage.

WHAT YOU MISSED ONLINE PHOTO OF THE WEEK FOOTBALL Boise State released the official 2018 football schedule and has signed its new recruits. To see the full 2018 schedule, as well as the newest recruits on the team, visit our website.

CULTURE

News Reporter Ximena Bustillo news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Sports Editor Daniel Gardner sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Culture Reporter Logan Potter culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Sports Reporter Peter Huguenin sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu Digital Content Manager Axel Quartarone digitalcontent@stumedia.boisestate.edu Copy Editors Evan Fishburn Sophia Uhlenhoff Design Manager Selina Ceballos

Pg 10-11

Factuly, staff and campus groups are advocating for the campus-wide use of Open Educational Resources (OER). OER provides free access to jounals, videos, images and textbooks that substitute for materials students would otherwise need to purchase.

@arbiteronline

News Editor Jordan Erb news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

OPINION

VISIT US ON SOCIAL MEDIA @arbiteronline

Opinion Editor Jacob Palmer opinion@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Culture Editor Shannon Brennan culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Boise State’s women’s basketball team are Mountain West Tournament champions for the second year in a row. Photo courtesy of the Mountain West Conference’s Facebook page.

@boisestatearbiter

Online Editor Taylor Munson onlineeditor@stumedia.boisestate.edu

“Why Don’t We” brought the party to Boise this Saturday at the Knitting Factory with “The Invitation Tour” for the very first time. Read our review of the concert online.

Allowing Republican legislators control over Idaho’s redistricting would be a disaster. Read more online about this opinion on efforts to change the redistricting commission in Idaho.

ON THE COVER

Editor-In-Chief Brandon Rasmussen editor@stumedia.boisestate.edu

@arbiterbsu

arbiteronline.com

Graphic Designers Nabil Rahman Olivia Tocher Sierra Nobley Contact us 1910 University Dr., Mail Stop 1340 Phone: (208) 426-6300 Website: www.arbiteronline.com Distributed Tuesdays during the academic school year.

The Arbiter is the official independent student newspaper of Boise State University, 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.

NEWS

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

The Literature for Lunch series brings people together for monthly meetings and discussions MaryAnn Fernandez | Staff Writer | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

The Literature for Lunch series chooses a different theme for each semester. This semester’s theme is World War I and the following years. Graphic by Sierra Nobley.

Considered one of the longest running book clubs in Boise, the Literature for Lunch series brings literature enthusiasts together monthly, with a different theme each semester. This month’s theme spotlights the aftermath of World War I and the diverse outlooks on the postwar period.

Cheryl Hindrichs, associate professor in the English Department, joined as co-chair of the book discussion group 11 years ago and is now the main facilitator.

Hindrichs explained she brought up the idea of having a correlated theme within each semester, and said it’s been beneficial to each discussion.

“Reading four books on a topic means the conversation can make connections with the other works, notice important differences and provide a sense of coherence,” Hindrichs wrote in an email.

According to Hindrichs, the sessions’ themes will now–and in the future–be

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more connected to the theme of the year’s programming for the Hemingway Literary Center (HLC). The HLC coordinates scholarly guest speakers, discussions and community groups.

Hindrichs explained the Literature for Lunch series illuminates what it truly means to be a lifelong learner and to be curious about the differing perspectives in the world.

“I believe that students generally have that kind of fire; they are seeking knowledge in a culture which privileges the market and doesn’t readily connect the production of knowledge,” Hindrichs wrote.

Furthermore, Hindrichs also said reading gives readers a sense of connection, engagement and fascination to discuss it with others.

“The words on the page go on echoing in our minds, kicking up questions and

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ideas, and we are compelled to share them and to ask them of others. You could simply go online, read some reviews, perhaps join a Facebook group,” Hindrichs wrote.

“However, the face-to-face experience is part of what we actually crave.”

MaryAnn Newcomer is one of the members of the Literature for Lunch. Newcomer first started attending the sessions in 1990 with a friend who discovered the group a block away from their office.

“We were crazy about the group from the very beginning and are still in love with it 28 years later. I loved the reading list laid out for four months at a time,” Newcomer wrote in an email. “The program was led by two well-respected university professors. The mix of attendees was intriguing, the conversation lively.”

Newcomer added that the folks who participate have an eagerness for well-written literature and a respect for differing

viewpoints within each discussion.

“Literature for Lunch enables anyone to participate. It is like a short semester, or an easy to attend and accessible college class, without the commitment of time or class fees. You simply show up during the lunch hour eight times a year,” Newcomer wrote.

“I have often attended, even when I have not had a chance to read the book, because the discussion is always so rich. It has never been driven or constrained by any sense of social status. All the participants have an equal voice.”

Each book discussion is held at the Boise Public Library from 12:10 p.m. until 1 p.m. with the upcoming sessions on March 16, on Joseph Boyden’s “Three Day Road,” and April 20, on Kate Moore’s “The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women.”

NEWS

SHIFTING CURRENTS

Developments are in store for the Boise River’s infrastructure Patrick Kaufmann | Staff Writer | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Running past the north end of campus is a ribbon of perfect blue that starts at the Lucky Peak dam and splits into a series of braided streams before spilling into the Snake River. Originally named for a Pacific Fur Company man named John Reed, the Boise River is the place to go for picturesque walking paths, lazy afternoon tubing adventures and rainbow trout fishing.

As discussions on improving national infrastructure continue at all levels of government, prioritizing needs between transportation, utilities and water allocation and waste management will be a difficult task.

“It’s hard to overstate how important the Boise River is for residential, agriculture and industry uses. At $2 billion, our water renewable system is the single greatest asset for the city.

Colin Hickman, communications manager for Department of Public Works

A vital part of these discussions within the local community is the protection of water sources like the Boise River and how to best develop its allocation, treatment and replenishment along the 102 miles between Lucky Peak and the Snake River.

Research done at Boise State is helping to inform the community on several of these issues.

“As Idaho develops, we will need to grow smarter and take into consideration the

processing of our wastewater and keeping our drinking water safe from pollutants introduced by storm water,” said Monica Hubbard, assistant professor of public policy and administration.

At Boise State’s College of Innovation and Design, a team led by professors Shawn Benner and Jen Schneider has developed the Treasure Valley Water Atlas (TVWA), an online compendium of knowledge on the Boise River. Among the narratives presented is an overview of local water sources like the Boise River, regulatory guidance for its use and treatment and a look at future challenges for one of Boise’s greatest resources.

Those challenges extend beyond Boise State and impact several different aspects of life here in the Treasure Valley, from urban development in downtown Boise to swelling municipalities in Meridian and to farms as far out as Kuna or Middleton.

For leaders at the City of Boise’s Department of Public Works (DPW), the Boise River is a resource of incalculable value for the city, as it grows in size and population.

That growth drives an evolving infrastructure requiring a robust management program, which is what the Department’s leadership strives to provide.

Haley Falconer, the DPW’s Environmental Division Manager, is determined that any plans to improve or develop sustainability of the Boise River will incorporate Boise values.

“We truly want to reflect the community,” Falconer said. “Thoughtful innovation is a key part of future development.”

Part of the DPW’s mandate is to ensure the treatment of water as it is pumped to communities throughout and adjacent to Boise, cycled through residential and commercial piping systems and then guided toward one of the four main water treatment facilities in the valley.

Over 10 billion gallons of wastewater are treated every year, with a projected increase to 12 billion by 2040. Improvements to

The Boise River is integral for the local community, and there are plans underway for its development. Photo by Axel Quartone.

the current system will remain in the planning phase through 2019 to prepare for demand increase, according to Falconer.

“It’s hard to overstate how important the Boise River is for residential, agriculture and industry uses,” said Colin Hickman, communications manager for the DPW. “At $2 billion, our water renewable system is the single greatest asset for the city.”

Future developments to Boise’s water distribution and wastewater treatment systems will address more efficient diversion of water for irrigation while reducing seepage and runoff. This can be difficult to manage, as some seepage is necessary to replenish local aquifers. Reducing seepage too far could affect groundwater pumping systems that supply both the city and farming communities.

Some contention already exists between the farmers who require water for the crops that support local agriculture and a

suburban sprawl that is inching across the valley. The demand for municipal water is growing along with Boise’s population, drawing more and more from the resources available for farmers to irrigate their crops.

Another consideration for infrastructure improvement will be a review of dams here in Idaho. According to the Idaho Department of Water Resources, there are over 600 dams in the Gem State.

Many of these dams were built at or around the turn of the 20th century, and as they advance in age, they will continue to become less efficient at maintaining water quality. It is estimated that over 70 percent of the nation’s dams will become unusable within the next decade.

“We are in a good position. We know our areas of improvement,” Hickman said .

“Infrastructure benefits from being proactive and diligent. It’s now on us to plan for the future.”

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NEWS

IDAHO CONTRADICTS NATIONAL GUN DEBATES Lawmakers seek to promote gun safety, but not restrict access

Agustin Martinez | Staff Writer | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

The aftermath of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting on Feb. 14, which killed 15 students, has influenced gun regulation laws nationwide, including in Idaho. Although it may seem a farce, state governments now face an obligation to at least touch on the subject of gun safety.

A 2015 study by peer-reviewed journal Injury Prevention estimated that 56.9 percent of Idahoans own at least one gun.

A CBS News report ranked Idaho as third out of all 50 states for gun ownership rates, with first place going to Alaska.

Republican Representative Ron Nate introduced a bill that would allow schools– primarily elementary schools–to teach gun safety. The bill serves as a go-ahead for schools that wish to instruct children on the hazards and proper protocol involved with coming in contact with a firearm.

“If we can teach kids what to do when they come into contact with a gun, we can reduce accidental gun deaths. Stop, leave the area and tell an adult. It’s really the primary grades when it matters most,” Nate said.

“A 50-year-old can buy and do just as much damage as an 18-year-old. I really don’t see the difference.”

C.L. “Butch” Otter, Governor of Idaho

In a press conference on Feb. 20, when asked what sort of regulations should be implemented to stop mass shootings, Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter said he believes that legislators have done all they can.

“We have laws that restrict availability.

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If you assault your wife, you can’t go out and buy a rifle,” Otter said. When asked if legislation should be passed to raise the gun-buying limit, he responded, “a 50-year-old can buy and do just as much damage as an 18-year-old. I really don’t see the difference.”

While it may be true that federal policy restricts the ownership of guns by domestic abusers, the decision to enforce these gun bans are implemented at the state level, and Idaho currently does not differentiate between a domestic abuser and any other gun-owning citizen.

A bill prohibiting domestic abusers from owning guns failed to pass the Idaho house on March 6, with a vote of 39-31. The bill, which mirrors federal policy already in place, would make it a misdemeanor for convicted perpetrators to own firearms up to two years after their conviction.

However, they wouldn’t be required to actually turn in the weapons they had owned previous to their conviction.

At the time of the Stoneman Douglas shooting, gun-control group Everytown for Gun Safety stated there had been 18 gun-related incidents on school grounds since the start of the year. That citation quickly spread on social media as well as news publications.

However, their criteria for a school shooting focuses on “any time a firearm discharges a live round inside a school building or on a school campus or grounds,” a definition that even included an incident after hours at a school that had been closed for several months.

“Only seven were intentional shootings that occurred during normal school hours,” according to a Snopes.com article published in February.

Discussions surrounding school safety are occurring throughout the sphere of higher education, as well. Last month, the National Council for Home Safety and Security published a study that sought to identify and rank some of the safest

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Governor Otter (above) believes Idaho legislators have done all they can to protect local schools. Photo courtesy of Flickr.

colleges in the United States. The study uses data collected from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting and Campus Safety Security, as well as crimes reported by the schools and the proximity of crimes committed in cities in relation to campuses.

Brigham Young University-Idaho ranked first as the safest college in the nation, while University of Idaho ranked 15th.

Boise State University came in at 43rd.

Boise State’s policy on weapons on campus prohibits the carrying and use of firearms, with an exception put on holders of special concealed carry licenses and retired law enforcement.

The University also offers special active shooter information that instructs students on what to do in case of an active shooter

situation. The Boise State website has videos reenacting school shooting situations and the proper protocol, as well as online certifications on school safety.

“We have videos on the Campus Security section of the Boise State website,” said security operations manager JoAnn Gilpin.

“Some of them don’t show the Run, Hide, Fight technique, but students can schedule a training course with Rob Litrell.”

Rob Litrell is the emergency planning manager for Boise State and teaches the “Active Assailant” course at the request of students and faculty. Any teacher or student is able to schedule a demonstration by contacting the campus security department.

NEWS

TRUMP’S SCHOOL SAFETY PLAN BACKS OFF THE AGE FOR GUNS The President is now putting more energy and effort into the arming of teachers Brian Bennett | Piece courtesy of Tribune Washington Bureau

With the national gun debate continually underway, Donald Trump has pushed for the arming of teachers. Photo courtesy of Olivier Douliery/Abaca Press/TNS.

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump is pushing forward with a plan to arm more teachers and improve background checks, but has retreated from his promise to raise the age limit on gun purchases, a move many see as caving to the National Rifle Association.

Trump wrote Monday on Twitter that there is “not much political support (to put it mildly)” for raising the age limit

from 18 to 21 to purchase powerful rifles like the one used to kill 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., last month.

During a meeting with six students and families from the Florida high school in the White House last month, Trump pledged to be “strong” on increasing the age limit. A recent CNN poll found strong support for the idea, including among

Republicans.

But Trump backed off that stance in recent weeks, following lobbying at the White House by officials from the NRA. Rather than push for a sweeping federal law, Trump wants state and local officials to set the age limits. “States are making this decision,” Trump wrote Monday, making an apparent reference to Republican Gov. Rick Scott’s decision to sign a state law requiring gun buyers be 21 and imposing a three-day waiting period on most gun purchases.

The Florida bill also allows school staff to carry firearms, an idea Trump has championed but that is opposed by the National Education Association, the largest teachers lobby in the country, and other groups.

“Highly trained expert teachers will be allowed to conceal carry, subject to State Law,” Trump wrote Monday.

The Trump administration wants to help states provide teachers with “rigorous” firearms training, a White House official said Sunday night during a call with reporters describing the administration’s efforts to prevent school shootings. But it was unclear if that meant offering new federal funding.

“The point is that schools should have this tool if they choose to use the tool,” Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said on NBC’s “Today” show. “Communities should have the tools, states should have the tool, but nobody should be mandated to do it.”

DeVos will lead a Federal Commission on School Safety to study ways to prevent school shootings and make specific recommendations, the White House announced Sunday.

When asked if her commission would also look at raising the age limit on guns, DeVos said the group would look at it, but was noncommittal about what may emerge.

In addition to setting up DeVos’ commission, the White House is backing

a bill designed to improve the federal background check system currently used for gun store purchases, and supports a separate piece of legislation to authorize grants for violence prevention training in schools.

The Department of Justice is pushing through new regulations to ban the sale of “bump stocks” that make rifles fire like automatic weapons, a product used by a gunman to kill 59 people from a window of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas last October.

Trump’s backsliding on guns echoed his seesawing on the immigration debate.

Last fall, Trump told lawmakers he’d “take the heat” on an immigration proposal that protected “Dreamers” from deportation.

But he refused to support a bipartisan compromise that paired border security spending with a legalization program for people brought to the country illegally as children.

It’s also a sign that Trump, even though he has chastised others for being afraid of the NRA, isn’t willing to push too hard against the politically powerful gun owners lobby.

At the White House last month, Trump needled Republican Sen. Patrick J. Toomey of Pennsylvania and Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia for being “afraid of the NRA” and not increasing the gun purchase age limit in their bipartisan bill to strengthen background checks on gun sales.

Trump called the NRA “great patriots” in the Feb. 28 meeting, but went on to say: “that doesn’t mean we have to agree on everything. It doesn’t make sense that I have to wait until I’m 21 to get a handgun, but I can get this weapon at 18.”

The White House offered no explanation for the president’s reversal.

“President Trump has completely caved to the gun lobby,” said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.

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OPINION

A BIPARTISAN COMITTMENT TO GUN SAFETY

A liberal and a conservative lay out suggestions for a safer country Logan Potter and Jacob Palmer | Co-Written Opinion | opinion@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Despite the heated rhetoric you hear from gun control advocates and opponents, there are a number of policies conservatives and liberals can agree on to make us safer. Graphic by Sierra Nobley.

In the aftermath of the recent school shooting in Parkland FL, the debate over gun control has heated to intense levels. If one listened to the more sensational parts of our media, one could conclude this debate can never be solved, as both sides are too stubborn to come up with any real solutions.

Members of all political parties and backgrounds would like many to believe the only way the issue of gun control can be resolved would be the complete eradication of all dissenting opinions. But what conservatives and liberals must realize

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is everyone, whether left or right, has valid and often complex reasons for their beliefs.

Liberal and conservative beliefs Logan: Falling to the left politically, I recognize the value of human life, oftentimes more than individual rights like the Second Amendment. That said, the belief of equality is also held. Gun legislation needs to be regulated more to save the lives of our children, especially knowing that the Parkland incident could have been prevented had the shooter not been able to legally obtain the gun that he did.

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Gun control is an issue that both sides of the political spectrum ought to be able to come together on to prioritize the safety of not only our children, but also people of color and women forced to fight for their lives, all of which are affected by gun violence. This takes more than a discussion—this takes action. Without it, not a single life will be saved.

Jacob: Conservatives, like many other Americans, are horrified by the evil attacks of mass shooters and want to do everything they can to protect the most vulnerable from harm. With that in mind,

conservatives also want potential gun legislation to balance public safety needs with citizens’ right to defend themselves.

Like liberals, conservatives see inequalities in the world, and a firearm is seen as an equalizer which ensures everyone, no matter their body or size, self defense.

While Logan and I have different worldviews, solutions can be put forward that are agreeable to both of us. While we can’t get everything we want, we agree that pointing out policies that can be agreed on and enacted right now is the least we can do.

OPINION Reform for buying guns L: The idea of universal background checks is simple and self-explanatory—there will no longer be a private sale loophole in the legislation requiring these checks for purchasing a firearm. Every gun purchase will require a background check through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System or NCIS, rather than allowing private sellers to conduct their own background checks or skip the practice altogether.

While this may seem like a simple change, universal background checks can catch red flags like previous mental health diagnoses and violent crime, decreasing the chances that a gun ends up in the wrong hands.

J: Likewise, raising the buying age of a gun to 21 is another way to ensure guns are used by responsible citizens. Responsibilities have long been limited by age.

According to the BBC, brain development is now believed by some to be incomplete until the 20s. It’s odd the government bans alcohol and gambling to age 21, arguing anyone younger isn’t mature enough to handle that responsibility, yet makes exceptions for firearms, smoking and lottery tickets, arguing those responsibilities, despite being just as risky, are fine for lower ages. Either our citizens are mature enough to handle these responsibilities or they aren’t.

What guns can be used What both sides can agree with in this regard is banning bump stocks, which increases the firing rate of certain guns to near machine-gun-like levels at an expense to accuracy. Automatic firearms have been banned since 1986, and any kind of apparatus that make a gun replicate the performance of an automatic should be banned.

Semi-automatic weapons, like the AR-15, were designed to reload quickly, and bump stocks bring them to a level nearly identical to a fully automatic weapon. This is a

rather bipartisan issue—President Donald Trump himself declared this ban one for consideration in plans for gun control.

The next proposal is probably the most contentious solution, one that one writer supports and the other, while not completely opposed, has reservations about.

Ban assault weapons?

L: To begin, I want to be perfectly clear in stating that there are few existing reasons a United States civilian would need to own an assault weapon. While the Federal Assault Weapons Ban supposedly did the job, it has since expired, and in 2018, representatives are still proposing bills to get rid of weapons like AR-15s. That said, these weapons aren’t the only problem—while they are made specifically for combat situations, handguns can be just as effective in causing harm and death. In fact, handguns are the most-used weapon for firearm deaths in the United States by a landslide, making rifles feel like a minuscule problem in the status quo. The reason that both need to remain at the forefront of the gun control debate lies in their respective uses; handguns cause more deaths as a whole, but rifles are used more in mass shootings, killing more individuals at once.

All in all, a ban and/or strong restrictions have the potential to seriously reverse the amount of harm in the status quo, and I look forward to the outcome.

J: There’s no denying the majority of Americans want a ban on assault-style weapons, with 68 percent of registered voters in favor of such a ban according to Politico. It’s a type of ban that has already been put in place from 1994-2004 under the Federal Assault Weapons Ban. But, according to ABC News, it’s unclear whether the ban would prevent shootings like the one in Newtown CT, because the shooter also had both a Glock handgun and a Sig Sauer handgun in addition to his AR-15.

With handguns being the most prevalent guns used in homicides according to the

Teacher Jeffrey Foster stands at makeshift memorial in front of Marjery Stoneman Douglas High School on March 8, 2018 in Parkland, Fla. (Jose A. Iglesias/el Nuevo Herald/TNS)

National Institute of Justice, conservatives fear bans on those could follow afterwards, which would be met with massive resistance from law-abiding Americans who use them for saftey. Removing American’s handgun rights would be a extremely unpopular with 71 percent of the nation opposing such a ban according to Gallup.

For an assault weapons ban to be palatable to conservatives, there would have to be a clear description of what an assault weapon is, and the proposal would have to ensure no bans on weapons such as handguns would be implemented afterwards.

Preventing shootings L: Prioritizing mental health rehabilitation and awareness is key to solving gun violence. Don’t arm teachers with guns, arm them with the resources they need to effectively teach and mentor students with mental illnesses in their classrooms.

J: School security needs to be increased.

Either by increasing the amount of professionally trained security that can respond immediately to threats or by changing the way schools are designed. One solution comes in the form of bulletproof shelters which are being installed in some Oklahoma schools according to ABC news. These

shelters not only protect against shooters but can also protect against natural disasters like tornadoes, according to the school’s superintendent. Solutions like these are ways to make everyone safer.

A nation diverse in ideas Both of us were unable to make each other agree on every proposal we had.

Logan would have been in favor of more oversight for how handguns can be used, while Jacob found that policy too intrusive on personal privacy. Jacob would have been in favor of letting a select amount of teachers who have gone through strict training to be able to possess firearms in classrooms, while Logan found that proposal far too subjective, as well as intrusive for those instructors who are uncomfortable being expected to have a firearm in their educational environment.

Like our worldviews, the opinion of the whole country is diverse. The majority of Americans support banning assault-style weapons, while they also strongly support handgun rights. This issue is complicated and not the either/or picture many in the media would like us to believe. The sooner we realize that, the sooner we can vow to keep the United States safe.

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F E AT U R E

CAMPUS INITIATIVES UNFOLD TO MAKE COURSE MATERIALS AFFORDABLE

Open educational resources would allow faculty and staff to offer students a cheaper option for course materials Ximena Bustillo | News Reporter | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Sophomore interdisciplinary major Joel Wiesel is careful to budget his allotted financial aid between not only the cost of class tuition, but also additional course materials. Like many students, Wiesel explained that he is often unaware of what the final cost of his education will be.

“I am a low-income student and having a book cost $150 is too much,” Weisel said. “My sister is another excample. She could not afford to fully pay for a course, and I had to help her out of my financial aid to buy the book or she would have had to drop it.”

Wiesel and his sister are not the only students with this problem and faculty are beginning to recognize it.

Multiple groups including Associated Students of Boise State University (ASBSU), the library, the bookstore and the Instructional Design in Educational Assessment (IDEA) Shop are working to expand the use of Open Educational Resources (OER) to make classes more affordable and accessible for students.

What is OER? According to Bob Casper, instructional design specialist at the IDEA Shop, “open” means that the copyright is freely available.

“The authors decided that instead of holding the copyright, they are going

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to release it if you give them credit, and sometimes, even if you don’t,” Casper said.

“It is information that authors decided to freely share. It can be textbooks, webpages, videos and images.”

“Faculty want the most updated information in thier field-which is understandable-but they won’t know what the price on that is.”

Leslie Madsen-Brooks, Director of the IDEA Shop and associate professor

The high price of a textbook is an academic detriment to students, according to Casper, particularly when a 100-level course’s text is $400.

Casper cites an anatomy and physiology textbook as an example. The previous edition of the textbook has the same information and is available for free online.

“Any new information could be covered by journal articles. Why are we not using this instead?” Casper said. “Departments such as anatomy and physiology, engineering and University Foundations recognize

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this issue and are working with us to make the change.”

OER at Boise State Casper explained Boise State has “academic autonomy,” which allows faculty and staff to pick their texts and course resources. He estimates that as much as several hundred faculty are using OER and don’t know it.

“I am working with 60-80 faculty who are trying to put together courses to actively increase the amount of OER available because they see the benefit to students financially and how that transfers into their performance,” Casper said.

According to Casper, several faculty members have gotten rid of textbooks, and at least two faculty are in the process of writing their own book, instead of going through a publisher.

Leslie Madsen-Brooks, director of the IDEA Shop and associate professor of history, explained part of the problem comes from the faculty and department chairs not knowing the cost of their texts.

“When professors put in the information to the Bookstore to order books, the sheet does not ask for the price but does ask if faculty want the newest edition,” Madsen-Brooks said. “Faculty want the most updated information in their field, which is understandable, but they won’t know what the price on that is.”

Madsen-Brooks used a history textbook as an example. By now, primary sources within this book are in the public domain because anything published before 1923 is public domain.

“A speech in this textbook by the pres-

ident of the confederacy can be found in public domain or Creative Commons,” Madsen-Brooks said. “My students don’t have to buy a book to read it.”

Art professor Muffet Jones has created an OER text for use in her Art 100 class.

“I have seen the hardship expensive texts cause many of my students,” Jones said.

“The information I need for Art 100 is available through Creative Commons and other resources.”

According to Jones, it is worth the transition to OER. “I know I can offer an equivalent experience. Anything I can do to accommodate those students for whom college is already a hardship financially, I will do,” Jones said.

Students have performed equally well with OER texts as with the $150 textbooks, according to Jones.

“I have heard from a number of students who appreciate not having to pay for a textbook and hope the University adopts the practice of OER in other classes,” Jones said.

Weisel is one of the students in Jones’ Art 100 class.

“You can see the difference in the class itself when the professors say they are doing this because they understand,” Weisel said.

For Jones’ class, Wiesel said the OER textbook in Art 100 has been useful.

“She has been able to make the class relevant and useful to the material,” Wiesel

F E AT U R E said. “For example, in my sociology class the book was almost not aligned with the class. I never read it, got a 98 percent in the class and I wasn’t the only one.”

Jones expects to make the Art 100 OER text available for use in all sections of Art 100 at Boise State in Fall of 2018.

According to Jonathan Lashley, senior instructional technologist helping to implement OER, Boise State is also currently working to be a part of the Open Textbook Network, a professional affiliation of OER. “We would join 600 other campuses in the United States, England and Australia that are all sharing resources,” Lashley said.

Next steps for OER Lashley explained what was previously missing was an understanding of the infrastructure to applying OER as an institution.

“OER is not that different from what we already do,” Lashley said. “It’s just a paradigm shift that allows faculty to take a textbook or content, mold that around their course and take control over their content while allowing students to have access to these materials forever.”

Casper said that as incentive, the IDEA Shop is offering faculty a stipend of up to $2,000 for those who participate in implementing and researching OER. Both Casper and Madsen-Brooks agree it is imperative for students to realize the

stakes they hold in this transition as well.

“If we can get students to ask the question of why their courses are not offering this, teachers will have to have an answer,” Casper said. “Students need to be emboldened to ask for it.”

“We would like to keep buss access to that area.

But that is something we will probably still need to.”

Muffet Jones, Art 100 professor Madsen-Brooks agreed, saying it’s necessary for students to speak frankly with their faculty, staff and department chairs.

“I have students email me and apologize because they live in Kuna and can’t afford gas to get to campus. Well, if I hadn’t asked that student to buy a $150 textbook, that could have an impact,” Madsen-Brooks said. “If they are having issues getting gas, they may also be facing trouble feeding their families as well, which needs to be kept in mind, especially with non-traditional students.”

Madsen-Brooks’ goal is that by 2023, at

least 60 percent of lower-division courses at Boise State will have texts that cost less than $50.

“I think it would be helpful for courses and professors to say the cost of the class itself, before it is placed in the registration shopping cart,” Weisel said. “A lot of campuses don’t care about low-income students. They say ‘we want you,’ but once you are here, they don’t care. There is an income privilege on campus no one wants to talk about.”

Casper explained they are currently working with the bookstore and registrar’s office to help inform students of their expenses.

“The goal is to have the class description in Peoplesoft include a symbol: equal to 0 (no textbook cost), less than 50 or less than 100,” Casper said.

Brooks explained she would love to see the bookstore and ASBSU partner to publish the list of most expensive textbooks, not to shame faculty, but to inform students.

“I encourage faculty to talk to us. We can help them find the OER, and I wish that they would get in touch with us,” Brooks said.

Lashley explained right now all groups involved are trying to build awareness with faculty and students.

“I think that students have supreme authority on instigating change and in having them recognize a stake in this issue,” Lashley said. “And when faculty come to us looking for solutions, we will have them.”

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C U LT U R E

THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE

Fortnite: the videogame taking the industry by storm Kyle McCroskey | Staff Writer | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Boise State students discuss the mechanics and draw of the new game Fortnite. Photo provided by Flickr.

Popular trends within the video game industry come and go, yet there is no true way of knowing what the next big game will be. In the past few years, video game franchises such as Call of Duty, Overwatch and FIFA18 have all had their moment in the spotlight. However, there’s a new game in town: Fortnite. This new game is taking the industry by storm and surprising gamers along the way.

“I personally thought it was kind of a stupid game at first. Then I finally got convinced to play it, and it was just so addicting that I pretty much played it all Christmas break,” said junior entrepreneurship management major Ryan Pemberton.

On July 25, 2017, Fortnite was dropped onto gaming platforms for public consumption. Fortnite is a free-for-all survival game developed by Epic Games. Fortnite, like most games released today, has an online player versus player match feature. The

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multiplayer mode within Fortnite is called Battle Royale. It is a massive free-for-all fight to the end. In this game mode, 100 individual players start with no materials or weapons other than a pickaxe.

“When it’s me versus just one other guy at the end of the match, it’s just one on one, and whoever is the last one standing takes the W.” Cale Brendlan, senior marketing major “Everyone kind of starts off pretty even with no weapons, so it makes the playing

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field equal, then finding stuff is completely luck,” said junior health sciences major JC Juker.

These players are then placed into a bus that travels across a giant island-style map dropping them off over any location they wish. Once out of the bus, players must skydive onto the map with the purpose of finding and gathering as many weapons, ammo and material as possible. The goal that players of Battle Royale are tasked with is to simply be the last person standing, which can be achieved through the use of various weapons, as well as the creation of forts and barricades.

“When it’s me versus just one other guy at the end of the match, it’s just one on one, and whoever is the last one standing takes the W,” said senior marketing major Cale Brendlan.

As the game progresses, the boundaries of the map begin to close in on a specific point. Brendlan discussed the intensity and

stakes involved in a battle of this caliber.

“It’s a lot different than any game I’ve ever played. It’s like the battle royale type game I was never really into, but it’s just a really cool concept of having a hundred players all trying to win,” Pemberton said.

Fortnite: Battle Royale is not the first game to incorporate a free-for-all style of multiplayer gaming at this level. One definite reason for this sudden influx in popularity is the fact that the game is free.

Fortnite: Battle Royal is a free to play online game that has achieved staggering popularity in a incredibly short amount of time. According to pcgamesn.com, as of this February, “the game reached a new peak of 3.4 million concurrent players.”

The elimination style of the game may be one reason for its popularity, as it makes the gameplay and the matches themselves a bit intense.

“It’s honestly probably the only video game that I’ve played that gets my heart pumping,” Brendlan said.

Fortnite has also been a hot topic of hundreds of social media posts, as the new game captures each player’s attention, consuming their daily activities.

“I probably play around 10 to 15 hours a week,” Juker said.

Juker is not the only one sacrificing responsibilities and time to play this game.

Thus far, the game has made a huge impact on the industry and in the college-aged generation as a whole. Research shows that “video games are most popular among young adults. Six-in-ten Americans ages 18 to 29 say they play video games often or sometimes, compared with smaller shares in older age groups,” according to a Pew Research study.

Whether the game of Fortnite is just a fad or will have a long prosperous future ahead is unclear. Fortnite may be a strange and new entity, but it has secured itself a place within the history of gaming that is intriguing to say the least.

C U LT U R E

SWEENEY TODD COMES TO BOISE STATE

Theatre arts and music departments gear up for showtime Jack Meier | Staff Writer | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Sweeney Todd’s sinister barbershop stands ready for showtime. Photo courtesy of Darrin Pufall.

Students and faculty beware … the infamous Sweeney Todd has been spotted on Boise State’s campus, and there’s no telling how far he’ll go in his quest for revenge and bloodshed, on the stage anyway.

Last week, March 8 to March 10, Boise State’s Department of Theatre Arts and Department of Music began performances of “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” at 7:30 p.m. in the Special Events Center. According to Darrin Pufall, the play’s director and assistant professor of costume design, the 24-person cast is ready to go.

“The truth of the matter is that (the actors) are incredibly prepared,” Pufall said. “It’s all up to them, and I have every confidence that they are going to pull it off very easily.”

“Sweeney Todd” was originally produced for Broadway in 1979. The musical was nominated for nine Tony awards and won

eight, including Best Musical. The musical is described by the original composer, Stephen Sondheim, as a black operetta and can frequently be an opera as well, depending on how it is performed.

“This particular production is incredibly complex in the music and in the staging,” Pufall said. “It’s a very different kind of story that involves a careful look at all of the action that happens onstage. There’s a lot to think about.”

This production is the culmination of a year-long joint project between the theatre arts and music departments. “Sweeney Todd” was selected because it “bridges the gap from American musical theatre and opera,” said Pufall.

The production features a live orchestra, and about 80 percent of the play’s dialogue is sung rather than spoken. This presents unique opportunities and challenges alike, but those involved say the cast and crew

have tackled each of them.

“There’s a lot going on, and I’m very excited to see it all happen,” said Siobhan Bott, a Boise State freshman studying theatre arts and stage manager for the production. While this is Bott’s first time managing a production of this scale, she is confident in the ability of the cast and crew to deliver a strong performance.

“I think we have a fantastic cast and a fantastic production team. Everybody’s been fantastic,” Bott said. “We’ve got an amazing orchestra, and I think everyone’s in for a treat with this production.”

The set and props for “Sweeney Todd” are similarly complex, with well over 300 distinct light cues throughout the play.

The play’s main set must be able to rotate and swivel fluidly during the show in order to display different sides of buildings and houses.

All the various scene and light cues are

kept in order by Bott and her two assistant stage managers. This team takes notes at the play’s rehearsals and makes sure that every prop, scene change and lighting cue is accounted for. Bott cites the rehearsal process as being her favorite part of working on the production and has enjoyed working with the cast and crew in order to bring the production to life.

“What our students are able to accomplish is really remarkable, in that they are producing professional-level musicals without the aid of traditional musical theater and opera courses,” Pufall said. “We’re able to throw more at them, and they’re able to pick it up and run with it.”

For those unable to attend the first round of showings for the play, a second round of performances will be taking place on March 15-17 at 7:30 in the Special Events Center.

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C U LT U R E

CHANNELLING YOUR INNER BOB ROSS

Students show off their artistic skills at third annual Paint Night Isabelle Spaulding | Staff Writer | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

For those students who binge-watch Bob Ross on Netflix in their dorm room, there is now a chance for them to exhibit their true artistic talent. Students will get the opportunity to channel their inner ‘80s afro-ed man at Boise State’s Paint Night.

Taking place on March 15 in Hatch AB of the Student Union Building, Paint Night will have something for everyone, regardless of artistic talent or level. All the tools necessary for creating a new masterpiece will be provided. Hatch AB will be transformed into an art studio, with a team of professional artists to instruct the attendees. Refreshments will also be available for all participants.

Freshman English major Natalie Kessler said although she is a novice painter herself, Paint Night is worth a try.

“Try [the event] and if there’s another one and you didn’t like it, then don’t go.

But definitely try it, even if it may not be for everyone,” Kessler said.

Paint Night participants reassure interested students that the event is intended to be both stress-free and judgment free.

“They don’t judge you on your painting skills, and they take you step by step on how to do each thing,” said freshman biology major Rachel Greb. “It’s just a fun thing to do with your friends and a way to meet new people.”

Senior communication major Hannah Baker, who is the marketing assistant for the Student Involvement and Leadership Center, said the first Paint Night was in spring of 2017.

“This is our third time doing it. It’s been very successful each time, and we actually have to turn people away at times, which is why we’ve done it every semester,” Baker said.

Although the event has been successful, Baker made it clear that there is always a way to improve the event. Whether it is

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Students explore their creativity at Paint Night. Photo courtesy of Student Involvement and Leadership Facebook page.

getting the word out to more students, finding a bigger space or finding new ways to engage with participants, Baker and her team are looking towards the future.

Program assistant for the Student Involvement and Leadership Center, Libby Smith, explained the benefits of the event for participants.

“It’s usually a pretty popular event because it’s something that typically costs $25 or more off campus, and we’re offering

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it for free for students,” Smith said. “So it’s a huge benefit for anyone who’s interested.”

Baker explained that, like any other event being put on, there is a specific target audience.

“For this event our target audience is more non-traditional students, usually older students,” Baker said. “People who don’t really have a way to get involved on campus and don’t really want to come to

our events like ‘Flappers and Dappers’ and our movie nights, but they want to do something that’s a little more sophisticated.”

According to Baker, just because there is a target group does not mean that it cannot be a good event for anyone. This event is free for all Boise State students, but community members are also able to join in on the creativity for $25.

C U LT U R E

AN OPEN LETTER TO DYLAN AND COLE SPROUSE Keep on living the ‘suite’ life

Logan Potter and Shannon Brennan | Culture Reporter | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Dear Jughead Jones and the other one, Outside of Instagram posts and Twitter feuds, we haven’t seen you together since you were on deck with Ashley Tisdale, and it’s quite disappointing. We know you each kind of have your own careers (looking at you, Cole), and you can’t exactly take time off to spread the brotherly love on-screen anymore. Really though, you both tend to keep your private lives pretty isolated, and we think your intolerance and stubbornness when it comes to the public eye might be because you’re both Leos. Eesh.

Just like Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, you two often played the same character in feature films like “Big Daddy.” In fact, the first role that either of you had entirely on your own was Cole—and it was Ross Geller’s son in “Friends.” You were the subject of a lot of controversy, little dude,

and how sad it must be to know that you weren’t just scripted to shout, “Give me a break!” while your TV father relentlessly argued, “We were on a break!” You’ve handled the fame quite well since the show, regardless of your stay in the shadows for some time, and we definitely called your potential for more than made-for-streaming service films and Disney Channel television shows.

Ah, Dylan. We really thought you’d never see the light—that is, until you released the 2017 thriller film “Dismissed.” While we support your script choices, we can’t say this one was anything to write home about. In fact, it felt exactly like “The Student,” a film with almost the same plot ... actually, the exact same plot starring another Disney alum, Blake Michael. We definitely give two thumbs down when it

comes to originality, but you didn’t write the film, and it was just nice to see you on a screen again (a screen that isn’t our phones featuring your sort of weird artsy Instagram account anyways), so here’s a sincere congratulations on the gig. We are looking forward to literally anything else you can give us.

Cole, we have been binging “Riverdale” since day one, and we have no intention of ever stopping. We couldn’t imagine a better casting choice for Jughead, which is ironic considering you were first asked to audition for Archie (yikes).

We also feel the need to put our noses just slightly inside the bounds of your private business and let you know that we wholeheartedly support the Sprousehart relationship (or Bughead on-screen).

We honestly wish you were less against

flaunting it in real life, you guys are just too cute. Truly two angels in the “Archie Comics” world, that chemistry practically radiates when we do get to see a little of it off screen.

In conclusion: We may not be stoked about every new release the two of you have, but we admit how refreshing it is to see our favorite nostalgia holders making it back onto our television screens and into our hearts. While you’ve chosen to keep your lives quiet, and we respect that, there’s truly no doubting that the two of you are still living the ‘suite’ life after all.

With love, Logan and Shannon

Concordia University School of Law is provisionally approved by the Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar of the American Bar Association, 321 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654, 312-988-6738.

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SPORTS & REC

BOISE STATE CLAIMS MW CHAMPIONSHIP IN LAST-SECOND VICTORY

Women’s basketball claims back to back MW titles Delaney Brassil | Staff Writer | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Shalen Shaw attacks the rim for a layup.

Photo by Kenzie Hudson.

Boise State’s women’s basketball team is the Mountain West Tournament champions for the second year in a row, thanks to a layup by redshirt sophomore forward A’Shanti Coleman that came with one second left on the clock. The No. 1 seeded Broncos claimed the title with their defeat of No. 7 University of Nevada, Reno on Friday, March 9. This is the Broncos’ third championship title since joining the conference in 2011.

“It felt like a normal shot for me kind of confident, because I knew I had a lot of time,” Coleman said. “I felt like when it came out of my hand, it was going to go in.”

This tournament victory secures an automatic bid to the NCAA Women’s March Madness tournament, which will take place from Friday, March 16 to Sunday, April 1. With that bid, Shalen Shaw

for all of the Broncos’ points. Both Shaw and Coleman had 10 points, Lupfer had 19 points, junior guard Marta Hermida had nine points and sophomore guard Braydey Hodgins had 14 points.

“It’s really been something to watch and be a part of,” said head coach Gordy Presnell. “They’re a group of really unselfish, jealous-free kids who have excelled and achieved. I couldn’t be prouder of them.”

In the 2016-17 NCAA tournament, Boise State lost in the first round to the University of California, Los Angeles 8356.

“We’re really excited,” Shaw said. “We want to get that first NCAA win, and that’s pretty much all we are focused on.”

On Monday at 5p.m. MT it was announced that Boise Stae will face No.1 Seeded Lousiville in Louisiville Kentucky on March 16 at 10 a.m.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

MEN’S TENNIS

Utah State vs BSU

Nevada vs BSU

BSU vs UCSB

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becomes the first Boise State women’s basketball player in history to attend three NCAA tournaments.

“We’re really going to miss Shaw [next year], but I think she left a legacy,” said sophomore guard Riley Lupfer. “That’s what she came here to do, and that’s what she did.”

Boise and Nevada were tied 60-60 as the clock ticked down in Las Vegas. The Broncos were behind for a majority of the game, their largest lead only being by three points less than 20 seconds into the game. The Wolf Pack shot 44.1 percent as the Broncos shot 41.4 percent, making for a hard-fought game. But in the very end, Coleman made sure the Broncos came out on top.

Even after trailing Nevada for most of the game, Boise State’s offense refused to give up. The five starters were responsible

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OUR TOP MOMENTS IN TACO BELL ARENA HISTORY

SPORTS & REC

Jaw-dropping memories at Taco Bell Arena in light of its impending name-change Seth Newville | Staff Writer | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Taco Bell Arena, Boise State’s basketball arena and venue for concerts, will be getting a new name in 2019-2020. There is no current replacement, but Boise State has begun the search, ending its 15-year run with Taco Bell.

While we can ponder about what new name the arena will bring us, We want to take a look back at some of the greatest sporting moments in this arena’s history (including when it was named The Pavilion). Here are a few of the sports section’s favorite moments.

Women’s Basketball Jan. 29 1994: No. 21 Boise State defeats No. 20 Montana 71-60 A battle between two nationally ranked teams drew the attention of many fans, bringing in an attendance of 11,558 people. Boise State was able to edge out Montana in a close contest in front of a packed arena, led by head coach June Daugherty.

This game showcased the first time ever that two teams in the Big Sky Conference cracked the top 25 national rankings. Both teams would go on to compete in the NCAA tournament that season.

Men’s Basketball March 11 1987: Boise State defeats Utah 62-61 In the opening round of the NIT, also known as the National Invitational Tournament. Doug Link, an associate sports information director for Boise State athletics, caught the action in person.

“It was the loudest crowd I have ever heard in the arena,” said Link.

The game came down to the final seconds when Utah had a chance to make two free throws in the final two seconds of the game to give them the lead. Utah missed both attempts, and Boise State secured the victory. The Broncos advanced to the next round where they would be defeated by Washington.

Men’s Basketball March 7 2015: Boise State defeats Fresno State 71-52 Just looking at the box score, this game doesn’t seem all that impressive considering the Broncos ran away with it. But the significance of this win stands out. This win gave the Broncos a share of the Mountain West regular season championship in front of the home crowd. James Webb III led the way with a game-high 18 points and 10 rebounds.

NCAA Tournament March 19 1995: No. 1 UCLA defeats No. 8 Missouri 75-74 Taco Bell Arena (known as The Pavilion at the time) hosted the NCAA Tournament in 1995, where No. 1 seeded UCLA versed a No. 8 seeded Missouri. With 4.8 seconds to go in the game, Missouri looked as if they were going to pull the upset as they were up by one point.

However, UCLA point guard Tyus Edney covered the length of the floor in just 4.8 seconds, floating the ball just over the arms of Missouri Center Derek Grimm and into the bottom of the net as time expired.

UCLA went on to win the national championship.

NCAA Tournament March 15 2001: No. 15 Hampton defeats No. 2 Iowa State 58-57 Taco Bell Arena got to be host to what Cole Hampton, writer for the Sports Fan Journal calls “The Greatest Upset in Tournament History.” No. 2 seeded Iowa State team came in as heavy favorites against a No. 15 seeded Hampton team. After Hampton hit a floater in the middle of the paint to put them up on, Iowa State point guard Jamaal Tinsley raced down the floor and missed a layup by a matter of inches to give Hampton the victory. This game will forever be one the most shocking upsets in NCAA Tournament history, and it took place right here in Boise, Idaho, at Taco Bell Arena.

Taco Bell Arena’s name is set to change after Boise State’s contract with Taco Bell ends this year. Photo by Taylor Humby.

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SPORTS & REC

BOISE STATE COLLEGIATE TEAM WINS ANOTHER NATIONAL TITLE

Cheer squad finds success at nationals for third straight year Sydnee Boley | Staff Writer | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu

The Boise State Spirit Squad traveled to Anaheim, California for the 2018 USA Collegiate Championships. Cheer, Mane Line and even Boise State’s mascot, Buster Bronco, competed for a national title on Feb. 24 to Feb. 25.

The Broncos took first place in Cheer, followed by San Jose State University, Arizona State University, Portland State University and the University of California, Merced. This win locked a three-peat title for Boise State Cheer.

“I have a very strong mentality that you have nothing to lose at this point, so you might as well give it all your effort” Kassondra Landry, head coach

Mane Line—the dance team for the Broncos—competed in two different categories: hip hop and open dance. In hip hop, the dancers won second place behind San Diego State University (SDSU). The open dance performance placed fifth, with SDSU taking that title home as well.

Buster Bronco wiped the mat with the Golden Eagle mascot from Utah State University Eastern and the Ram mascots from Angelo State University. Each school’s mascot created a performance that embodied school pride and was meant to rally the crowd. This was Buster’s first year competing at the Collegiate Championships, and he ended up coming home with a national title.

The teams started practicing these routines in August 2017, before football season had even started.

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“It can definitely be a lot, especially when we get into the November area, where we are doing football, basketball and volleyball, all while trying to perfect our competition routines,” said Mason Bailey, a fourth-year senior and captain for the Broncos’ cheer squad. “But I think we have to remember we represent Boise State first, and that we always make sure we are ready for any game. Having time to work on our competition routine comes second compared to that.”

For the entire year, the team has been practicing five times a week and around two and half to three hours each practice day. As competition season approached, the entire squad dialed in their focus.

“It came down to running the routine over and over again but also working on the showmanship factor,” said Kassondra Landry, head coach of the entire Spirit Squad for Boise State. “It’s one thing to have really strong routines and it’s another to really sell your routines.”

Landry is responsible for coaching both squads as well as the mascot. She has been coaching the sport for nearly a decade and was an assistant coach for the Broncos last year before coming into the role of head coach this year. Landry is also an alumna of Boise State and a former member of the cheer program in 2010.

This year, the Bronco Spirit Squad will be saying goodbye to 11 seniors, nine of which spent the last four years on the team.

“Having that kind of leadership and guiding all of our younger freshmen really makes the team what it is,” Landry said.

“This was an important weekend for us because it was really the last time that they get to go out and represent Boise State. I think that really played an effect on our team and made these younger kids really want to do well at Nationals for the seniors.”

Kira Willis, a freshman and first year on the cheer squad, had many thoughts going

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Boise State’s Spirit Team makes its way onto the Blue before a football game last semester.

Photo by Axel Quartarone.

into Nationals.

“For the first time, it was pretty scary.

Coming in new, you want to win. They have been winning for the past two years, so we wanted to make sure to keep that streak going,” Willis said.

Boise State’s squad being present and cheering brought an energy to the performance.

“We try really hard to teach them on the fact that you can only control so much, and the only thing you can control when you get down there is you,” Landry said.

“For competition, we try to take a little bit more of an intense focus and get them to not hold back. I have a very strong mentality that you have nothing to lose at this point, so you might as well give it all your effort.”

Out on the mat, the performers learned to tune out the crowd once the routine

starts.

“Honestly, nothing is running through my head. It is all muscle memory. I can’t really remember anything that happened when I was on the floor, but I can tell you everything from right before and right after,” Willis said.

After months of hard work, the Bronco Spirit Squad honored the program, alumni and Boise State with two new national titles.

“To be out there with all the other fourth-year seniors on the team was awesome because we know how hard we have worked over the last four years to get to this point,” Bailey said. “Being able to see the program grow from when we were freshmen to now being three-time U.S. champions is the most amazing experience.”

FUN & GAMES

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