The Arbiter Vol. 35 Issue 14 4.20.23

Editor-In-Chief

Andrea Teres - Martinez editor@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Online Editor

Kelby Andrew onlineeditor@stumedia.boisestate.edu

News Editor Brydon Black news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

News Reporter

Kate Jacobson

News Reporter

Kiryn Willett

Culture Editor Hanalei Potempa culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Culture Reporter

Emily Gordon

Sports & Rec Editor

Adam Bridges sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Sports & Rec Reporter

Marlei Soderquist

Opinion Editor

Kiyah Henson opinion@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Copy Editor

Kelly Ann Asker copy@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Social Media Coordinator

Amy Brennan

Digital Content Manager

Taya Thornton digitalcontent@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Digital Content Producer

Elise Ledesma

Graphic Design Manager

Sasha White design@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Graphic Designer

Dorothy Martin

Illustrator

Sydney Smith

Distributed every few weeks during the academic school year and online daily, 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.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

ON THE COVER:

With April being Alcohol Abuse Awareness Month, there is now an opportunity to normalize discussions surrounding substance abuse on college campuses.

HOW TO REACH US:

CONTACT US: editor@stumedia.boisestate.edu 208.426.6302

PHYSICAL LOCATION: Located on first floor of Lincoln Avenue Garage Suites

MISSION:

As a student-run organization, we produce accurate and hyper-local information through non-partisan and socially responsible media.

MAILING ADDRESS:

Student Media MS 1340

1910 W University Dr. Boise, ID 83725-1340

University Pulse Radio held its third annual Pulsefest on April 8, featuring local bands and artists including No Can Fly, Los Syringas, The French Tips and Kale Brown. Taya Thornton | The Arbiter

( YOUR MAJOR ) +

BE MORE EMPLOYABLE

ONLINE MINOR /CERTIFICATE

Foundational business knowledge helps you succeed in any career

Gain highly sought-after skills employers want Learn from experienced instructors

FOR NON-BUSINESS MAJORS

+Business Certificate (12 credits)

+Business Minor (18 credits)

Registered now for +Business Online Minor/Certificate

COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS

QUESTIONS?

See COBE Advising Services boisestate.edu/cobe-studentadvising/

SUMMER 2023

Register by May 1, 2023

FALL 2023

Register by August 1, 2023

Complement your major with business insight

IDAHO’S LEGISLATURE ADJOURNED: WHAT CAME OUT OF THIS YEAR’S SESSION?

Kate Jacobson | News Reporter | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

On April 6, Idaho’s 67th Legislature finally adjourned for the 2023 legislative session. The session was set to end on March 24, but was delayed two weeks to wrap up the state budget.

Here are some of the notable pieces of legislation that have already or will soon go into effect in Idaho:

House Bill 24 — Idaho Launch grant program

Gov. Brad Little first promised to expand the Idaho Launch grant program when funding was set aside for that purpose during the special session last September.

The Idaho Launch grant program will provide $8,000 grants for qualifying high school graduates to use at a community college or career technical program, starting with the high school class of 2024. Students who qualify for the grant must still cover at least 20% of their own tuition and may not use the money toward a fouryear degree.

House Bill 179 — Banning rankedchoice voting

Ranked-choice voting allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference, as opposed to casting a vote for a single candidate for every race.

There are at least 50 jurisdictions in the United States that have switched to a ranked-choice voting system for local, state or federal elections, according to a report from the Congressional Research Service in October 2022.

This alternative method of voting has started to gain popularity because it guarantees that the winner of an election received a majority vote.

Over the past few years there has been some minor push in Idaho counties to

implement ranked-choice voting in hopes that it will lower partisanship, but that will no longer be an option.

On March 24, Gov. Little signed HB 179 into law which states that “no county elections office shall use ranked choice voting to conduct an election … of any candidate for any local government, statewide or federal elective office.” The bill goes into effect July 2023.

complicated and would cause unintended consequences, including cutting transportation infrastructure projects.

“The people of Idaho deserve simple property tax relief that will endure over time,” he wrote.

House

Bill

242 — Abortion trafficking

House Bill 242 makes it illegal to assist a minor in obtaining an abortion across state lines without parental consent, a practice the legislature dubbed “abortion trafficking.”

This legislation is particularly notable as it is the first legislation of its kind to be enacted anywhere in the United States.

A violation under this law is punishable by up to five years in prison, with a minimum two-year sentence, and the law goes into effect on May 5.

The decision in the U.S. Supreme Court case Dobbs v. Jackson, which overturned the right to abortion, specified that the government cannot limit traveling to obtain an abortion in another state, as there is a constitutional right to interstate travel. Several organizations, including Planned Parenthood Greater Northwest, have already said there are plans to challenge this law in court.

House Bill 292 — Property tax relief

On March 27, Gov. Little vetoed House Bill 292, a property tax relief bill, which was the first veto of the session. Lowering property taxes was one of the major promises that Gov. Little made during his State of the State address in January.

In a press release about the veto, Little said that the bill sent to his desk was too

While the bill was slightly amended after the veto, the House and Senate both reached the required supermajority needed to override the veto, making HB 292 the only bill going into law this session without Gov. Little’s signature.

In the first year, HB 292 will provide $355 million in property tax relief to Idahoans.

Senate Bill 1176 — Public universities budget

One of the most impactful pieces of legislation for Boise State is Senate Bill 1176, which is the state budget for the public universities in Idaho.

For the upcoming fiscal year, the legislature allocated $282,541,800 to Boise State University, which is roughly a $10 million increase from last year.

Tuition costs have not increased at Boise State, or other Idaho colleges, since prior to the pandemic. However, it was expressed in the Boise State Student Tuition and Fees hearing last month that an increase may be necessary to cover growing costs caused by inflation.

Boise State will likely not have a definitive answer on whether tuition will be increased for a few more weeks, but it’s very plausible that tuition goes up by roughly 10%.

House Bill 71 and Senate Bill 1100 — Trans youth

The Idaho Legislature recently passed two controversial bills that target trans youth across Idaho.

House Bill 71, which goes into effect

Many of the bills from this year’s legislative session are set to go into law as soon as May 5. Taya Thornton | The Arbiter

Jan. 1, 2024, makes providing gender-affirming healthcare, including hormone therapy, surgery and puberty blockers, for those under 18 a criminal offense punishable by up to 10 years in prison. This applies to parents and healthcare providers.

Senate Bill 1100 requires that all public K-12 schools in the state separate their bathrooms and locker rooms by biological sex. The law specifies that schools may not provide a non-gendered bathroom unless it can only be accessed by one individual at a time.

Parents are able sue a school district for up to $5,000 for each violation their child experiences. This means many transgender children in Idaho will have to start using a bathroom that conflicts with their gender identity.

Enacted legislation from the 2023 legislative session that students should know about

SEXTORTION: THE INVISIBLE THREAT TO BOISE STATE STUDENTS

A look into how sugar daddies and scammers have exploited Boise State students

Olivia Campbell | Staff Writer | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

After speaking to a room full of student staff members about crime on Boise State’s campus, the biggest crime had yet to be guessed. “Bike theft,” one student shouted. “Underage drinking,” shouted another. Officer Whipps and his fellow Boise Police Department officers shook their heads. How could it be that a room full of Boise State upperclassmen could not guess the biggest threat facing students?

Residence Life student staff member Sarah Cole sat in the front row, alongside her new coworkers. “It starts with an e,” Whipps said. After a few more guesses, Cole raised her hand: “Extortion?”

According to the Boise Police Department Financial Crime Detective Brad Thorne and Boise State’s BPD and public safety Officer Whipps, who asked that his first name remain anonymous, the most pressing crime students need to worry

about is not their bike being stolen or getting caught underage drinking in the dorms; it is falling victim to a form of extortion called sextortion.

The Department of Homeland Security defines sextortion as “when a victim is threatened or blackmailed into providing more sexual imagery; the predator threatens to share their nude or sexual images with the public.” When a predator “demands money or gift cards in exchange for keeping their sexual images private,” the act becomes financial sextortion.

“This past year, our officers were handling at least one case per week relating to sextortion, of someone coming in for advice after the fact or even while it was happening,” Whipps said.

Sextortion scammers target students depending on their social media followers, their sex, sexual preference and how active they are on social media. On Boise State’s

campus, public safety and BPD have seen students targeted in two main ways: by scammers posing as “sugar daddies” or young attractive women.

“Extortion is not a crime. Sextortion is not a crime. It’s grand theft by extortion, or it’s grand theft by distortion that is the crime,” Thorne said.

It’s difficult to find exact statistics on extortion or sextortion, as grand theft by extortion or distortion covers a wide breadth of crimes.

The most common form of sextortion occurs where the victim does not know the suspect. The suspect creates a fake profile, posing as a person their age with stolen photos from the internet and sends flirtatious messages via social media.

The message exchange begins to edge towards sextortion when the fake profile sends nude photos taken from the internet and requests some from the victim. The target suspects are typically males ages 14 to 25 years old, according to Thorne.

Replying or sending photos can result in blackmail and aggressive messages threatening the person’s life.

Sugar daddy scams solicit women. These online accounts message asking for a friendship or just offering to pay a person for photos of their body, from feet pics to full body images. Thorne and Whipps have seen sextortion on a range of online sites, from Instagram to Discord chats.

“It was really surprising to hear that it was as big a crime as extortion,” Cole said. “But it made me feel more comfortable as a student to know that the officers are well aware of this issue and have strategies in place to combat it, versus it being just students having to deal with and face the consequences by themselves.”

Thorne and Whipps agree that one of the biggest hurdles for victims is the feeling of shame.

Scamming has become a billion-dollar industry. Americans report a near sum of $8.8 billion lost to scams in 2022, accord-

ing to the Federal Trade Commision.

“I’ve had more conversations of people not wanting to report, but wanting advice once they have sent the money asking what to do,” Thorne said. “They’re in that panic stage.”

In addition to reporting a sextortion scam to BPD, Idaho licensed attorney Margaret Lezamiz recommends that victims connect with a mental health counselor. Lezamiz offers free attorney consultations to Boise State students through the law firm of Schroeder & Lezamiz Law Offices LLP, according to the Dean of Students.

“I didn’t realize it was that big of an issue, because I haven’t seen it come through BSU as far as a student calling me saying, ‘I’m in trouble, this is what I’ve done,’ but this is a nationwide problem,” Lezamiz said.

The nationwide problem of scams does not stop with sugar daddies and fake accounts. Romance scam victims pay hundreds to thousands of dollars to scammers every year because of curated romantic relationships with fake accounts online, according to the Federal Trade Commission.

“Social media and those kinds of platforms do not do anything to protect you from that [sextortion]. You can report sites, and they don’t take them down. I think they should, and they should be responsible for their own platforms but they don’t,” Thorne said.

Campus events and university meetings like the one Cole attended are part of Boise State Public Safety’s campaign to educate students about their role on campus.

“My worry is that in the future these photos and videos will be out there floating around on people’s computers, and when we get better facial recognition, these pictures and videos will get tied to people,” Whipps said. “So our target, especially at BSU, is to stop those photos and videos from going out in the first place.”

Boise Police Department warns students of sextortion, which has become increasingly common in the age of social media.

Illustration by Sydney Smith

STUDENTS VOTED TO PASS A NEW ASBSU CONSTITUTION, WHAT’S NEXT?

New election code changes roll back campaign finance restrictions

Brydon Black | News Editor |

The Boise State student body voted to pass a new Associated Students of Boise State University (ASBSU) constitution on April 5. The new constitution is set to take effect on May 6, according to Honors College Sen. Ethan LaHaug.

The new constitution will rename positions, introduce newly elected positions and dissolve the Inclusive Excellence Student Council (IESC) and Funding Board into a new three-branch system.

In preparation for the new elections, outgoing ASBSU President Adam Jones introduced election code changes that will end ASBSU’s runoff voting system and roll back campaign finance restrictions for future ASBSU candidates.

Newly elected positions will include the associate vice president (AVP) of ethics affairs, AVP of greek affairs, AVP of student relations, academic senators and the review board chief. LaHaug said they are looking to hold elections in September.

The review board will make up the new judicial branch. The review board will consist of a person elected to lead the branch, and seats appointed by the previous president, the incoming president, the AVP of academic affairs and by the AVP of the IESC. After positions are nominated, they need to be confirmed by the Senate.

“It might be a little complicated this year because we had intended the system to be in place sooner than it ended up being, because administration had some final checks they wanted to do, which prevented us from putting in a special election so it had to be in the general,” LaHaug said. “For some of those appointments, they have to be confirmed by the outgoing Senate, and we’re no longer in session. So it may end up being that the board only has three or four members next year.”

The funding board will now reside solely in the executive branch, no longer requiring a general assembly vote to pass bills to fund student groups and individuals. The

AVP of student organizational affairs will now be the AVP of financial affairs, who will appoint the rest of the funding board and begin functioning over the summer.

LaHaug said the funding board will still operate autonomously from the president despite being in the same branch.

Regarding election code, ASBSU Code Change 06 was introduced by ethics officer Lacy O’Dell and outgoing student body president Adam Jones during the last ASBSU general assembly session on April 12.

Much of the code change involved replacing the names of certain positions and committees that will not exist under the new system.

Major changes to the document include getting rid of ASBSU’s instant runoff system, in addition to campaign finance regulations being cut from the previous document.

An entire section on campaign finances was struck out, as was a sub-section related to reporting financial endorsement.

Candidates running will no longer have to report their campaign donation. Caps on donations to executive ticket elections are now lifted, which were previously capped at $1,600 and all other tickets at $800.

A subsection that read, “In no way can items or money be given in return for a vote,” was also struck out.

“If you had a lot of money or if you were funded by other political organizations that are funding your student government candidacy, then you have a significant advantage compared to other candidates who aren’t taking outside endorsements,” incoming ASBSU President Chey Sheen said. “Especially if you don’t have to report that, then you could do whatever you wanted with the money. You could bribe people, which could ultimately come out to be a skewed unfair election. I think they took out a lot of code that was helping keep candidates in check.”

In-state representative Sebastian Griffin introduced an amendment during the introduction of the bill that ultimately unstruck a section that read, “No items of significant value may be distributed for the purpose of campaigning.”

Jones had two more lengthy code changes he wanted to introduce during the April 12 session, but was denied by O’Dell, who said she was only made aware of the code changes minutes prior to the meeting.

Jones objected, reading out text messages between him and O’Dell from the night before, where O’Dell agreed to introduce a code change. O’Dell made a point of clarification that the text messages were in reference to the election code change 6, reiterating that she was not aware of the other two code changes until a few minutes before the final meeting.

Due to the code changes not being introduced, the incoming administration will need to introduce their own version of those changes to ensure the current code matches the new constitution.

ASBSU code changes will remove campaign finance restrictions for future candidates and eliminate the existing runoff voting system. Taya Thornton | The Arbiter

WHAT’S NEXT FOR GENDER-AFFIRMING HEALTH CARE BANS IN IDAHO

Community support and possible legal challenges for HB 71

Kiryn Willett | News Reporter | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

On April 6, Gov. Brad Little signed HB 71 into law, a bill banning gender-affirming health care for minors. The bill will take effect on Jan 1, 2024, leaving many trans youth wondering, “What now?”

According to Javier Smith, a board member at the Idaho Community Center, despite the fact that the law will not go into effect until next year, many health care providers may stop providing treatment immediately to avoid potential legal challenges. Despite this, Smith believes the fight for access to health care for trans youth isn’t over.

“Keep in mind that it’s been signed into law, but it’s going to be challenged in court,” Smith said. “This is gonna get sued because it can be easily challenged constitutionally. So in that respect, I think

we will probably win in the courts.”

However, Smith notes that this legislation, and other anti-trans bills, push Idaho further into the “Spiral of Injustice” — a concept developed by the Wassmuth Center for Human Rights to illustrate the escalation from harmful rhetoric to eradication during the Holocaust. Since its development, human rights activists have applied the concept to other social justice issues.

Smith notes that the harmful rhetoric defining trans people as “the other” has now escalated to the third level on the spiral: discrimination. According to the spiral of injustice theory, discrimination emboldens acts of violence against the group defined as “the other.” Transgender individuals already face higher mortality rates than their cisgendered counterparts, and as the wave of anti-trans legislation

continues, violence toward the trans community will likely increase.

In the meantime, local organizations such as the Idaho Community Center and Boise Trans Collective are working to offer support to trans Idahoans. The Community Center has a queer youth group where young queer kids can come and speak about their experiences and seek support from their peers.

The Boise Trans Collective is a “grassroots mutual aid group” according to their founder, Ezra Howell.

“We’re here to just help out the local trans community. Instead of donating to other organizations or foundations people can come to us with their needs,” Howell said. “And then we’ve also run shows where we do directly benefit someone.”

The Boise Trans Collective raised over $500 for a local community member’s

surgery, and over $400 for another person’s hormone therapy.

According to Peyton Shollenbarger, cochair of the Boise Trans Collective (BTC), the Boise Trans Collective has given out over $4,700 dollars to local community members seeking aid. The BTC aims to assist the trans community in any way possible. They provide funds to help gain access to gender-affirming care for those over 18, and help people seeking to leave the state in light of the new bill.

The BTC hosts multiple community and fundraising events for the local trans community. They recently hosted a trans clothing drive on April 16 and have hosted several concerts to fundraise. They also hope to host an art show in the future.

One of their most recent fundraising events was a concert where local bands Leaway and Fleeting Confidence played, along with Holy Pinto, a band from Milwaukee.

All three bands stated they wanted to work with BTC because they care about the cause.

“They’re devastated by what’s been going on. So I think it’s really important for organizations like this to host stuff like this to create safe spaces for trans kids,” said Randy McCurdy, a Boise State student and the vocalist and guitarist for Leaway.

Fleeting Confidence was one of three bands that performed at the BTC fundraising concert in support of Boise’s local trans community.

Photo courtesy of Fleeting Confidence

“[HB 71] is gonna get sued because it can be easily challenged constitutionally. So in that respect, I think we will probably win in the courts.”

- Javier Smith, board member at the Idaho Community Center

BANNING ACCESS TO GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE HAS DEVASTATING EFFECTS

Why gender-affirming care is important and how this affects the youth

Kiyah Henson | Opinion Editor | opinion@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Despite numerous phone calls pleading for a veto on the bill, Idaho Gov. Brad Little chose to sign on House Bill 71. House Bill 71 takes effect Jan. 1, 2024, and will stand as a block for transgender youth in accessing puberty blockers, hormones and other gender-affirming surgeries in Idaho. It will also make providing those medical treatments a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Within the last year, there have been multiple attempts to ban and criminalize gender-affirming treatments for transgender and nonbinary youth under 18 throughout the nation.

According to Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 2022 was a record-breaking year for this type of legislation.

Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, South Dakota, Tennessee and Utah have all passed laws or policies that restrict gender-affirming care for minors.

ABC News states that along with this, 19 other states are considering or have introduced bills that would similarly restrict this kind of medical care for trans youth.

According to the World Health Organization, gender-affirming care encompasses a range of social, psychological and medical interventions designed to support and affirm an individual’s gender identity when it conflicts with the gender they were assigned at birth.

This could include things like hormone therapy, puberty blockers, speech therapy, psychiatric services and primary care. Having access to gender-affirming care is incredibly important for those who need it, especially for young people.

The Association of American Medical Colleges states that many studies have found that transgender youth are more likely to suffer from emotional distress and depression compared to others their age.

They are also are more likely to experience bullying and other forms of violence, and to harm themselves or attempt suicide.

In an article by Timothy Smith of the American Medical Association, he explains a study in which researchers investigated changes in mental health over the first 12 months of receiving gender-affirming care.

More specifically, these researchers were curious in examining the changes in depression, anxiety and suicidality in association with starting puberty blockers and gender-affirming hormones.

The results showed that out of 100 transgender and nonbinary youth, those who received gender-affirming medications had a 60% lower odds of moderate or severe depression and 73% lower odds of suicidality over those first 12 months, compared with youth who did not get those medications.

Mistie DelliCarpini-Tolman, Idaho director of Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, says that Gov. Little’s decision to sign the bill into law ignores evidence from multiple medical authorities asserting that gender-affirming care is essential for some youth.

She’s not alone in her stance against this bill’s passing.

Idaho Democratic Party Chair Lauren Necochea said in a press release that Gov. Little’s decision criminalizes treatments proven to reduce suicidality, anxiety and depression among transgender youth.

“This legislation harms our vulnerable kids the most,” Necochea said. “It also hurts entire communities. Our friends and

neighbors will be driven out of state. The continued criminalization of standard care endorsed by major medical associations will push more doctors to leave Idaho.”

Gender-affirming care saves lives, and criminalizing it will only endanger the mental health and wellbeing of transgender and nonbinary youth.

Banning the right for parents to allow their children to receive this care and criminalizing medical professionals for doing their jobs is atrocious.

I hope that from legal challenges, the law is overturned before it is able to take effect next year, as this bill will do more harm than it ever would good.

Photo courtesy of Andrej Ivanov

BANNING BOOKS IS A BAD IDEA

We need to protect the library and continue to fight restrictions

In March, the Ada County Commissioners denied a petition to dissolve the Meridian Library District.

The group who petitioned to dissolve the library district, Concerned Citizens of Meridian, presented a list of over 50 books containing material that they deemed harmful to minors.

Justifications presented for restricting these books included LGBTQIA+ content, promoting anti-police views, discussing gender identity and sex education, promoting Islam and bias against male students.

There have been many requests across the nation to ban books for minors based on content that tackles issues like racism or LGBTQIA+ stories.

According to PEN America, between July 2021 to July 2022, the state of Texas had 751-1,000 book bans, Florida had 501-750, Tennessee and Pennsylvania had 251-500, while Idaho had 26-50 bans.

Within the 1,648 books banned during this time, PEN America states that 41% contain LGBTQ+ themes or had LGBTQ+ protagonists and characters, 21% addressed issues of race and racism, 22% contained sexual content including sexual assault, abortion, puberty, sex, or relationships, and 4% included characters and stories that reflect religious minorities.

It’s very clear that the groups pushing to ban books with these themes and ideas are attempting to prevent minors from exploring content outside of what they believe in or support directly.

Maoria Kirker, lead of the Teaching and Learning Team at George Mason University Libraries, stated that books give students the ability to learn about the world and experience diverse characters and points of view.

Many minors aren’t able to travel outside of their local community, so reading stories is important in their development of building empathy and is essential to critical thinking when it comes to looking

at history, ideas and other concepts from more than one perspective.

“Banning books also has the potential to create significant gaps in knowledge for young learners,” Kirker said in an interview with George Mason University.

Kirker also explained that banning books creates a ripple effect and that even though families are allowed to restrict what their own children read, they shouldn’t be able to enforce that on other families as banning books takes away the opportunity from other children.

I believe many people underestimate what children and teenagers are able to consume and understand. Reading stories that are different from our own is

critical in learning to accept others and being open to ideas and concepts that are foreign.

Many children and teens may seek out certain books to find validation in themselves and have representation that they identify with.

As an example, banning LGBTQIA+ stories simply for having LGBTQIA+ content feeds into the narrative that being a part of the community is bad or inappropriate when that is far from the truth.

Books should not be banned strictly because a certain group of individuals finds them harmful. Everyone has differing views, and one person’s thoughts shouldn’t dictate what another person is allowed to

do or, in this case, read.

Approximately 500 people showed up to testify on Monday, March 20, during the second public hearing on the petition to dissolve the Meridian Library District.

Though the vote from the Ada County Commissioners was unanimous, I expect this will not be the last time a group will come forward attempting to ban books at libraries or in Idaho schools.

The community must continue to stick together to protect these books as they are extremely valuable to the development of young children.

Banning books limits children’s abilities to be exposed to new ideas and concepts outside of their everyday environments. Taya Thornton | The Arbiter

DRINKING CULTURE ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES

how drinking trends are jeopardizing the safety of students

Emily Gordon | Culture Reporter | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Illustration by Dot Martin

In Idaho alone, nearly 437 deaths oc cur each year due to harms relating to excessive alcohol use according to the Idaho Office of Drug Policy.

It is no surprise that alcohol is one of the most commonly used and abused sub stances in America, specifically in college campuses all across the U.S.

14.9% of adults ages 18 to 25 met the criteria for alcohol use disorder (AUD). Within this age group, 13.8% were fulltime college students according to the 2021 National Survey of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) Releases.

People will drink, and that is not a shameful thing. Though it is important to look at the facts clearly and with no fear. With April being Alcohol Abuse Aware ness Month, there is now an opportunity to normalize discussions surrounding substance abuse.

Is this an issue on campus?

“Binge drinking” is classi fied as a person ingesting five or more drinks (four for women) on the same occasion (i.e. on the same day) repeat edly, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIH).

“Overdrinking is a nationally recognized issue,” said Nathan Fauntle roy, a Boise State Health Services counselor. “We (Boise State) are not

problem drinkers.

Anonymous Bronco students explained that their choice to drink is not born from peer pressure like many assume, but from the need to alleviate stress or anxiety they feel in their daily lives.

“I can often feel really anxious in social situations,” said a sophomore at Boise State, who requested to remain anonymous. “Alcohol kind of just takes that away and allows me to be more outgoing without overthinking everything.”

Alcohol is a depressant, which means it disrupts neurotransmitters and physically slows the brain and body down, specifically the part of the brain that controls inhibition, so users may feel relaxed, less anxious and more confident after a drink, according to the NIH.

“With drinking, I truly like the carefree feeling,” said a different Boise State sophomore, who also requested to remain anonymous. “Being in college and working, it is nice to feel like I don’t have any responsibilities for a night.”

An average college student is busy. Balancing schoolwork, jobs and social lives can be draining. Alcohol can be a source of ease and fun for young adults, though without proper knowledge and preparation, it can rapidly spiral into dangerous or even life threatening circumstances.

Excessive alcohol on the brain and

Alcohol poisoning is a very real issue. Every year, both college students and adults die from overdrinking, a consequence of underestimating the power of a

The Center for Disease Control says an average of six people die of alcohol poisoning each day in the U.S., resulting in nearly 2,200 deaths each year.

According to the National Institutes of Health, the symptoms of alcohol poisoning include mental confusion, difficulty remaining conscious, vomiting, seizures, trouble breathing, slow heart rate, clammy skin, dulled responses such as no gag reflex (which can cause choking) and extremely low body temperature.

It is beyond important for anyone who drinks to be able to recognize these symptoms.

“I have lost a father figure to alcoholism, so even while intoxicated, I really try to listen to my body’s signals,” the student

said.

The rapid decline in cognitive function can be just as dangerous, resulting in poor decision making skills.

“Alcohol has a depressant effect on our fight or flight response,” Fauntleroy said. “It tends to be more of a problem when it becomes a pattern.”

The term “liquid courage” is not without reason. Alcohol essentially dampens the brain’s typical function, eliminating the feelings of anxiety or fear, which are built into the body to keep it safe.

Awareness of the impacts of alcohol overconsumption is a crucial step in recognizing one’s physical and emotional state. However, awareness alone can not solve the problem of substance abuse.

the amount of alcohol they know they can withstand. Otherwise, they run the risk of overdrinking.

There are certainly some pros to the trendy drink. The concept of creating your own drink, knowing what it contains, and keeping it sealed can minimize the risk of ingesting something you don’t want to.

The trend to add a punny name on the drink such as “borg to be wild,” also plays a surprisingly big role in the harm reduction aspect as it is easily identifiable and unique to the maker.

Again, this is only true if the user is aware of their personal limits and pairs the drink with plenty of hydration.

In March of this year, 46 University of Massachusetts students were hospitalized for taking part in the trend. All were discharged and suffered no life threatening injuries.

The NIH explains that these gaps happen when a person drinks enough alcohol to temporarily block the transfer of memories from short-term to long-term storage. The person can still walk and talk, potentially appearing normal to those around them.

This can often be a turning point for drinkers, as they can no longer make well-informed decisions — they run the risk of hurting themselves or someone around them.

Elizabeth Branham, A Bronco Fit health educator, reminds all users to remember the acronym “P.U.B.S.,” an ironically named tool for users to remember the signs of alcohol poisoning

The signs include puking while passed out, unresponsive to pinching or shaking, shallow or irregular breathing, and blue, cold, or clammy skin. If any one of these signs are seen, people should seek help immediately.

“First of all, follow your gut,” Branham said. “Second, if you’re having a hard time remembering the signs, ask yourself if a healthy person would ever exhibit these signs. If not, seek help immediately.”

Boise State University has an “Amnesty Protocol,” which allows students to call for help and receive no punishment should they be found with illegal substances, such as alcohol.

To BORG or not to BORG?

The BORG, or “blackout rage gallon,” has gained popularity over the years all across college campuses and national headlines. A New York Times article explains that the BORG is not the comparative safe option that students may believe it is.

The drink is a gallon jug, part water and part vodka, combined with the maker’s choice of electrolyte mix. This combination makes it easy to quickly overserve oneself without understanding the possible consequences.

The hashtag “#borg” has garnered 295.5 million views on TikTok, making it one of the most trending topics of 2023.

The trend can be dangerously misguided. Should a person want to participate in the trend, it is important they only put in

The harmful effects of BORGs and other drinking trends like “rage cage” and “beer pong” can never be described as inherently safe. Safety while drinking is completely based on the user’s decision making skills and knowing their limits.

“There have been times when I have felt unsafe for other people,” said a Boise State sophomore, “specifically frat men who feel they have something to prove with the amount of alcohol they can consume in one sitting.”

Overdrinking can happen rapidly; the term “blacking out” is essentially when a person experiences temporary lapses in their memory.

“The Department of Public Safety’s top priority is the safety of our students,” said Tana Monroe, director of Campus Security. “Please know that we are always a phone call away 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year via 208-4266911.”

Staying alive and well is the most important thing any person can maintain for themselves.

Drinking is going to happen, and there is nothing wrong with partaking in it safely and with people you trust.

Before going out to enjoy a night with friends, make sure your phone is charged, you have a rideshare app downloaded, lots of water ready to drink and, most importantly, that you feel safe.

Trust your gut and stay prepared. Keeping these necessities in mind when drinking can minimize risks. While drinking can never be inherently safe, there are steps you can take to make your night safer.

CULTURE

April 20, 2023 | ARBITERONLINE.COM

STORYFORT SHOWCASES THE SKILLED WRITING OF BOISE STATE STUDENTS

Boise State students share their best written work at Storyfort

Ortiz | Staff Writer | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Many might know Treefort as the biggest music festival in the Treasure Valley. However, Treefort is much more than a music festival.

At Treefort, all of Boise’s culture and talents are showcased. Artists, writers, musical groups, dancers, filmmakers and so many more are exhibited throughout the entirety of downtown Boise during the festival.

Storyfort is one of the many interesting “forts” that Treefort has to offer, where authors, poets, journalists, memoirists and storytellers share their written works with the public.

On Thursday, March 23, Storyfort featured “Undergrad Reading: An Emerging Writers Showcase,” which exhibited the extraordinary talents of Boise State student writers.

Nine emerging authors from Boise State participated in Storyfort. Each student read a piece of writing aloud, and genres in the fort included poetry, fiction, personal essays and short stories.

Leo Perry, a junior studying interdisciplinary studies, shared a piece he called “Dead On Arrival.”

In this brief essay, Perry draws on death imagery to describe painful experiences in his life and ultimately coming to terms with his identity, writing, “For once this is not a death, this is a rebirth.”

“That piece was inspired by a lot of different traumas in my life,” Perry said. “This was a way to connect them in a meaningful way and to show these overarching themes throughout my life that I picked up on.”

Perry also shares his ambitions to publish “Dead on Arrival” as its own anthology.

Senior creative writing major Emmy Parton contrasts Perry’s harrowing coming-of-age essay with humorous, sexually-themed and romantic poems. At her eighth Treefort, Parton read four poems with these themes.

Her last humorous poem, titled “A Eulogy for Leftovers,” was all about how she had finally learned her lesson about not wasting food and made the decision to let her dog devour a leftover pizza.

Even after reading all four poems aloud, Parton found it difficult to choose a favorite piece because she considered them all to be like her children. She did share that the poem “Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm?” is the one she credits with transforming her into a poet.

As Parton gushed about her poem, she

gave insight on the historical tale that inspired it: a supernatural cold case from the 1940s where young boys ran after a rabbit into a field where they discovered a corpse in a tree.

“It’s kind of like a sing-song, dark fairytale-like, rhyming poem,” Parton said.

Paris Thompson, a senior majoring in environmental studies, shared thoughts on his environmental western fiction piece, which contrasts the illustrative poems from Parton and the heartbreaking coming-of-age essay from Perry.

Thompson comments about the nonfiction piece he’s currently writing, titled “Coyote Haun,” from which he read an excerpt.

“It’s kind of a culmination of conversations I’ve had in the environmental

studies program, about environmentalism and the social side of it,” Thompson said.

Thompson elaborates on how “Desert Solitaire,” a book written by an old park ranger from Archer’s National Park named Edward Abbey, played a significant role in shaping the modern environmental movement and loosely inspired his piece, “Coyote Haun.”

The undergraduate students at Boise State who participated in Storyfort had an excellent opportunity to showcase their best written work to the community.

Storyfort was a showcase for exceptional skill. Where these up-and-coming authors go and what they produce in the next few years will be fascinating to follow.

Madi

Boise State students shared a diverse range of works at Storyfort, from coming-of-age essays to environmental western fiction pieces. Elise Ledesma | The Arbiter

FRONDESCENCE BECOMES BOISE’S SECOND ALL-VEGAN RESTAURANT

The newest addition to Boise’s food scene specializes in Mexican-inspired foods at student-friendly prices

Sofie Eriksen | Staff Writer | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

based proteins cooked and seasoned to make you forget that they are, in fact, plant-based.

As I walked into the restaurant, the employee at the counter happily greeted me while dancing to the old school tunes playing in the background.

I immediately felt welcome in the restaurant as it exuded a very casual and laid-back ambiance.

Wanting to taste the entire menu, I sought advice from the employee, who recommended that I try the tacos for a light lunch.

Some of the other options of the menu are of more substance so I decided to go with the “Southwest Chick’n Tacos.”

The tacos came with roasted poblano, hatch green chili, cheddar sauce, green leaf, roasted red pepper, aioli and tomato.

The tacos were flavorful, and the green chili provided a level of spiciness just enough to warm my mouth the slightest bit but at a level everyone could handle. For additional spice drizzle, add some of their homemade salsa on top.

Arroues loves the late-night crowd during Treefort or any kind of event happening downtown and wants to create meal options for hungry vegans at night time.

Frondescence makes a great choice for college students wanting to get their money’s worth. For $10, you get a 14inch burrito that to most people would be enough to cover two meals.

“What I’ve been telling people is eat a few bites, and then you can save it. Take it home, either like put it in their fryer, or just dump the burrito out into a bowl and you got a burrito bowl,” Arroues said.

Although Boise only boasts two fully vegan restaurants, the vegan market faces a tough industry due to competition from other restaurants with vegan options and a relatively small population of vegans.

In addition, with the economy forcing people to penny-pinch, profitability becomes a significant challenge.

Grab lunch after class or a latenight snack on the way home from the bar at Boise’s newest vegan restaurant, “Frondescence.”

Opening the second all-vegan restaurant in Boise, owner Justin Arroues has made it his mission to show people what good vegan food can taste like.

Frondescence opened on Feb. 21 at 103 N. 10th St. and specializes in Mexican-inspired fast food.

The menu features freshly made sandwiches, street tacos, build-your-own burritos and nachos. The newest addition to the menu is the “VcFlurry,” a vegan alternative to the McFlurry, for those craving something sweet.

Prices range from $3 for each street taco to $12 for sandwiches, making the

food affordable, even for students on a budget.

The future looks bright for the plantbased eatery, with its Instagram following growing to 1,148 just two weeks after opening.

Arroues created a menu that caters not only to vegans but invites all foodies and persons curious to explore new vegan options to check out the restaurant.

“I started a vegan restaurant to market to meat eaters. I love the taste of meat, but I love animals more,” he said.

Arroues also accommodates those intolerant to gluten; all tacos and sandwiches can be made gluten-free.

The proteins to choose from are chorizo, beef, chicken, BBQ pork, taco meat and black beans.

All of the meat alternatives are soy-

The tacos made for a satisfying meal with crisp vegetables and a meat-like texture of the faux chicken that can have everyone fooled, and I left feeling full without feeling bloated.

So far the most popular items on the menu are the “Beef and Mushrooms Sandwich” and the “B.Y.O.B.” but the whole menu gets sold every day.

With fast service, Frondescence is a perfect pit stop during a quick lunch break or when you are starving on the way home from bar hopping as an alternative to every college student’s current favorite “Pie Hole.”

On Fridays and Saturdays, the restaurant is open until 2 a.m., and the rest of the week they close at midnight.

When enjoying a beer across the street at “10th Street Station,” the whole menu is available for purchase and delivery with no delivery costs.

Arroues, who recently closed his vegan food truck, The Void, considered moving to Southern California or Portland. However, he still has faith in creating a sustainable business for himself in Boise and is giving it another shot with Frondescence.

“It is really hard, but it is still worth the fight. I wouldn’t want it any other way. I really want to bring something to Idaho,” he said.

Arroues envisions setting up a small outdoor seating area in front of the shop, as well as adding beer and wine to the menu. If Frodescence becomes a success, he dreams of bringing back The Void, as a 24-hour diner or opening another shop in Meridian.

So far the future looks promising for Frondescence with 4.9/5 and 5/5 star ratings based on a total of 37 reviews on Google Reviews and Happycow.com.

Frondescence, located on 10th Street in downtown Boise, is the city’s second all-vegan restaurant. Elise Ledesma | The Arbiter

CULTURE

SERIES ‘DAISY JONES & THE SIX’ BRILLIANTLY BRINGS THE NOVEL TO LIFE

Experience the music culture of the 70s in this new Amazon Prime series

Hanalei Potempa | Culture Editor | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Based on the bestselling book by Taylor Jenkins-Reid, Amazon Prime released the final episodes of the series “Daisy Jones & The Six,” on March 21.

With series adapted from books, it’s always a tough act to follow for actors and directors, especially when the book has such a powerful fandom like this one does. But the trailer offered the highest of hopes for fans looking to experience one of their favorite books for the first time again on the screen.

Shockingly, the series brilliantly depicts the aesthetic of the book, as many fans of the novel became obsessed with the teaser and trailer that were released before any of the episodes, many claiming that the setting and characters looked just the way they had pictured.

As one of the many fans that were shocked by the wonderful depictions in the trailer, I was anxiously awaiting this release, watching the episodes as they came out every Friday since March 3. But now, all of the episodes are available to binge, and it’s totally worth the watch.

The story follows a band in the 70s and their journey from practicing in their hometown garage to becoming a hit in the music industry and touring the nation to perform in sold out venues.

Filmed in an interview and flashback format to mirror the structure of the book, the audience meets the characters through real-time interviews decades after the bands rise to stardom.

Most of the story takes place in flashbacks, with occasional takes to the present day as the characters reflect on this time in their lives. A lot about the band changes throughout the story including the band members, music genre, style of songwriting and even the name of the band.

The original band, “The Dunne Brothers,” later developed into “The Six,” and finally, when the famous solo singer Daisy

Jones joined the band, it became “Daisy Jones & The Six.”

The final band we know and love includes brothers Billy Dunne (Sam Claflin) and Graham Dunne (Will Harrison), Eddie Roundtree (Josh Whitehouse), Warren Rojas (Sebastio Chacon), Karen Sirko (Suki Waterhouse), Billy Dunne’s wife Camila Dunne (Camila Morrone) and of course Daisy Jones (Riley Keough.)

I was thoroughly impressed with every actor’s ability to portray each character, as the actors brilliantly brought these literary characters to life on the screen.

The audience gets to watch as the characters’ separate storylines come together and experience all of the band drama, gaining the perspectives of every character. Behind the scenes there are a lot of romantic relationships, power struggles between band members and the chaos of the culture of partying and substance abuse that many rock stars become accustomed to.

As if the fandom couldn’t get any larger with the series and the book, a complete soundtrack of all of the songs written and performed throughout the series is available on music streaming platforms.

Not only do fans of the book get to watch one of their favorite stories play out, they also get to hear the songs that they previously had only ever read the lyrics for.

The aesthetic of the show is truly one of the elements I am most obsessed with. Each character has their own iconic 70s style, from Karen’s feminine rockstar look with leather and vests to Daisy’s classic 70s look of floral and fringe. I was captivated by all of the fashion throughout the show.

I was happy to see the plot twists from the book made its way to the end of the series as well, as it is revealed to the audience who exactly is behind these interviews.

I have to say the final episode was the best of the series. In the finale, the band makes their final performance, completely unaware that this will be their last time performing all together.

The audience gets to watch the series of events that lead to the band’s fall out, as well as get the perspectives of the characters’ present day reflections looking back on that fateful day.

I was happy to see that one of the most iconic quotes from the book, from main character Billy Dunne, made it to the film.

“Everything that made Daisy burn,

made me burn. Everything I loved about the world, Daisy loved about the world. Everything I struggled with, Daisy struggled with. We were two halves. We were the same. In that way you’re only the same with a few other people.”

I highly recommend this series to anyone who is interested in the music industry, Hollywood drama, or even just the era of the 70s. And if you’re already a fan of the book, the series is definitely a quality depiction of the story that will have you obsessing over these characters all over again.

The TV adaptation of “Daisy Jones & The Six” is a truthful retelling of Taylor Jenkins-Reid’s bestselling novel. Photo courtesy of Amazon Prime

THE BEST FILMS SCREENED AT THIS YEAR’S TREEFORT FESTIVAL

What you may have missed at Filmfort while you were head banging to local bands

Naomi Priddy | Guest Writer | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Natalia and Riley are absolute world makers in their approach to this film, exploring sex, pleasure, love and loss all through a distinctly feminine gaze. Their dynamic softness and strength radiated throughout the screen with stunning and tasteful expressions of nakedness and vulnerability in love, showcasing bodies and intimacy as an artform in of itself.

Prepared to be left in tears and to reevaluate your relationship to the home within your heart and how you give yourself grace and love.

“Dusty and Stones” directed by Jesse Rudoy

Running time: 83 minutes

Both local and global directors were given screentime at Filmfort 2023, where they presented a collection of shorts, animations and documentaries.

This year’s Treefort Music festival came in full force and did not disappoint, especially on the film front.

While you were losing your voice shoulder-to-shoulder with your new found festival buddy, it’s possible you may have missed some incredible films. Here are the top films screened at this year’s Filmfort.

“Winter in Pluto” directed by Natalita and Riley Teahan

Running time: 40 minutes

Winter in Pluto is an experimental musical created by LA based artists Natalita and Riley Teahan from the producers of “Myths From My Womb.” The film explores the themes of self love and poses the question, “What if you fall in love with yourself the same way you fall in love with another?”

The film follows the story of the daughter of Venus, a love goddess named Stone who controls all acts of love through her cotton candy-esc world somewhere in the

clouds. As Stone continues on the path of reuniting humans with their missing half, she begins to question her work and the belief system that has guided her for centuries.

This film personifies exactly what it means to love and to grieve like a woman. The divinely feminine approach to this film created a space that tells a story of love and loss in a way I had never seen before, but remains to be the most authentic and truthful narration of what it looks like to fall in love with yourself.

In a mixture between music video, documentary and film, this work follows an abstract and mystic blend of animation and live action techniques that weave together to create one collection of love.

The film is currently in the festival circuit and is not yet available online. However, it will be on the creators’ website in the near future. Natalita’s album, “Winter in Pluto,” which accompanied the film, can be listened to in whole on YouTube and Apple Music.

“Dusty and Stones” is a powerful and brilliant portrait of what it means to be a musician, and by far one of my favorite music documentaries I have had the pleasure of watching.

The film tells the story of country musicians Gazi (Dusty) Simelane and Linda (Stones) Msibi, cousins from Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland who travel to Nashville Tennessee following an invitation to perform at a country music show.

The director, Jesse Rudoy, was a striving musician himself. He found the story of Dusty and Stone by asking the question, “Does anyone play country music outside the United States, and if so why?” There under a YouTube search of African country music he found Dusty and Stones, two African cowboys.

This film was an absolute joy to behold and every single member of the audience was left smiling upon hearing the story of the cowboy cousins.

This film was not at all what you would expect to see in a music documentary. It is a glimpse into the true nature of being a musician and not the small percentage of stars who “make it.” This film explores what it means to candidly and unapologetically live your life with gusto.

Seasoned with belly laughter, instances

of culture shock and beautiful portraits of the human condition, this documentary should be at the top of your list.

The film is currently on the festival circuit and has not yet made its way online, but will be publically available in the future. In the meantime, you can listen to music by Dusty and Stone on SoundCloud.

“Vertical Valor” directed by Alex Kavutskiy

Running time: 15 minutes

When the director tells you that on film day he meant to take an anxiety medication and instead took Ecstasy, you know the film is bound to be funny.

This rang true for Alex Kavutskiy’s “Vertical Valor.” Taking place during World War III, a group of skateboarders who avoided the draft by failing their drug tests are put on the job of casualty notification, delivering notices to family friends that their loved ones have died in the war.

Left to their own devices and armed with their skateboards, the men make their way around town delivering notices, eventually returning and befriending one of the victims’ fathers.

What may seem like a curious theme for a comedy is an absolutely hilarious short that broke the often serious tone of the festival circuit.

“Vertical Valor” was one of the funniest shorts played at this year’s festival. I continued to ask myself time and time again over the course of 15 minutes amidst my cackling — how did they come up with this?

This film was in every way loveably idiotic and creative to the fullest extent.

Filmfort 2023 brought in a star-worthy collection of shorts, animations and documentaries spanning from local to global directors that fully personified the heart of Treefort: community and love.

Photo courtesy of Ella Smith

SPORTS & REC

April 20, 2023 | ARBITERONLINE.COM

IDAHO STEELHEADS BREAK THEIR STADIUM ATTENDANCE RECORD

Idaho Steelheads see continued success throughout the 2022-2023 hockey season

Alexandra East | Staff Writer | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Boise has experienced an influx of residents moving to the area in recent years following the COVID-19 pandemic. With this, their minor league hockey team, the Idaho Steelheads, has also experienced an influx of fans.

Unlike most states, Idaho lacks professional sports teams to entertain their residents. Thus, you would assume that their minor league teams like the Steelheads and the Boise Hawks would bring in large crowds of fans.

However, that is not quite the case. In fact, over the duration of the 2003 to 2020 seasons, the Steelheads failed to reach more than an average of 4,700 fans per game.

It was not until the 2021-2022 season where the team was able to break their fan attendance and record a game average of 5,009 fans. During the most recent season, the team recorded an average of 5,114 fans per game.

So what is it that has convinced fans to attend the Steelheads game? Is it the dollar beer on Wednesday nights? Or per-

haps the 78.9% win percentage the team recorded in their 2022-2023 season?

“Attending the Steelheads games has been one of the highlights of my college career,” said senior Boise State student and Steelheads fan Elise Boockholdt. “Besides the recent success of the team, it has been a really great way to support my community.”

The Steelheads have had great success in ECHL play this season. With 57 games played so far, they have recorded a 45-9 record and 93 points, making them the best in the league.

“It is so exciting to be able to introduce my kids to such a fun sport,” said mom

of two, Allison Cunningham. “Allowing them to experience wins with their community has shown them why I love Boise.”

Many of the individuals moving to the area are originally from cities that feature professional sports teams. Because the Steelheads are a minor league program, their stadium only has capacity for 5,000 seats and 39 entertainment suites. In comparison, the average NHL stadium holds 18,320 seats.

So, how does a small Idaho minor league hockey team entertain all these people who have experienced the crazed environment of a professional hockey

game?

“After moving to Boise from Southern California, my family was so excited to attend a Steelheads game after all the Kings games we used to go to,” said new Boise mom Katie Miller. “The environment of the Steelheads game felt so much more intimate, and it felt like we were watching our friends play.”

For the first season, nearly every game has come close to or has officially been sold out. The combination of an amazing community and the recent success of this current team has proved to residents of Boise that watching the Steelheads is how they should spend their evenings.

The Idaho Steelheads have seen increased fan attendance during the 2022-2023 hockey season, recording an average of 5,114 fans per game. Photo courtesy of the Idaho Steelheads

“Attending the Steelheads games has been one of the highlights of my college career. Besides the recent success of the team, it has been a really great way to support my community.”

- Elise Boockholdt, Boise State student and Steelheads fan

COMMENTARY: FEMALE ATHLETES CRITICIZED FOR COMPETITIVE PLAY

The double standard between female and male athletes in the NCAA must come to an end

Alexandra East | Staff Writer | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Women’s sports have seen a tremendous amount of growth over the last few years, with increased participation, greater media coverage and higher levels of competition. However, despite this progress, a double standard still exists when it comes to female athletes and their behavior while playing their sport.

With the increased media coverage, more female athletes are being scrutinized in the media for showing immense passion for their sport. Whether that passion be trash talking, showboating or getting angry with the refs, female athletes are expected to play their sport without a competitive edge.

This is especially true in collegiate sports, where female athletes are expected to be more “ladylike” or “classy” than their male counterparts.

This year’s NCAA women’s basketball finals featured two electric teams between Iowa and LSU. However, the real rivalry was between LSU’s power forward, Angel Reese, and Iowa’s point guard, Caitlin Clark.

Following a heated game between the two college superstars, Reese was shown taunting her competitor after LSU’s win by pointing to her ring finger and following Clark around the court.

Following the incident, social media blew up with harsh comments about the LSU superstar calling her “classless” and some even saying her actions were that of “an idiot.”

Male athletes have engaged in similar passionate behavior for decades now. The most notorious instance was the 15-yard taunting penalty in the 1991 Cotton Bowl where the Miami Hurricanes were seen being “too mean” to the Texas Longhorns after a blowout.

Throughout all the rivalries in men’s NCAA sports, like Michigan vs. Ohio State, Texas vs. Oklahoma and North

Carolina vs. Duke, we have seen more taunting in historic men’s sports rivalries than in an entire decade of women’s sports games.

The biggest contributor to this double standard is the fact that women’s sports are often seen as less important than men’s sports. This can lead to a lack of resources and support for female athletes, which can make it harder for them to compete at the highest level. As a result, female athletes may feel pressure to conform to traditional gender roles in order to be taken seriously.

This stereotype can be damaging to female athletes, as it can discourage them from expressing their true emotions and can limit their ability to compete at the highest level. It may also lead to a lack of respect for female athletes, who are often seen as less serious or less committed than their male counterparts.

As seen after the NCAA finals game between LSU and Iowa, the actions made by Reese turned half the nation against the female athlete and distracted from the conversation about the historic win for LSU.

Women in sports are often held to a higher standard of professional conduct than their male counterparts. Elise Ledesma | The Arbiter

“With the increasede media coverage, more female athletes are being scrutinized in the media for showing immense passion for their sport ... female athletes are expected to play their sport without a competitive edge.”

FIVE TAKEAWAYS FROM BOISE STATE FOOTBALL’S SPRING GAME

Fans are hopeful for the upcoming season as the offense came away victorious

Marlei Soderquist | Sports & Rec Reporter | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu

The Boise State football team hosted their annual spring game on April 8 at Albertsons Stadium, displaying a renovated and more explosive offense.

After last year’s concerns surrounding the offensive production and lack of explosiveness, the Broncos came into the spring game and proved to Bronco Nation that those would be the least of their concerns.

As the Broncos played a variety of games with different “quarters” and a specific scoring format, there were a few things that were notable about not just the team, but new additions to Albertsons Stadium.

Offense

Last season, the Broncos’ offense was the main point of contention.

The 2022 season was the second season in a row that Boise State failed to average more than 30 points per game.

Prior to the two-year stretch, the Broncos had a consistent string of more than 10 seasons averaging more than 30 points a game.

After early failure in the offensive realm, the Broncos fired their offensive coordinator following the team’s loss to University of Texas, El Paso (UTEP) and had to introduce a new quarterback after former quarterback Hank Bachmeier entered the transfer portal.

This spring game was a chance to prove that the Broncos’ offense is back and better than ever.

Sophomore running back Ashton Jeanty was on full display during the game, rushing for 82 yards on two attempts and recording two touchdowns.

Though the scoring and format of the spring game differ from traditional football format, Jeanty caught the eyes of many in the crowd.

Quarterbacks

The Broncos had four quarterbacks participating in the spring game exhibi -

tion: Taylen Green, Maddux Madsen, CJ Tiller and Colt Fulton.

The four quarterbacks combined for a 57.5% completion rate and 323 yards.

Though Green will ultimately be the Broncos’ quarterback for the upcoming season, he fell short of the other three in regards to completion percentage. He threw for 176 yards with a 45% completion rate.

Madsen had the best completion percentage amongst all quarterbacks (77%). Green had most of the action on the day, but Madsen was a force to be reckoned with.

Madsen’s and Green’s stature and playing styles differ greatly.

While Green comes in at 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds, the sophomore quarterback from Utah, Madsen, is just 5-foot-10 and 200 pounds.

Madsen had some extremely impressive throws on the day to one of the new kids on the block … Prince Strachan.

Prince Strachan

Aside from his awesome name, freshman receiver Prince Strachan had some unbelievable receptions during both the spring game and the practice drills.

In the spring game, Strachan had two receptions and 56 yards on the day and was one of the more productive on the offensive end.

This is Strachan’s first year on the team and is originally from the Bahamas. He only started playing football in 2019 when he moved to Florida and had an exceptional high school career.

Though he lacks experience, the 6-foot-5 Bronco seems to fit seamlessly into the lineup and has potential to play a role in this upcoming season.

As more players will be lining up to take starting positions, Strachan looks like an incredible choice for the Broncos this year.

Non-Participants

About 30 Broncos were not dressed

down for the spring game. Among them was redshirt senior running back George Holani.

After starting in 13 games last season, leading the team with 1,157 yards rushing, 24 receptions and 13 touchdowns, the Bronco star was not active for the spring game.

Holani has made tremendous progress throughout his years as a Bronco and after a dominant 2022 season, the star player can come back and put on another tremendous season for the offense.

Scoreboard

Boise State removed the obscenely small scoreboard on the south end of the end zone and replaced it with a 120-foot by 50-foot LED screen.

With the support from Melaleuca, a health products manufacturer based in Idaho Falls that donated $4.5 million, the new 6,000-square-foot scoreboard

is now one of the biggest in college football, and the biggest scoreboard in the Mountain West conference by 1,800 square feet.

The miniscule scoreboard that was once in that spot was relocated to the softball field at Dona Larsen Park.

The new scoreboard is a great addition to the stadium and puts the Double R Ranch scoreboard located in the north endzone to shame.

As the Broncos look to open their 2023 season on Sept. 2 in Seattle, Washington, against University of Washington, there is hope of offensive growth and explosiveness as the off-season training continues.

Boise State’s football players put on a powerful offensive display during this year’s spring game.

Photo courtesy of Sarah A. Miller

OUR BEST GUESS

THE ARBITER ALIGNS YOUR STARS

CAPRICORN

DEC 22 - JAN 19

SAY THANK YOU TO THOSE ALWAYS IN YOUR CORNER–YOU ARE MADE UP OF THE COMPANY YOU KEEP

AQUARIUS

JAN 20 - FEB 18

LET YOUR UNIQUENESS SHINE WHEN CROSSING PATHS WITH NEW AND OLD FRIENDS

PISCES

FEB 19 - MAR 20

SOMETHING MEANT FOR YOU WILL SOON BE STANDING OUT IN THE CROWD, KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED

ARIES

MAR 21 - APR 19

THOUGH BITTERSWEET, YOU MAY BE MORE OVERDUE FOR A RELOCATION THAN YOU THINK YOU ARE

TAURUS APR 20 - MAY 20

YOUR STRONG EARTH ENERGY WILL COME IN HANDY FOR THE MULTIPLE DOORS THAT ARE ABOUT TO OPEN. LOVINGLY RELEASE THE BAD, AND BRACE YOURSELF FOR THE DECISION-MAKING MINDSET YOU WILL SOON REQUIRE

GEMINI

MAY 21 - JUN 20

A NEW CHARACTER IN YOUR LIFE WILL BE MORE THAN A ONE-EPISODE CAMEO

CANCER

JUN 21 - JUL 22

BALANCE WILL BE YOUR KEY– DON’T BITE OFF MORE THAN YOU CAN CHEW, BUT DON’T SIT STAGNANT

LEO

JUL 23 - AUG 22

THE RICHEST LOVE INTEREST RIGHT NOW IS YOURSELF, DON’T UNDERESTIMATE A PERSONAL LOVE AFFAIR

VIRGO

AUG 23 - SEPT 22

START TO READ BETWEEN THE LINES IN EVERY SITUATION, NOTICING WHAT SERVES YOU BEST

LIBRA

SEPT 23 - OCT 22

STRENGTHENING YOUR IDENTITY WILL BE IMPORTANT TO NOT GET ABSORBED BY YOUR LOVED ONES

SCORPIO

OCT 23 - NOV 21

CLEARING THE CLUTTER IN YOUR LIVING AND WORKING SPACES WILL ALLOW ROOM FOR SOME LUCK

SAGITTARIUS

NOV 22 - DEC 21

ROMANTICIZE YOUR LIFE LIKE YOU NEVER HAVE BEFORE, SHOW OTHERS THE WONDERS OF DOING SO

DOT MARTIN GRAPHIC DESIGNER

DESIGN@STUMEDIA.BOISESTATE.EDU

ILLUSTRATIONS BY SYDNEY SMITH