The Arbiter 10.16.2020 Vol. 33 Issue 3

October 15, 2020

Vol. 33 Issue 3

I N D EPEN DE NT

NEWS

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Idaho offers absentee mail-in ballots, early voting and Election Day in-person voting and registration.

VISIT US ONLINE:

S T UDE NT

OPINION

V O I CE

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On-campus student residents who test positive for COVID-19 have a unique quarantine experience.. arbiteronline.com

O F

B O I SE

STAT E

CULTURE

S I N C E

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Multicultural Student Services and Student Diversity and Inclusion have combined their departments. @arbiteronline

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SPORTS & REC

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The Cycle Learning Center has seen a “bike boom� as students turn to fitness alternatives.

@arbiteronline

@boisestatearbiter

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Editor-In-Chief Taylor Rico-Pekerol editor@stumedia.boisestate.edu Online Editor Ashley Clark onlineeditor@stumedia.boisestate.edu News Editor Marcos Guadarrama news@stumedia.boisestate.edu News Reporter Madi Jones news@stumedia.boisestate.edu Culture Editor Blake Hunter culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu Culture Reporter McKenzie Heileman culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu Sports Editor Brad Verbout sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu Sports Reporter Lexi Almeido sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu Opinion Editor Paige Wirta opinion@stumedia.boisestate.edu Copy Editor Delaney Beale Social Media Coordinator Trisha Kangas Digital Content Manager Mackenzie Hudson digitalcontent@stumedia.boisestate.edu Digital Content Producer Drew Marshall Graphic Design Manager Sarah Schmid design@stumedia.boisestate.edu Graphic Designer Jordan Barno Illustrator Abi Millet Distributed monthly on Fridays 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.

As fall begins, October brings a drop in temperatures, pumpkin patches and the changing colors of the leaves.

Mackenzie Hudson | The Arbiter

ON THE COVER:

As more Gen Z Americans gain eligibility to vote, organizations market to their specific needs as disillusionment with the political system sets in. Cover design by Sarah Schmid and photo courtesies to Amy Beth Bennet, Joe Burbank, Jessica McGowan and Francesca Di Pasque.

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-par tisan and socially responsible media.

MAILING ADDRESS: Student Media MS 1340 1910 W Universit y Dr. Boise, ID 83725 -1340

CREATIVE WRITING FEATURE

HAVE A COMMENT OR SUBMISSION?

Personal Poem - "The Fall Moment"

editor@stumedia.boisestate.edu

GUEST WRITER: FORREST BURT

EMAIL US AT:

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and shining tepping onto my porch The light of homes, and people with nary a care at the end of the day long last Suddenly, sweet singarriving ing through trees, a cold Birds and crickets chirp alike wind blows through my hair.

The change in the season, it Looking on high to spy not a feels, has seen time fit to strike cloud in sight A new chill in the air hits me by Only the evening sun, glimsurprise mering across falling leaves with a One that as with every year, out golden light of the blue, I instantly recognize Turning to catch the foothills It’s as though I can hear Mother within my gaze Glowing like fire: red, pink, and Nature call Summer’s over, and now here’s to orange, in the growing night haze the Fall.

Atop a black rock canyon far To practice new or old skills, join the Outdoor Program in going to the Black Cliffs to rock climb outside for a day for $25.

Taylor Rico-Pekerol | The Arbiter

Students of all majors who are interested in law as a profession and would like to

Get $150 without missing class Life comes at you pretty fast in college. ICCU proudly supports Boise State University by offering a wide range of services to help you make managing your money easier. Plus, we’ll give you $150 when you open a new membership with checking.* + Online and Mobile Banking + Apple Pay®, Samsung Pay®, and Android Pay® + Totally Free Checking + Low-Rate VISA Cards + Auto Loans, and more

GET YOUR $150. Stop by your local branch with this ad or apply online at www.iccu.com/BackToSchool with promo code BACKTOSCHOOL150 *To receive $150 you must be a new member and obtain a checking account with debit card, eBranch, and eStatements. The account must be open with a $100 minimum balance. $150 bonus will be deposited at the time of obtaining all three services in conjunction with account opening. Account must remain open for a minimum of six months from the reward date or $150 will be deducted from the account at closing.

Limit one reward per person, per household. Membership required, based on eligibility. Offer expires 10/31/2020.

WE BELIEVE in the home team.

NEWS

OCTOBER 15, 2020 | ARBITERONLINE.COM

BOISE STATE EMPLOYEES ADAPT TO NEW CHANGES DURING THE FALL SEMESTER

A look into how staff members and employees are handling new procedures and safety guidelines Kurt Owen | Staff Writer | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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OVID-19 changed many aspects of life at Boise State, affecting various classroom and campus experiences. Yet, there is another change that has altered student employee positions and staff members within the university.

Joey Prizina is a junior health science major. Prizina says his work experience has changed and left him feeling less interactive in his duties. “[COVID-19] took hard effects on working at the information desk and now everything is mostly done digitally. Overall, it is much less busy at the desk and not even close to as many social interactions like I used to have,” Prizina said.

“To make things stranger, aside from wearing masks, there is now a huge glass safety guard for talking with people.”

The information desk hours have been shortened by a few hours each day to help with sanitization concerns, according to Prizina. Boise State has also set up a two-week paid quarantine for those who contract COVID-19.

Since the start of the pandemic, there has been a lot of uncertainty on how things were going to unfold over the next several months. Both the university and the state of Idaho enacted a hiring freeze that essentially created a couple other additional approval steps coming from the State Division of Human Resources (DHR) and State Division of Financial Management (DFM) in order to review and approve recruiting and hiring requests for essential positions. As of July 6, 2020, evaluations for essential positions from state agencies are no longer needed.

Another main topic of discussion within university administration was

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how to help ensure a smooth progression towards student degrees in the first semester back.

Jordy LePiane, employee relations team member at Boise State’s Human Resources Office (HRO), discussed the sudden halt on the hiring process.

“We wanted to make sure this would work and that positions continued to be filled, but the hiring freeze really kind of pushed the pause button on the majority of hiring activity, and you’re probably seeing a little bit of dip on the hiring process right now,” LePiane said.

Life on and off campus has changed for everyone, students and staff alike.

The budget for all state agencies and universities has been adjusted to take greater care of students on a collective level, making sure that student needs are served first, while also prioritizing resources for other staffing needs and hiring commitments.

Associate Vice President of Human Resources Shawn Miller spoke about actions taken in recent months due to the sudden hiring freeze and unemployment of staff members at the university.

“We had a hiring freeze in the spring leading up into the middle of summer. A group of our employees were furloughed,” Miller said. “We had a structure based upon salary amount to determine how many furlough days someone needed to take. We expanded the time in which to take that [time] from May through the end of July.”

The university held a series of town hall meetings to answer people’s questions and worked with furloughed employees to file for unemployment.

Kaysi Parke, communications employee engagement specialist, explained one

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State agency reviews are no longer needed for hiring essential positions.

Drew Marshall | The Arbiter Parke has also created a website called of the top requests were flexible hours Wrap Around Resources that provides and the ability to work from home. information for students and employees A couple of supervisors at the time related to wellness. The site provides did not think people would be as information about resources on and off productive from home. However,when campus that can help students deal with staff members were forced into an atthe uncertainty of the pandemic. home or remote status, they found that The resource list labeled “Hierarchy productivity for many faculty members of Needs” recognizes that it is imposincreased, and many felt that working sible to focus on anything when your from home provided extra stability. basic needs are not being met. In these Hybrid work brings a new idea that strange times, knowing what one needs roles can be versatile and flexible in a from themself and the people around work environment. them is crucial to general mental and “I speak as a mother homeschooling physical wellbeing. a kindergartener and a third grader, The Boise State Human Resources while also having my 13-month-old team cares about people and their needs. go to daycare. I have had to shift my hours a lot as there is always work to be HRO expressed that whatever the case is, they encourage employees to explore done and sometimes I have to work a their resources and reach out if they little bit on the weekend to get all of it need help. done,” Parke said. “Honestly, the flexibility of my team and the support of my team has been monumental for me; feeling that I can be a successful parent and employee.”

NEWS

BOISE STATE ENGINEERS SEND STEM CELL RESEARCH INTO SPACE

Bone cells that take years to age on Earth will age in a matter of weeks while in space Madi Jones | News Reporter | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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oise State engineers have been awarded $315,000 from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to launch stem cell research into space.

Alexander Regner, master’s student in materials science engineering, has been working on stem cell research for nearly three years. Through Regner’s research, he has studied the health and maintenance of bone and bone marrow.

As you exercise and move, your bone marrow stimulates cells, which is a vital part of maintaining health, according to Regner.

“That’s why exercise is so good for you.

We know all of this contributes to health and maintenance, but we don’t actually know what it looks like mechanically to these cells,” Regner said.

Regner and his associates Gunes Uzer, assistant professor of mechanical and biomedical engineering, and Aykut Satici, assistant professor of mechanical and biomedical engineering, have created a model to mimic the bone marrow mechanical environment and analyze what kind of

mechanical environment is causing the cells to react in certain ways.

Regner uses a computer simulation that matches a 3D printed physical sample.

This allows Regner to understand what the mechanical environment looks like so they can correlate the mechanical environment to the cellular response.

Through this research, Regner asks the big question, “is there a different mechanical environment generated due to changes in bone architecture?”

Gunes and Satici looked at Regner’s research and wanted to bring it to a bigger audience. Their new goal was to determine how stem cell research can benefit Earth. According to Gunes, space travel tends to produce tissue types and cell behavior that is similar to aging. This aging happens over a matter of weeks in space, as opposed to a matter of years on Earth.

“We take one of these bone cells and we age them for a year or two. But obviously, these bones have a shelf life,” Gunes said. “Maybe we can do that in

Researchers expect to cut the time of their experiment by sending the stem cells into space.

Photo courtesy of Martin Lopez

space in three weeks and do the experiment in space. Maybe we can learn more about how the bone mechanical environment contributes to the aging process.

That’s really the project, take Alex’s work and send it to space.”

Satici’s contribution to this research is from a different perspective, robotics.

According to Satici, there needs to be mechanical vibrations applied to particular cells. To accomplish this, there needs to be a robotic mechanism to perform that motion in a consistent matter.

Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) holds a subcontract with the International Space Station along with the National Science Foundation (NSF). Each year, they ask the question, “what type of research can we perform in space that can teach us something about Earth and improve advanced science on Earth?”

Regner, Gunes and Satici argued that they cannot properly age experiments on Earth, and proposed that space could be a good platform for their research. They wrote a grant proposal for their research, what they have done in the past, what they plan to do and who is a part of the research team.

Regner, Gunes and Satici also work closely with the University of Texas, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Space Tango to complete this research.

Through this extensive research, Regner, Satici and Gunes emphasize the importance of working hard to accomplish one’s goals.

“Just because it’s fun to do, doesn’t mean you are going to learn it. You have to persevere and do the dirty work. Try to improve yourself with any resources you can get,” Satici said.

Regner advocates for students to continuously work hard to help solve modern problems. There are a lot of job opportunities in the STEM field, and many jobs that may not require a STEM

background at all, like politics.

“A lot of our modern problems we are dealing with are multidisciplinary things.

It requires the involvement of everyone.

Space flight, for example, you need people to understand not only the mechanics but make sure we’re safe while we’re doing it,” Regner said. “[There are] a lot of problems we are facing in the middle age. If you’re interested in helping solve them, there are so many different opportunities to get involved. If you want to go into politics, we need people to advocate for science in politics to make sure that we have adequate funding and focused goals for where we are going and what we are doing.”

Gunes hopes students who want to get involved and achieve their goals will start with volunteer work.

“Go to a lab you’re interested in and say ‘Hey, I want to do volunteering involving research.’ Before you know it you start getting your masters, your Ph.D., and then you become a scientist. If you’re interested in [science] then stop thinking about it and do it,” Gunes said.

“Just because it’s fun to do, doesn’t mean you are going to learn it. You have to persevere and do the dirty work. Try to improve yourself with any resources you can get.”

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Aykut Satici, assistant professor of mechanical and biomedical engineering

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NEWS

BOISE STATE UPDATES AND REMINDS STUDENTS OF NEW TRAVEL GUIDELINES

Due to increasing positive COVID-19 cases on campus, Boise State updates travel guidelines Madi Jones | News Reporter | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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ncreasing amounts of positive 14 days after traveling.

COVID-19 cases at Boise State and If a student does travel, the CDC beyond has led the university to up- recommends wearing a mask at all times, date its travel guidelines. Boise State social distance by providing at least six suspended university-sponsored travel for feet of distance from yourself and others, students and faculty through the end of washing your hands often, avoid touching the year with some exceptions. your eyes, nose and mouth, and avoid conThroughout the year, policies have tact with anyone who is sick. Exposure to changed and updated to keep students COVID-19 through airports, bus stations, and faculty safe on campus. With the train stations and rest stops is possible, updated travel guidelines, Boise State according to Boise State News. also includes information about how and According to The Department of when to quarantine.

Community and Environmental Health According to Boise State’s travel web page, at Boise State, the travel guidelines will be exceptions to the travel guidelines include: implemented until COVID-19 no longer “Field-work, where COVID precautions poses a risk to the campus and community. are integrated into the principal investiAccording to Madrid, the travel guidegator’s research restart plan and approved lines are not new but are reiterating the by the VP for Research and Economic guidelines to students.

Development in consultation with the “Students, faculty and staff have already university’s public health officer. Athletic agreed to these guidelines when they took and academic team travel, when travel the Bronco Pledge for Public Health and plans are pre-approved by the university’s agreed to the four main safety guidelines,” public health officer. Other essential travel Madrid said. approved by the appropriate divisional VP Boise State is taking these travel guideand in consultation with the university’s lines seriously. public health officer.”

“Not following the guidelines amounts Cienna Madrid, assistant director of to a Boise State student code of conduct content communications and marketing, violation. Failure to comply with stated wrote in an email that Boise State is comguidelines and restrictions could result in mitted to keeping students and faculty disciplinary action,” Madrid said. safe and informed of all guideline changes and updates.

“Our public health team was already advising individuals to follow these guidelines, formalizing them and disseminating them across campus as a proactive way of ensuring that all students, faculty and staff are aware of the steps they must take for their health and the health of the campus community,” Madrid wrote.

Cienna Madrid, assistant director of conAccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), travtent communications and marketing eling increases your risk of contracting COVID-19. It is possible to spread COVID-19 to other people including, family, friends and the community up to

Beth Manor, senior multidisciplinary studies major, believes it will be hard to accurately determine which students travel and adhere to the university guidelines, versus those who will not.

“I think it would be difficult to enforce a policy like this. Although it does sound good on paper, t’s gonna come down to how many people want to prevent it and how serious individuals will take it,” Manor said. “I think it’s a good policy to have on the books to show that the university is

taking it seriously, but I think ultimately it will be very hard to enforce.”

However, Manor is grateful that Boise State is taking the health and safety of students and faculty seriously.

“I continue to feel very confident about the safety measures BSU has put in place.

The fact that everyone has been sticking fairly well to those policies is very encouraging. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Manor said.

“Not following the guidelines amounts to a Boise State student code of conduct violation.”

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The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reminds people that traveling increases the risk of contracting COVID-19.

Jordan Barno | The Arbiter

NEWS

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO VOTE ON NOV. 3

Whether by absentee ballot, early or in-person, there are multiple ways to vote Katie Thibadeau | Staff Writer | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Early or absentee ballot voters must be registered by Oct. 9, and in-person voters can register the day of.

Mackenzie Hudson | The Arbiter

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lection Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3 and there are three ways to vote, absentee ballot, early and in-person voting.

Those who want to vote by absentee must request a ballot by Oct. 23. People can go to IdahoVotes.gov to check registration status, request a ballot, update personal information and more.

“Voting is fundamental to our democratic system of government and a way to get your voice heard. Every vote counts and with tight local races, the outcome can hinge on a small number of votes,” said Chelsea Carattini, communications specialist at the Ada County Clerk’s Office.

Absentee ballots must be received no later than 8 p.m. on Nov. 3. It is recommended that absentee ballots be mailed no later than Oct. 28, and after this date, ballots should be hand delivered to Ada County Elections to ensure they are delivered on time.

“Voting is fundamental to our democratic system of government and a way to get your voice heard.

Every vote counts and with tight local races, the outcome can hinge on a small number of votes. ” Chelsea Carattini, communications specialist at the Ada County Clerk’s Office

Ballot drop box locations are also available throughout the valley at the Ada County Elections office, Meridian City Hall, Boise City Hall, Eagle City Hall and Kuna City Hall.

Early voting is available at Ada County Elections, Meridian City Hall, Boise Basque Center and Eagle Hope Lutheran Church from Oct. 13 through Oct. 30.

Voting locations are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. through 4 p.m. on Saturdays. All locations are closed on Sundays.

Voters can submit their ballot at any of these locations, no matter what county they live in.

Mobile voting is also available starting Oct. 13 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. throughout the valley. Go to adacounty.id.gov/ elections/early-voting/ to view locations and more.

Early or absentee voters must be registered by Oct. 9.

Students that are on-campus residents can vote on Election Day at the Extra Mile Arena in the Blue Room from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. All students can also vote early via the Mobile Truck outside of the Boise

State Hall of Fame on Oct. 13 from 10 a.m. through 5 p.m.

People voting in person on Nov. 3 must visit their polling location between 8 a.m. through 8 p.m. Voters must bring a form of government identification, which includes an Idaho drivers license or photo identification card, a U.S Passport or Federal photo identification card, a tribal photo identification card, a current high school photo ID or a concealed carry license issued by an Idaho County Sheriff.

Polling locations can be found at gis. adacounty.id.gov/apps/electionday/.

Voters can register at the polls on Nov. 3 with a form of photo identification and proof of residence, which includes vehicle registration, current utility bill, bank statement or a pay stub.

Cheyon Sheen, government relations officer for Associated Students of Boise State University (ASBSU) explained their efforts to get students to vote. “[ASBSU] reached out to the deans of each college asking them to commit to sharing voter registration information, along with passing this information throughout their respective college,” Sheen said.

Students can visit TurboVote a site that helps students register to vote, request an absentee ballot and get election notifications, Sheen explained.

Search #BroncosVote across social media for information from ASBSU about Election Day. According to Caratini, visit AdaCountyElections.com and follow Ada County Elections on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for helpful information “Make a habit of voting and being engaged in elections,” Caratini said. “Young voters need to be involved in decisions that affect them, and it starts with voting. We try to make the process easy and enjoyable, and we’re ready to help you get registered and find your polling place.”

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OPINION OCTOBER 15, 2020 | ARBITERONLINE.COM

GROWING UP GAY IN A CONSERVATIVE STATE

Lacking representation and community as children, many LGBTQIA+ students find new opportunities in college.

Taylor Nash | Guest Writer | opinion@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Clubs and organizations can help queer people find community on campus.

y favorite anity. Many of the words they do know are ti-LGBTQIA+ stateclouded with negative connotations. How ment to hear is, “if we would I, an unknowing lesbian, want to introduce children to understand and own the labels kids utilized gay people, the children will grow up to to harass me? be gay.” It often takes everything I have to My introductions to the words queer, refrain from rolling my eyes and shaking lesbian and gay were all detrimental. On my head. the playground, everybody played “smear If that logic were correct, LGBTQIA+ the queer.” Ellen was pretty successful, people would be straight. Heterosexual but “did you know she’s a lesbian?” If an culture is everywhere. outfit failed to meet social standards it was I was in high school when I finally deemed “gay.” realized that what I wanted was attainable.

My parents never attempted to make me A happy marriage to another woman could dress a certain way or favor specific toys exist, just not in Idaho. and characters. I grew up decked head to Part of the issue is that children lack the toe in SpiderMan gear. When the boxes of vocabulary to evaluate matters of sexualhand-me-down clothes were passed down

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Photo courtesy of Mercedes Mehling to me, I rooted through my cousin Aaron’s before my cousin Kelsey’s. Sports and being outdoors were my hobbies. I played with the neighborhood boys and the “masculine” toys.

When strangers misgendered me, my mom would say, “she’s our little tomboy.”

This was a phase that would pass. If growing out of it meant being pressured to conform to feminine societal standards, then they were right. I did outgrow the phase.

In middle school, I stopped picking out my clothing from the boys’ section. I wore skinny jeans and Hollister hoodies each day. At lunch, I sat with a table of girls. I grew to be obsessed with The Hunger Games and Twilight franchises.

Team Peeta or Team Gale? Team Edward or Team Jacob? What about Team Katniss or Team Bella?

It was not until high school that I realized why I could never come up with a name when asked who I had a crush on.

I finally began to understand that nobody else stayed up late taking “How To Know If You Are Gay” quizzes online and watching “Signs a Girl Likes You” videos on YouTube. Even though I knew I was gay, I would not mutter a single confession for several more years.

When it came time to choose a college, I picked the largest city possible. Campus was a whole new world. There were LGBTQIA+ clubs, same-sex families at the farmers market, gay bars downtown and pride flags in people’s windows.

If these experiences had been present in my childhood, I certainly would have grown up confidently gay. Not because it would have “turned” or “converted” me, but because it would have given me positive representation, vocabulary to express myself and community to look towards.

Straight parents should anticipate the possibility of their children being different from them. Many allies are not vocal until a loved one comes out. If parents champion LGBTQIA+ voices from the beginning, the least it will do is teach kids to respect community members.

This responsibility is not theirs alone.

As LGBTQIA+ people, we have the power to create positive representation via our presence. Sometimes it is not safe to do so, but it will never be safe if we hide out of convenience. Simply placing a pride sticker on your car could be the reassurance a questioning individual needs. Idaho might just be the perfect place for my gay life to take place.

OPINION

MY EXPERIENCE TESTING POSITIVE FOR COVID-19 AS A BOISE STATE STUDENT

Two weeks of self-isolation with no physical contact with the outside world is mentally, physically and emotionally draining Amanda Niess | Staff Writer | opinion@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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y mornings begin with a double shot of my favorite espresso. I especially love the aroma that comes from the espresso machine as the bold coffee slowly drips into my cup.

But, today was different. I couldn’t smell the coffee at all. When I took the first sip of this very familiar drink, I realized it had no flavor. I knew something was wrong. After sharing my concern with my roommates, we decided I should get tested for COVID-19.

Two days later, I received a phone call confirming my worst nightmare; the test came back positive. I, like many college students, didn’t know what to do. Immediately, I felt overwhelmed with so many questions and lost all sense of control.

After going through a plethora of feelings, like helplessness, fear and the frustration of the uncertainty for what was to come, I knew that self-isolation was inevitable. At that point, I reached out to my professors and my employer to let them know I was required to self-isolate for two weeks.

Then, I called my parents to let them know, but I decided not to inform everyone I knew both back home in California and even from some of my friends here. I didn’t look forward to telling my roommates because I was uncertain about how they were going to respond. One of my roommates was very worried once she heard my news.

“I was a little shocked at first because I thought you didn’t have it,” she said. “I was also scared because I had been in close contact with you and I had just started working too.”

This not only took a toll on our relationship as roommates but also created a shift in the dynamics of our household.

Two weeks of self-isolation caused me great despair and loneliness due to the fact that I wasn’t allowed to socialize with my roommates or anyone else. However,

After waiting two days, Amanda Neiss’ results came back positive and caused a shift in her roommate dynamic.

Photo courtesy of Amanda Niess

I knew I had to follow the protocol in order to restore my health and for the safety of others.

My other roommate was even more concerned with the news, given that she had been around her immune-compromised mother and many coworkers. She did not have any in-person classes, but expressed a greater concern for the health of those she had been around.

“I thought that I was going to contract [COVID] for sure,” she said. “I started cleaning a lot and avoided touching any surfaces to see if [we] could dodge it.”

Although I got support from the Health Services office on campus and the Fellowship Program Coordinator, BJ Lewis, who organizes mental health support for students with COVID-19, I wanted support from my friends during this time. The truth is, I felt unsupported during the whole process and I felt alone.

Being cooped up in my room for more than a week took a large toll on my men-

tal state, nonetheless.

The Dean of Students and a staff member from the Public Health Office emailed me and provided me with many great resources for mental health support and general health support.

“We focus on the immediate condition of the student and what they have been doing to cope with the experience and how they have been connecting to friends and family,” Lewis said. “As far as a mental health perspective goes, we are just trying to open as many doors as we can to make sure that access to our services is as easy as possible.”

I was worried that when I tested positive, I would become just a number to the university, but the Health Services Office proved me wrong. I could tell that the staff truly cared about my mental health.

The amount of compassion they showed towards me during my self-isolation period gave me so much hope.

“We were kind of building the ship as

we were trying to row it and so there’s a little bit of trial and error,” Lewis said in regard to creating the system that Health Services utilizes to check in on COVID-positive students. “The support is here and if anybody needs help, please contact us so we can figure out the best way to get them integrated into care.”

After two weeks of isolation, I finally received a phone call from the Central District Health (CDH) to tell me the good news. “We would like to release you back into society.”

Although my symptoms were mild compared to many others, I learned a lot about myself during this difficult time.

Boise State has wonderful support systems that were there for me when I needed them the most. Despite being 1,000 miles from my hometown, this experience has taught me to be patient, to be compassionate and to be resilient.

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voting turnout by age group on general election years

80 70

60+ 45-59

60

30-44

50

18-29

40 30 20 10 0

1988

1992

1996 2000 2004 2008 2012

2016

source: raw data adjusted by u.s. election project

organizations have long tried to reach america’s most progressive and politically immobile voters: its youngest Blake Hunter | Culture Editor | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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fter campaigning for Sen. Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign in 2016, Caoilfhionn Pridmore, now a junior technical communications and political science double major taking a gap year from college, slowed down on campaigning when the popular, self-described democratic socialist lost the Democratic primary.

They still voted for the Democratic ticket in the presidential election, but weren’t as passionate about Hillary Clinton’s policies. And then Donald Trump won the presidency.

“I spent probably 24 hours crying,” Pridmore said. “And then I got really angry, and I was like ‘I’m going to get involved in politics and do it on a local level,’ because I feel like nationally it feels like throwing rocks at the sun.”

Pridmore is now not only a student, but a drag performer, using their art as part of the national “Drag Out The Vote” campaign started in 2017 to engage and register voters — particularly young LGBTQIA+ voters — through drag events.

Advocacy for increasing youth voter turnout has a long history, and for good reason: for the 2020 general election, voters born after 1996, known as Generation Z will comprise 10% of the American electorate.

As young voters are less likely to be registered voters or to have voted at all, they are often targeted by campaigns for voter registration and participation.

Organizations such as Drag Out the Vote and BABE VOTE, which helps register voters and commits them to a voting plan, are urging the younger generation to take an interest in politics and choosing the next president. Although it can feel, for some people, as though their one vote will not matter, these organizations are working to show that anyone can make an impact.

National Voting Trends Political science professor Dr. Charles Hunt said that the potential impact of young voters is particularly salient because, for the last 60 years, younger generations have been derided and blamed for voting at lower rates than older Americans.

Hunt attributes intergenerational low

youth voting to barriers presented by shifting circumstances, whether that be attending college or not, moving away from home or being unsure of their vote.

According to Hunt, another reason younger Americans often don’t vote is disillusionment with the political system. Many hold a broad view of politicians as being inherently corrupt and that voting doesn’t have an impact.

Young Americans are especially concerned when long-term issues like climate change don’t receive as much attention as they would like, and while Hunt wants people to vote, he understands their concern.

“To me, it’s tough to blame young people for feeling a little disenchanted about voting and about the political system,” Hunt said. “With that said, the only way to fix that stuff is to vote, and is to get involved.

None of that is a reason not to vote.”

With the coronavirus pandemic, the last four years of President Trump’s administration, a reckoning on racial injustice and looming economic and climate crises, it remains to be seen whether young voters will be spurred to vote in higher numbers than normal. It could become true if the results of the 2018 midterm elections are any prediction.

The United States Census Bureau reported that voter turnout among Americans ages 18 through 29 increased more than any other age group from the 2014 midterm elections to the 2018 midterm elections. Youth turnout jumped from 20% to 36%.

While more people typically vote in general elections than midterm elections, that is only just over one-third of all 18 through 29-year-old Americans, meaning that demographic has significant potential to make an impact just by voting.

The majority of the change might be felt in America’s more liberal and progressive movements because of a push against Trump and the changing demographics of the young voters, Hunt said. According to the Pew Research Center, 22% of Gen Z voters, the oldest of whom are turning 23 this year, disapprove of President Trump, compared to 32% among their older siblings, the millennials.

Not only is Gen Z on track to be the most educated, the most liberal, most racially and ethnically diverse, and most gender-variant generation in American history, Gen Z voters are also very skeptical of both the Republican and Democratic parties.

“I think younger generations tend to have a little more skepticism towards the two parties as organizations, particularly because they don’t see themselves as too well represented by them,” Hunt said, noting that there are very few Congress members younger than 35 in either the House of Representatives or the Senate.

That skepticism has changed the way organizations market to voters. Rather than relying on the parties to market to young voters in particular, organizations across the political spectrum have emerged in recent years to reach younger Americans.

Some, like Fair Fight, created by former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, promote democracy in general. Others, like Drag Out the Vote, the campaign that Pridmore is affiliated with, target specific groups.

Voting Advocacy Groups Pridmore was startled by a dire statistic in their community. One in five LGBTQIA+ Americans who are eligible to vote are not registered, meaning that even fewer are actually likely to vote, leaving out a critical voice in democracy.

Drag Out the Vote has also partnered with multiple national organizations like Planned Parenthood, the Human Rights Campaign and Rock the Vote. Having worked on political campaigns affiliated with groups like Planned Parenthood, Pridmore said that they are accustomed to being ignored or harassed, even by government officials.

Regarding politicians in Idaho, Pridmore said that one of the challenges they face in getting people engaged politically is the feeling that there is little that can be done to sway Idaho’s solid Republican majority.

“I am afraid that people will feel like they can’t do anything,” Pridmore said. “I’m so afraid that people will think this is how it is and we can’t fight them, and it is hard. It is so hard to fight them and it takes so much emotional effort and strength to be able to

F E AT U R E

go and testify in front of them and be like ‘I am a person, and I am a whole person and I deserve to be treated accordingly.’”

Pridmore said that within the LGBTQIA+ community in Boise and around Idaho, racism, transphobia and misogyny make it even harder to organize politically, much less get along with one another. Those who are more privileged tend to view their places as secure and ignore the people in their communities who are more marginalized.

Many organizations also recruit young voters on a local level. Former Boise State gymnastics coach and political activist Sam Sandmire believes in the power of young people, partially because she has spoken with so many that feel powerless.

“Young people that I’ve spoken to don’t see it as ‘Democrats, good; Republicans, bad,’” Sandmire said. “They see it as people in power, and then the powerless, which is them.”

Sandmire is part of the organization BABE VOTE that was designed by Spencer Hattabaugh, a Boise State fine arts graduate, to register voters and help them commit a plan to vote. Sandmire has taken signs saying “BABE VOTE” to protests in recent years and said that younger people loved it and wanted to know more.

Though Hattabaugh is the owner and artist behind the brand, he still believes in the cause. BABE VOTE allows people to feel less pressure around voting because there are no policies or candidates attached to the name, which he hopes will allow people to feel more comfortable exploring their voting options if they are able to.

“If we can do one thing, we can vote,” Hattabaugh said. “That’s one thing we can kind of control, or try to.”

Sandmire looks to young Americans for leadership, having worked with them throughout her careers. Despite all the troubles of 2020, Sandmire believes that young voters are the pathway to creating change.

“Young people need to vote because they’re the ones that are going to be left with things like climate change and our screwed-up political system,” Sandmire said. “They’re the answer to the future.”

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C U LT U R E OCTOBER 15, 2020 | ARBITERONLINE.COM

WOMEN IN BUSINESS ASSOCIATION BRINGS NEW OPPORTUNITIES TO STUDENTS A new club for the College of Business and Economics works to create a sense of community among members McKenzie Heileman | Culture Reporter | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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he Women in Business Association is a new club at Boise State focused on connecting women from the College of Business and Economics (COBE) in a casual and fun way, according to Danielle Doerflin, a senior finance and business administration major and one of the club’s three founders.

“We started the association in January 2020 becaused we wanted more options for women in the business school to connect and have an association geared toward women in business, much like other colleges around the country have,” Doerflin said.

The association’s mission is to create a community where women can network, connect and build relationships that empower them in business and life.

“We hope to encourage women in COBE and inspire them by providing events with local businesswomen and provide opportunities for networking,” Doerflin said.

Though the association’s work has changed due to the pandemic, such as switching to virtual events over Zoom instead of hosting them on campus at the COBE building, they still want to be a resource for women to discover new opportunities in business.

For Kennedy Sandau, a senior international business major who was a founding member along with Doerflin, the Women in Business Association is a place where women can discover what they can do after they graduate and meet other women business owners.

“We want to continue the club and get girls involved, even with COVID making things different,” Sandau said.

The association holds monthly meetings over Zoom, along with all of their

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future events for the time being, according to Sandau. She hopes that women are inspired to build their own businesses and connect with other women in the Treasure Valley.

“We’re looking for underclassmen to join since most of our existing members are seniors. We want to get girls involved and keep the association alive and growing,” Sandau said.

Julia Trompke, a senior marketing major and another co-founder of the Women in Business Association, wanted to create a culture of women who could come together and collaborate in an environment that is mostly male dominated.

“We want to empower women who want to come together, though anyone is welcome to join,” Trompke said. “We are all-inclusive.”

Trompke said. “We’re all in this together.”

The association is focused on the greater good of the community, and wants to create an environment of openness and collaboration.

To join, a student does not have to be a woman or a business major, but someone who wants to join a community, according to Trompke.

The Women In Business Association is hosting a panel on Oct. 15 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. with guest speakers Maggie and Caitie Sfingi from the women-owned Boise business, Merakite. Participants are encouraged to submit questions for the panel ahead of time and can register on the association’s Engage website.

“We want to empower women who want to come together, though anyone is welcome to join. We are all inclusive.”

Julia Trompke, senior marketing major

Despite the pandemic making networking more difficult, as Zoom calls are not as personable according to Trompke, the association still aims to create a welcoming environment where women can feel safe.

The Women in Business Association is a new club at Boise State centered around “We want to give students a chance to contribute something to the community and allowing women to connect in a casual and fun way.

Mackenzie Hudson | The Arbiter to make them feel like they have a purpose,”

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C U LT U R E

STUDENT EQUITY HAS A NEW NAME AND STRENGTHENED PURPOSE ON CAMPUS Multicultural Student Services and Student Diversity and Inclusion have combined into one department Blake Hunter | Culture Editor | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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midst all the changes happening during the fall 2020 semester, one Boise State department is also getting a new name. The departments formerly known as Multicultural Student Services and Student Diversity and Inclusion have been combined into Student Equity this semester.

A 2017 report released by the Commission and Advisory Council on Diversity and Inclusion — created by former Boise State President Bob Kustra — prompted the decision, which was made by a committee implementing changes to the Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management.

Ro Parker, Senior Coordinator of Student Equity, said that after deliberations about multiple name ideas, the committee chose “Student Equity” because it trades better-known words like “diversity,” “inclusion” and “multiculturalism” for “equity,” which impacts all students and focuses on action.

“I thought that because equity is the goal, keeping it at ‘Student Equity’ might make people feel like they would want to know more about what that is,” Parker said. “And I think that in understanding the work that we do, it would help it align with the definition of what equity is.”

To explain the difference between “equality” and “equity,” Parker referenced a popular graphic of three people standing behind a fence watching a baseball game. In one image meant to represent “equality,” each person stands on one box, even though they are not the same height, and the shortest person cannot see over the fence.

To represent “equity,” the tallest person gives the shortest person their box, ensuring all three can watch the game over the fence.

According to Parker, this explains Student Equity’s purpose, which is to create community and provide resources and opportunities to students who have been marginalized and denied access to the benefits of the university in other ways.

Parker said this means that their work comes with misconceptions.

“When people look for help with trainings or with presentations, or just resources, the idea of equality is something that is very prominent in their mind, and they never consider that the road to equality is through equity,” Parker said.

“And so I really loved that we could use the term ‘equity,’ to help people begin to understand that term, and how really equity is that work that we’re doing to help us to get to this equality piece.”

Senior political science major Angel Mora-Carrillo, the social media coordinator for Student Equity, said that when creating events and projects, the Student Equity staff constantly strive to make their programs and spaces more accessible, whether to students of different socioeconomic backgrounds, who speak different languages, have impaired hearing or any other needs.

“These are conversations that we actively have — that mindset and that work goes behind every project that we do,” Mora-Carrillo said.

Mora-Carrillo also appreciated having community spaces more than anything, and hopes that other students will get involved so they can have similar experiences.

“I would say community is one of the best things that I’ve taken from it personally and I would argue that other people have similar experiences,” Mora-Carrillo said.

For Parker, Student Equity’s signature event “Tunnel of Oppression,” an interactive experience focused on a particular group or issue that will be made into a documentary this year, embodies what Student Equity tries to do by spotlighting violences that are often unheard or silenced.

Eric Scott, the associate vice president of Student Affairs, said that another example of an equitable program is the First Forward Success Program, designed to help first-generation students transition to university, meet their goals and graduate.

Creating specific equity-minded

Utilizing the word ‘equity’ instead of ‘diversity’ and ‘inclusion’ aims to incorporate all students and focus on action.

Mackenzie Hudson | The Arbiter initiatives and programs is important at a university, Scott said, because of the myriad benefits that college degrees have to offer. The university’s accreditor, the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, specifically assesses universities based on their ability to address achievement gaps, which are also known as equity gaps.

“Those gaps really are evidence of unequal distribution of life chances, and we know that postsecondary education and a postsecondary credential is the single intervention in an American’s life that we know of that can actually change long term outcomes,” Scott said.

Those long term outcomes, according to Scott, include increased financial earnings, levels of happiness, length of life and civic and philanthropic engagement. But beyond those impacts, Scott also said that he and his peers see equity as a moral duty.

“People can have the same work ethic,

or the same grit, but not necessarily achieve the same outcomes because of the way that our society has at times been set up,” Scott said. “So, from an ethical standpoint, I feel an obligation to help move our world towards a place where discrimination doesn’t happen anymore.

But until we reach that world, we have to realize that folks need different levels of support, and that everyone needs opportunities to learn and grow.”

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C U LT U R E

BIG CITY COFFEE REPLACES STARBUCKS IN ALBERTSONS LIBRARY

After 15 years on 15th Street in Boise, the locally based coffee shop expands with a new campus location McKenzie Heileman | Culture Reporter | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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eturning students on campus may notice a different coffee shop in the library this fall. Big City Coffee, a coffee shop local to Boise, has replaced the Starbucks that was once in Albertsons Library.

According to Brian Holzworth, the resident district manager with Boise State’s dining services, the decision to switch from Starbucks came quickly, especially after the coronavirus outbreak, though typically more time would have been taken to make the decision.

“In 2017, Boise State Dining Services hired a consultant to review the Aramark contract we entered into and dive into a more encompassing survey of our students’ wants and needs,” Holzworth wrote in an email. “Students indicated that they prefer local coffee vendors.”

Many coffee shops were considered for the open space, such as Moxie Java, Awakenings and Big City Coffee, but Big City Coffee’s letter of intent moved it to the top of the list, for reasons such as customer base, revenue status, commitment to hiring students and support of local companies.

Other reasons included a loyalty program, willingness to adjust the menu, the availability of Coca-Cola products, community involvement, minimal capital investment and the ability to meet the timeline for opening.

“I reached out to student employees and discussed options for local coffee options to replace Starbucks. The overwhelming response from an all Campus Services meeting was Big City,” Holzworth wrote.

Boise State confirmed their support for Big City Coffee’s opening on June 23.

On Sep. 4, there was a soft opening of Big City Coffee, but no official opening as there are other items to complete before the opening.

For Victoria Mort, a freshman psychology major and a barista at the Big City Coffee location, Big City Coffee feels like home.

“It’s a really cool, very homey kind of environment,” Mort said. “A big difference

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ARBI-

Many coffee shops were considered for the open space, such as Moxie Java, Awakenings and Big City Coffee.

Mackenzie Hudson | The Arbiter

“I reached out to student employees and discussed options for local coffee options to replace Starbucks. The overwhelming response from an all Campus Services meeting was Big City.”

Brian Holzworth, resident district manager for Dining Services

is that we are local; we originally started on 15th [Street],” Mort said.

According to Mort, Big City Coffee is unique and consumers will not find anything else like it. Mort says the quality is superior to other coffee shops, since the food is homemade and the espresso is hand-poured.

What sets Boise State’s Big City Coffee location apart is that its staff is student-based, making it mostly the same demographic as the customer, according to Mort.

“As an employee, I really like it. The management is great and the learning process is really swift and easy,” Mort said.

For Mort, the food at Big City Coffee is

delicious because they use local products and are hand-crafted.

“Everyone is so nice and we make legitimate products by hand,” Mort said.

Big City Coffee on campus is open Monday through Thursday from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm, Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday 10:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

The shop is limiting how many people can be in the location at one time.

C U LT U R E

BOISE STATE SOCIAL WORKERS ARE CONCERNED FOR THE 2020 ELECTIONS

The upcoming election has social workers concerned for their clients, many of whom are in marginalized communities McKenzie Heileman | Culture Reporter | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Social workers are directly affected by the results of the election, although it is not always obvious.

Photo courtesy of Spencer Platt any individuals are thinking voters decide on, so it’s important to remain about the upcoming presieducated on what might be decided in an dential election during this election, particularly in such a major one as time of year. Though it may a presidential election. not be obvious, social workers are directly “If one presidential candidate denounces involved with the results of the election. white supremacy and the other one doesn’t, According to Jillian Kelley, a senior social we have to vote ethically for the people we work major, social workers have to abide by work for,” Kelley said. “We vote with the a code of ethics. This code of ethics is used greater good in mind.” in social worker’s lives and careers in order For Kelley, voting comes down to what to help them make ethical decisions. candidate upholds the rights of every Amer“One of these codes of ethics is social ican with particular attention to oppressed justice and advocacy,” Kelley said. “We groups. It’s difficult to justify voting for are expected to advocate for everyone, but policies or removal of policies that negativeespecially for disenfranchised groups, such ly impact social worker’s clients. as minorities.”

Megan Dardis-Kunz, an Masters of Voting affects the groups of people Social Work online field coordinator in social workers advocate for. It has the the school of social work, confirms that power to give or take away basic needs and nonpartisan voter participation is highly rights, which is a significant matter for significant to social work’s mission and Megan Dardis-Kunz, Masters of Social social workers and their clients, according professional directive.

Work online field coordinatoer to Kelley.

“Social workers are in a unique position Social workers directly work with the to understand and advocate for the needs people who are impacted by policies that of our communities based on the work we

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“Voting supports the political power of clients and communities and it powers the fight for racial, social and economic justice. Elected officials create policies that impact almost all areas of our lives.”

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do,” Dardis-Kunz wrote in an email.

For Dardis-Kunz, the election is providing an opportunity to use voting as a way for voices to be heard.

“Individuals who vote report higher levels of health and mental well-being, stronger social relationships, better employment outcomes and a greater sense of individual efficacy,” Dardis-Kunz wrote. “Communities that vote in high numbers receive more attention, responses and resources from their elected officials.”

Encouraging individuals to vote can be as simple as initiating a conversation about voting and politics, according to Dardis-Kunz. Helping people understand their impact as voters is a way that social workers pursue change in their communities.

“Voting supports the political power of clients and communities and it powers the fight for racial, social and economic justice. Elected officials create policies that impact almost all areas of our lives,” Dardis-Kunz wrote.

For Natalie Mercik, a sophomore social work major, social workers use the power of their vote to advocate for others, regardless of their personal beliefs or affiliations.

Mercik believes the election is different this year than past elections.

“In some aspects, it feels like it’s between those who agree with human rights and those who don’t,” Mercik said.

According to Mercik, voting is valuable to society because of its democracy. Without the voice of a nation, the nation cannot be a democracy.

“In the U.S., the people have a voice through voting,” Mercik said. “Show your voice and speak up.”

For more information on voting and social work visit https://votingissocialwork.org/ and follow the Boise State University School of Social Work Facebook page for regular voting related posts up through the election.

“Your vote is your voice!” Dardis-Kunz wrote.

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SPORTS & REC OCTOBER 15, 2020 | ARBITERONLINE.COM

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL TEAM IS WORKING THROUGH A POSTPONED SEASON With no coaching instruction and limited access to workout facilities, the team is pushing through Delaney Hardin | Staff Writer | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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oise State volleyball had its 2020 season postponed after Mountain West Conference presidents voted on Aug. 5 to postpone all fall sports indefinitely.

Shawn Garus has been the head coach for the women’s indoor volleyball team for 11 years.

“We had an official start date of Aug. 7, but we had an expectation that our season was going to be postponed, or in some way minimized if not canceled entirely,” Garus said. “We actually practiced four days in August before they officially announced that the fall sports were postponed.”

The volleyball team went into a voluntary phase for the last six weeks. The voluntary phase consisted of no coaching, instructions or leading. The team only had limited access to workout facilities and gymnasiums.

Middle Blocker Alyssa Wissinger felt grateful that the season was postponed rather than canceled.

“I think just trying to control what we can control and coming into practice, working hard and being grateful for the opportunities we still have, and that we’re still even able to play,” Wissinger said.

The limited access to gyms gave athletes room to be protected from exposure to the coronavirus.

“The athletic department and campus kind of dictated what they were, and were not allowed to do, we practiced in the Bronco gym so they couldn’t have us whenever they wanted, they were only allowed to go in there two days a week so they could work around a cleaning schedule,” Garus said.

Junior Danielle Boss is the team’s setter and commented on the restrictions that were mandated not only on workouts, but at practices as well.

“Personally, I think one of the hardest

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The women’s volleyball players are ready to begin practicing again once it is safe.

things for me to get used to not doing is busy doing other activities, like trying to high-fiving people, because in our sports find jobs, and taking on more classwork, it’s so much of a ‘high five and good job’ but still trying to maintain a safe distance to mentality, so I always catch myself thinknot get sick. ing ‘wait no, I can’t high-five you,’” Boss Garus held meetings with each player said. “[We did] a lot of team bonding, I individually to see how they are handling live with some of my teammates, but also the issues related to the coronavirus. really welcoming in the incoming freshman, “When some of the team came back for wanting to get to know them, making them the summer, they did a really good job of comfortable with the team. We’re trying following the safety protocols, which led to make the best of what’s happening right them to spending a lot of time with each now because it’s so strange.” other,” Garus said.

Student-athletes have been trying to stay Senior Outside Hitter Kiley Lewis shared

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Mackenzie Hudson | The Arbiter her thoughts about how the team is feeling given the circumstances.

“We can’t really dwell on it too much because it’s out of our control, so we just have to focus on the season in the spring now,” Lewis said. “We still train hard whether we’re in season or not, so the mentality is still the same year-round.”

All Mountain West volleyball coaches will continue to meet via Zoom call, to discuss tentative dates for practices, the regular season and NCAA tournaments.

SPORTS & REC

BOISE STATE SPIRIT SQUAD PUSHES THROUGH ADVERSITY WITH POSITIVITY

Spirit squad takes postponement of sports as an opportunity to further their growth as a team Mackenzie Hudson | Staff Writer | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu

The mane line dancers and cheerleaders have been continuing practice on their routines for the possibility of performing at upcoming games.

Mackenzie Hudson | The Arbiter

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he sound of cheering fans, glowing stadium lights and teams that compete for championship titles are what the Boise State Spirit Squad cheers for. The squad is dedicated to keeping up morale and staying motivated while awaiting the spring season and future competitions.

“We are doing everything we can to be prepared for games at the drop of a hat,” said Head Coach Kelsey Messer. “This world is constantly changing so we want to be prepared for anything to come up at a moment’s notice. My team is prepared for the season ahead no matter what that looks like.”

Even though the regular season has been

postponed, members of the Spirit Squad are continuing to practice and prepare the best they can in hopes of sports making a comeback sooner than anticipated.

“If you stay ready, you never have to get ready,” Messer said.

“If you stay ready, you never have to get ready.”

Kelsey Messer, head coach of the Spirit Squad

A silver lining in having no fall sports has helped the Spirit Squad tighten and perfect their craft. The opportunity will better prepare the squad for spring sports and the two competitions set to happen in January and April of 2021.

The mane line dancers have been learning their performance routines, and the cheerleaders have been working on stunts in preparation for future game days.

“We haven’t been sitting around waiting for someone to tell us ‘yes we will have a season,’” said senior Captain Rachel Banks.

“Instead we have been pushing ourselves like we would any other year so that the minute we are told there is a game, there is no doubt that we will be ready.”

The team practicing and learning new cheers and routines is essential to them, and ensuring that spirits are kept up at a time like this is crucial for their morale. The members of the squad help keep each other’s morale up by staying in contact and keeping a positive attitude.

“There hasn’t been a single complaint towards what we are doing,” Banks said. “It is a hard time but with everyone willing to work so hard with so much positivity, we have all been able to support and lean on one another.”

Keeping morale up and practicing are just some aspects that go on behind the scenes for Spirit Squad. This year the team has turned the season into one for self-development.

“Yes, we still train to ensure we are ready for the spring,” said Assistant Coach Tiffany Brugge-McCree. “But we are also focusing on health and wellness, internal development, good study habits and volunteering in our community.”

Spirit Squad members have stepped up into leadership roles this fall, each taking on optimistic attitudes and helping out their fellow Broncos who need some extra encouragement.

“They always have the team mentality at the forefront of their minds,” Messer said.

“They are incredibly impressive, not only as athletes but as young people. I am humbled everyday by their work ethic, ability to be flexible and true desire to be their best.

When people talk about their ‘cup being filled’, this program and these athletes do it for me.”

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SPORTS & REC

A SPIKE IN BICYCLE SALES HAS HELPED THE CYCLE LEARNING CENTER

With the closure of gyms during the start of the pandemic, bicycle sales and riders increased in the Treasure Valley Ross Allen | Staff Writer | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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overnor Brad Little’s announcement of the initial lockdown orders on March 25 caused gyms to close and left many individuals scrambling to find alternative ways to stay active.

Thus began what Manager of the Cycle Learning Center (CLC) Gabe Finkelstein deemed the “Bike Boom.”

Bikes have been selling out all across the Boise area. According to Finkelstein, shops have seen an increase in bike sales of around 50% to 100%. The CLC experienced its most successful month financially since it opened in 2012.

Finkelstein has enjoyed the increase in bikers, not only as a manager of a bike shop, but also as a biking enthusiast.

“It’s been great bringing new people into the sport. I’m glad that so many people have learned how great it is,” Finkelstein said.

Senior finance major Brandon Gresser is an avid biker and has noticed a large increase in traffic along the Boise River Greenbelt and other biking trails.

“I noticed it mostly on a lot of the beginner trails. People are getting new into the hobby and want to hit the foothills,” Gresser said. “It’s a little annoying. I like to go at my own pace, but at the same time I’m not going to blame them for being there.”

Gresser explained that it is a good thing that so many new people are getting into biking. He believes it is a good way to stay socially distanced while staying active.

Emily Dobrzyn, a senior majoring in environmental studies, has found that biking is a great alternative to going to the gym for her. She recently got into the sport due to gym shutdowns and the coronavirus pandemic.

“It’s an easy way to get outdoors,” Dobrzyn said. “It isn’t my ideal way, but it is all that I can do. I am terrified of places where everyone’s sweat touches

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The Cycle Learning Center has faced challenges even with a growth in sales. stuff. You can never trust the person on the machine before you and you can’t see the germs.”

“It’s an easy way to get outdoors. It isn’t my ideal way, but it is all that I can do. I am terrified of places where everyone’s sweat touches stuff. ” Emily Dobrzyn, senior environmental studies major

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Mackenzie Hudson | The Arbiter

Even with the growth in sales that the CLC has seen, they have also faced many of the same challenges that other businesses have during the pandemic, such as having to come up with new guidelines of how to act within the store, whether that be for the employees or customers, in order to comply with health and safety guidelines.

Another problem they have encountered is when it comes to the services they provide. The CLC not only sells bikes to students, but serves as a place for students to learn how to maintain and fix their bikes. In the past, the CLC was able to assist with repairs and maintenance lessons, but can’t now due to COVID-19 restrictions.

While they typically have hands-on lessons to help students, the CLC has added a DIY section to their website.

The new feature allows students to

self diagnose an issue and walks them through the steps to fix it.

The CLC also has a table out front with tools that are free to use, and only require that you sanitize anything used.

“I think you have to look at the brighter side of things during these times and I’m glad I’ve gotten the opportunity to pick up biking,” Dobrzyn said.

OUR BEST GUESS The Arbiter aligns your stars.

LIBRA:

Take a break this week, Virgo, you can’t finish what you need to if you are stressed. Go outside, take a walk or read a book. Finding a balance between your social life, work and school is difficult for anyone, but with the new moon in your zone, it is key to find that inner equity.

AQUARIUS

JAN 20 - FEB 18

Wear your heart on your sleeve, Aquarius, you might be surprised by who takes care of you. Your self love is showing this week and people can tell. Continue to push yourself out of your comfort zone and see what opportunities come your way. being.

PISCES

FEB 19 - MARCH 20

Pisces, your life is coming together in a unique way. Don’t be afraid to let the pieces fall where they want and go with the flow. You may come into an abundance of money soon, but make sure to save some for a rainy day. Be loud and be proud of who you are.

ARIES

MARCH 21 - APR 19

TAYLOR RICO-PEKEROL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

TAYLORRICOPEKERO@BOISESTATE.EDU

Look for time in your schedule to do something new, Aries. You have had an itch to try one of those hobbies you have been interested in, let yourself explore the possibility of a new activity. Don’t get too overwhelmed with future plans and make time to focus on the now.

TAURUS

APR 20 - MAY 20

Taurus, you have been focused on school and work, take some time to rest and relax this week.

Make sure you are not giving advice that you would not follow yourself, friends depend on you so make sure to have their interests at heart.

GEMINI

MAY 21 - JUN 20

Gemini, comparison is the thief of joy and you need to focus on your own goals. Helping others is great, but don’t forget about taking care of yourself. It is okay to be selfish sometimes if it doesn’t harm anyone else. Push yourself this week to finish strong.

CANCER

JUN 21 - JULY 22

Cancer, you are finally out of your rut and ready to take on the world. Keep your head high as you figure out what it is you want out of life. You have been working hard and thinking hard, so do some reflection and meditation on your needs. Remember, your emotions are valid.

LEO

JUL 23 - AUG 22

The new moon is in Libra for you, Leo. Don’t rush into anything too soon, make sure you understand what you are doing. It can be hard to fight your impulses, but without reflection it can lead you onto a dangerous path. Reflection is the key to realization.

VIRGO

AUG 23 - SEPT 22

Take a leap of faith this week, Libra. When it comes time to decide on a path, don’t be afraid to find your way as you go. Let go of your fear of change, but be cautious of extending yourself too much. You can’t help anyone if you are not taking care of your mental, physical and emotional well being.

SCORPIO

OCT 23 - NOV 21

Scorpio, your passion has led you to follow your goals. This past week might have brought some bad decisions, but make sure you learn from those mistakes. Come back recharged and ready with new energy to accomplish everything you want to.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 22 - DEC 21

You tend to have a strong belief in being a professional, Sag, but make sure you are having fun.

You do not want to look back and have regrets.

With your growth over recent months, be aware of how you are feeling and take a moment to center yourself. You will soon see results on what you are working towards.

CAPRICORN

DEC 22 - JAN 19

Lately, you have been diving into your hobbies and finding out what makes you happy, Capricorn.

Hobbies are great, but make sure you are staying goal oriented this week as new opportunities arise. Reach out to a friend this weekend and check in with those you care about.