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. Additional copies can be picked up at The Arbiter offices for free.
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
ON THE COVER:
The Idaho House passed House Joint Memorial 1, asking the Supreme Court to reconsider the Obergefell v. Hodges decision that established marriage eqauilty for LGBTQ+ people. Local community members see this as part of a larger campaign with worrying historical precedent.
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The 2024 Sacramento Mandarins Drumline, warming up for their performance at Mountain View High School.
Photo by Michael Vargas
February 6, 2024 |
BSU awaiting approval of possible AI Bachelor’s Degree
Faculty from the new School of Computing await the state’s decision regarding an AI degree
Kaeden Lincoln | News Reporter | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu | Graphic by Kelsey Mason
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology made leaps and bounds in 2024. OpenAI rocked the tech industry and generated billions of dollars in revenue while AI rapidly changed how people do their jobs. Boise State University noticed the technology’s increasing popularity and set plans in motion to roll out a Bachelor’s degree in AI.
“What we’re seeing in industry, doesn’t matter what field you’re going into, [is] artificial intelligence is going to have a bigger presence,” BSU Provost John Buckwalter told students at an Associated Students of BSU meeting on Dec. 2, 2024.
“I expect by next fall, we’ll actually have a bachelor’s degree in artificial intelligence,” said Buckwalter.
BSU Faculty leading the effort to create the degree were more reserved than Buckwalter in regards to the possible degree when the Arbiter reached out for comment. Requesting to make their statements later in 2025, faculty members await the state Board of Education’s decision on approving the degree on Feb 19.
It is unclear how the state legislature will regard the degree. The 2024 artificial intelligence working group, co-chaired by Sen. Kelly Anthon and Rep. Jeff Ehlers doesn’t share any members with the Board of Education, but it’s helping develop the state’s approach to legislating AI.
The Idaho Legislature’s AI Working Group met twice in 2024, first on Nov. 15, 2024 and second on Dec. 17, 2024. According to the Idaho State Legislature website, the working group is charged with recommending potential state-level AI policies.
Chris Ritter, the director of scientific computing and AI at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), spoke to legislators at the November meeting. He gave a presentation detailing how INL has used AI in nuclear research and provided an overview of the tremendous energy required to operate AI data centers.
Senator Kevin Cook (R) asked Ritter how Idaho should move forward with AI. Ritter advised looking to the education system to help Idaho continue to integrate AI.
“If we overregulate, we could be in a situation where we prevent [Research and Development] applications,” said Ritter.
At the December meeting the first pre senter, Jim Berg, came with no descrip tion on the agenda. Ehlers introduced Berg as a “retired technologist with years of experience on the leading edge of AI.”
After giving a general overview of the advancement and modern effectiveness of AI, Berg spoke about AI ethics and eventually recommended AI be given a “biblical worldview” in regards to mandating ethical parameters.
“As [the working group] moves forward in this decision-making, you have a very difficult task,” Berg said.
“When you understand what you want your rules to be, my prayer is that it would be the Bible, but once you know what that looks like, you have to measure it and ask AI questions to see how it’s being used in the environment it’s in,” Berg said.
Berg did not explain how mandating biblical ethics might interact with the First Amendment of the U.S.
Constitution and its protection of freedom of religion.
Ultimately, the decision is up to the officials on the Board of Education whether Boise State will be allowed to introduce an AI degree, and if so, how the university will do so.
Boise State wouldn’t be the first to roll out an AI program.
According to MastersInAI.org, a website created by the D.C.
based project Degree Prospects, 80 schools in the U.S. offer Bachelor’s degrees or degree emphases in AI and AI-adjacent topics like machine learning and neural computation. However, few of the institutions on the list have a genuine bachelor’s degree in artificial intelligence. The State Board of Education will hold a formal vote to approve the degree on Feb. 19 in a meeting on the BSU campus.
Idahoans
rally to celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Rally attendees advocate for marginalized communities on MLK Jr. Day
Idahoans of all ages marched in unison from the Student Union Building to the bustling streets of downtown Boise, to honor the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Members of the MLK Living Legacy Committee organized the “MLK Day of Greatness Rally and March” event at 9 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. Attendees created posters to express their support for DEI, LGBTQ+ and the Black community.
The rally began around 11 a.m., as members and attendees walked together through the streets of downtown Boise chanting: “Ain’t no power like the power of the people because the power of the people don’t stop” and “The people united, will never be divided.”
After the attendees made their way to the Capitol steps, Chair of the MLK Living Legacy Committee Charles Jones spoke to the crowd about this year’s theme: “evolving together”.
“It does not feel that we are evolving [as a country], but we are regressing,”
Jones said in his speech. “As many of you know today is not just MLK day — It’s Inauguration Day and this is the day where we swear in the person who is the leader of our country and who represents us and should be seen as a great transition of change.”
While MLK day and Inauguration Day rarely coincide, Jones mentioned that the inauguration of President Donald Trump symbolizes a “step back” for the country.
“[President Trump] represents everything Dr. King stood against,” Jones said in his speech. “On this day, we’ve had to feel the slowing effects of what this presidency has for our future.”
Jones referenced examples of how DEI programs are “under attack” not just in Idaho schools but across the country.
Another speaker, President of Boise State’s Black Student Association, Ani Carnell, emphasized the importance
of recognizing progress from the Civil Rights Movement to the ongoing progress for equality today for marginalized groups.
“I think oftentimes we forget about just how long this time actually was … modern movements surrounding racial inequality, women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights and more, show us that there’s still work to be done,” Carnell said in her speech. “In the words of MLK, ‘whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.’”
Tish Hetrick, one of the attendees at the rally, mentioned that she showed up to not only celebrate Dr. King but to show her support for DEI.
“We just need to be present and show that DEI is necessary,” Hetrick said.
“People have not had a fair shake in this country — The [Idaho] legislators are going in the wrong direction and we need to show up.”
Hetrick expressed the importance of showing up to an event honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy.
“In an atmosphere of hate, it’s great to be around people — like minds — to support each other,” Hetrick said.
In an interview with The Arbiter, Jones expressed the importance of continuing to speak up for justice as people come together to remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
“We are the dream [MLK] stood [for] — we are the dream of standing with one voice and shouting that this dream doesn’t just matter for the color of your skin, but it is a societal dream we cannot truly grow if we are stuck within our own smaller circles and our own prejudice and biases,” Jones said.
Jones elaborated on his hopes for Idaho’s future considering the recent inauguration.
“It’s up to people like us to call out the system and show that it’s not a true system that wants change, but wants complacency,” Jones said. “Complacency does not come with an involved mindset that is a fixed mindset. What we want to do is help continue these discussions, to open different perspectives, open communications — to see from a different angle and to show this will impact people.”
After the speeches, MLK Living Legacy Committee member Marliegh Nabonne highlighted the power of unity on a day like Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
“With the speeches that we had, I hope that they [attendees] take away the understanding they are not alone and it’s okay to be alone and speak out,” Nabonne said. “There’s always someone in the crowd watching and always someone willing to join you because they do have the same aspirations as you and it’s about community, it’s about coming together. I feel like one person can do so much, but many more can conquer the world.”
Nabonne urges students and attendees to stay engaged in the community and take part in events that support MLK’s legacy.
Photo of MLK Day March participants.
Photo by Omar Saucedo
City of Boise shares plans for allocating $16.6 million in housing grants
Researchers in unhoused populations explain where the funding is most needed
The city of Boise is one of 17 cities to receive a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that aims to preserve and maintain affordable housing. $6.7 million dollars of the $16.6 million total has been allocated to Sage Mobile Home Park to preserve existing housing.
Nicki Olivier Hellenkamp, the director of Housing and Homelessness Policy for the city of Boise, emphasized the importance of investing in current housing structures.
“The goal behind the price grant is to look at preservation of affordable homes, and specifically of manufactured housing,” Hellenkamp said. “When we think about housing affordability we often think about bringing new affordable units online through construction, but what we really have is what some people describe as a ‘leaky bucket’, where we’re pouring in these new affordable units, and it’s great to have new homes online that are affordable to Boiseans, but we’re also losing units through holes in the bucket.”
Hellenkamp explained that a mobile park home closing or increasing the rent could displace current residents.
“Manufactured housing, in particular, was chosen for this grant as needing investment because oftentimes people living in mobile home communities are living in an especially precarious situation because they typically own the home that they’re living in, but not the land underneath it,” Hellenkamp said.
While rent for mobile homes can be potentially cheaper than an apartment of a similar size, Hellenkamp noted if a property owner decides to sell, it can put mobile homeowners in a stressful situation. Additionally, it can be difficult to move older mobile homes or find other communities in the area to relocate to.
Hellenkamp explained that critical infrastructure needs are a top priority. This would include maintaining pipes, roads and other utilities.
Hellenkamp said a detrimental effect of an unaffordable housing market is losing a sense of community.
“So much of the pain of the housing market that has become increasingly unaffordable is the pain of losing people who make up the fabric of our community,” Hellenkamp said. “Back in 2021 when you saw rent spiking really dramatically. I think we all saw what it meant when there wasn’t a way to preserve the affordability of people’s housing, and what that does to a community in terms of just creating loss.”
Jessica Abbott, the executive director for Corpus Christi Commons, sees the results of an unstable, unaffordable housing market daily.
“We’re in a situation right now where costs are just going up and up,” Abbott said. “We’ve seen a big jump in not just our people that are unhoused, we’re seeing that uptick for us and our numbers of people that are right on that cusp, they’re financially unstable, they barely have a roof over their head right now and it’s rent or food.”
Abbott explained that after conversations with Mayor Mclean and
Hellenkamp, she continues to advocate for “wrap-around support” for unhoused individuals.
“I would like to see that [support] happen too for those folks that do get housed and then they fall out of it quickly because they don’t have the skill set to be on their own,” Abbott said. “They need to learn how to budget they need to learn how to get around. Using some of that money to help create those wraparound programs and services, or to really help educate so that they’re successful.”
Vanessa Fry, director of the Idaho Policy Institute and Associate Research Professor for the School of Public Service has been involved in housing and homelessness research for over a decade. Fry co-created a Housing Dashboard which aided Idaho in allocating $50 million for workforce housing.
Fry shared in an email interview with The Arbiter that she believes the biggest issue facing the city of Boise in regard to housing is supply and demand.
“Demand for housing increased at a faster rate than Boise and surrounding communities have been able to increase supply. Thus, due to the law of supply and demand, when there is greater demand than supply of a good, in this case, housing, the good will increase in price to the point where the market will not accept the cost (aka there are no buyers),” Fry wrote.
Fry quoted colleague Gregg Colburn, author of “Homelessness is a Housing Problem” who wrote, “Without addressing the housing problem communities will continue to see individuals and families facing housing insecurity and homelessness.”
For Boise citizens who want to stay informed about how these funds will be distributed, Hellenkamp said that the organization understands how “dire” the current housing situation is and that the city is working to start allocating those funds as quickly as possible.
Idaho Fish and Game respond to surge of avian flu
A highly contagious virus killed off thousands of Idaho wild birds
Avian flu, more commonly referred to as bird flu, is a highly contagious virus that killed off thousands of wild birds in Idaho, and millions nationally. While reporting dead or ill birds is of high importance, Brian Pearson, the regional communications manager for Idaho Fish and Game, feels confident that Idaho’s ecosystem will rebalance itself.
“You’re talking about a population of snow geese that’s somewhere in the neighborhood of a million animals. While it’s certainly unfortunate to see a few 1000 juvenile snow geese perish due to influenza, it’s not going to have population-level impacts on the species,” Pearson said.
“Avian influenza is relatively common, and given the circumstances that we’re seeing here, is that they are primarily juvenile geese. What our wildlife health lab suspects is that these geese are arriving here and somewhere on their migration, perhaps even here in the Treasure Valley, they’re encountering avian influenza on the landscape when they start interacting with local ducks and geese,” Pearson said.
While adult birds may have built up immunity to avian flu, younger birds are more susceptible.
“When we see these juveniles die, it’s because they don’t have that resistance to whatever strain of avian influenza this is,” Pearson said.
Stacey Dauwalter, wildlife health program coordinator and forensic lab manager for Idaho Fish and Game (IDFG) explained via email that while the current mortality rate for birds is larger than last year, it does not exceed the number of deceased birds the department witnessed in Spring 2022.
“This is likely because the current outbreak is mainly affecting migrating snow geese. At this time, we have not
received any reports of large numbers of resident and migrating wild ducks and or other species of wild geese dying,” Dauwalter said. “So, while IDFG staff have removed several thousand carcasses from lakes, reservoirs and WMAs (Wildlife Management Areas), currently, this event is smaller in geographical area, with fewer species and fewer overall numbers of deceased birds.”
Dauwalter broke down how Avian flu spreads and how to reduce it.
“Avian influenza can spread quickly through direct contact between birds. It can also spread to birds through contaminated clothes, shoes and hands. The best way to reduce spreading the virus is to not handle or harvest birds that are sick or found dead,” Dauwalter said.
For owners of backyard birds or poultry, Dauwalter advises contacting
the Idaho Department of Agriculture to document deceased or sick birds.
Dauwalter said “young migrating waterfowl” are the most susceptible to the disease but that if new strains come to fruition, other avian species could be impacted as well.
“IDFG staff work with federal and state partners to help monitor through surveillance efforts. As avian influenza is a reportable disease, we communicate on any new outbreaks and the strain types involved,” Dauwalter said.
“With recent reports of new strain types, infections in dairy cows, pigs and humans, all agencies are continuing to report and share information to stay up to date on risks, best practices to manage outbreaks and human safety.”
Stephanie Hudon, clinical program director for Boise State Public Health, explained via email, some of the
misconceptions associated with avian influenza.
“Some common misconceptions are that H5N1 (avian flu) only occurs in birds, it’s actually been found in other animals including cats and dogs. Another misconception is that you can catch the virus from eating eggs.
Properly cooked poultry and eggs are safe to eat since cooking destroys the H5N1 virus,” Hudon said. “Also, person-to-person transmission is very rare with only a couple cases occurring in very close contact”
Hudon said that avian influenza is very similar to influenza viruses, both in composition and in symptoms.
Hudon noted that The Genetics and Infectious Disease Lab currently offers a combined COVID/Flu A&B test, where if the patient tests positive for Flu A, their results will be sent to the Idaho Bureau of Labs to test for avian influenza.
Photo of many snow geese.
Courtesy of Idaho Fish and Game
OPINION
Now
Julianna Kelsey
The return of the cinema
Movie theaters are special. The experience of going to the movies brings us together — connecting us to art, culture and each other. The smell of buttery popcorn, the glow of the screen and the immersive sound set the stage for beloved memories.
“There’s an energy in the room when you go to a theater that you can’t beat,” Joel Mata, a Boise State film student, said. “Sitting in a room with a bunch of people, you can just feel it.”
Going to the movies is a timeless tradition that generations of people have enjoyed together. It once seemed like movie theaters would be a permanent part of our culture.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic caused most theaters to close down or limit capacity, and streaming services brought in millions of new subscribers. When theaters reopened, audiences returned slowly. The streaming revolution was in full swing, and the future of movie theaters was in question.
In recent years, though, major film releases like “Dune,” “Barbie” and “Wicked” have brought new hope to the theater industry. Unfortunately, most theaters have not yet returned to pre-pandemic audience levels.
If we want future generations to enjoy the experience of moviegoing, we have to keep the theaters alive. While streaming services offer more convenience, watching
a movie from your couch can’t replace the special experience of going to a theater.
“I love streaming services,” Chris Lehosit, owner of Overland Park Cinemas, said. “They’re so convenient … but it just doesn’t beat the experience of going with your friends and family out to an event.”
Overland Park Cinemas has been serving the Boise area since 1977. Lehosit is passionate about providing affordable entertainment to local families.
“Our primary feature for guests is we are a discount theater,” Lehosit said. “Our tickets are only $3, and we get the movies about six to eight weeks after they come out in the big theaters.”
Lehosit is proud of how Overland Park Cinemas gives back to the community and local film scene.
“We do local film screenings,” Lehosit said. “So if you’re a filmmaker at Boise State or high school, or maybe you’re just part of a local filmmaker club, you can send me your movie and I can put it up on the big screen for you.”
Overland Park Cinemas also works with nonprofits in the Boise area by showing documentaries and inspirational films that are educational and foster a sense of community.
Local theaters offer a unique chance to connect with the community and local culture.
“When you’re supporting locally, you get to meet more people, build more community and build more connections,” Frosty Biggs, another Boise State film student, said.
Films connect us to new ideas, stories and worlds other than our own and they bring us together in the process.
“Films can evoke so much emotion, and they can be very blatant in their
messaging,” Biggs said. “That’s why it’s so important for everybody to consume art in general, and I think film is one of the easiest art forms to be able to consume.”
Viewers can experience the emotional impact of films at home, but it’s so much more powerful on the big screen.
“Movies are made for the theater,” Biggs said. “They’re not made for streaming services. The sound quality is way better, you can see way more and you’re totally immersed in the movie.”
Movie theaters serve a bigger purpose than entertainment alone. They’re an escape for audiences in an immersive way that streaming services can’t replicate.
“Student life can be pretty stressful, and it kind of feels like you’re going nonstop,” Mata said. “I’ve found that going to the movies to sit down for a couple hours and get lost in a story … that’s a really nice way to decompress.”
Students can play an important role in supporting local theaters. Balancing school, work and social lives can make it hard to get to the cinema, but the affordable ticket prices and unique film options of local theaters make them a great gathering place for young people to meet and interact with local culture.
We’ve lost so many human experiences in the name of convenience — writing letters, watching live television, going to the mall — all for quicker, easier options that allow us to stay at home.
Younger generations have the chance to revive one of these vital human experiences. We need to protect the theaters so that future generations can enjoy them, and the only way to do that is by supporting them. So, if you haven’t already, now is the perfect time to rediscover the joy of going to the movies.
Illustration of a movie theater.
Illustration by Kelsey Mason
The end of fact-checking: Meta passes responsibility to users Students need
to prioritize critical thinking to stop misinformation online
Julianna Kelsey | Opinion Editor | opinion@stumedia.boisestate.edu | Graphics by Naomi Brown
Students today face a confusing digital landscape with endless sources of information and opinions. Navigating this complex maze of online conversation is extremely challenging and can lead to misinformation spreading like wildfire.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, Threads and other platforms, has used a third-party fact-checking system since 2016.
Many praised the program for moderating misinformation. Others criticized it for perceived political bias in the content it chose to moderate.
After years of defending the system, Meta changed their tune. The company announced on Jan. 7 that they will be switching from the fact-checking system to Community Notes, similar to the system used by X. The new system passes responsibility to users to identify misinformation.
Former critics of Meta’s fact-checking system celebrated the switch as a win for free speech. Others said it is a misstep in the fight against misinformation.
“We have lost our sense of what it means to be censored,” Dr. Sam Martin, Frank and Bethine Church chair of public affairs, said. “To be censored means for someone to prevent them from saying [something] in the first place, and that wasn’t happening on Facebook. All that was happening was things were coming down, or posts were being flagged, and I think that that was actually providing an important service.”
The consequences of misinformation extend beyond social media, shaping young people’s attitudes toward politics and civic engagement.
“There’s a kind of general cynicism about politics and public life that seems to grow with each subsequent generation,” Dr. Martin said. “The more that false information permeates any conversation, the more cynical people become.
And the more cynical people become, the less likely they are to participate.”
Meta’s decision is controversial, but it emphasizes a crucial truth
that we, as students, need to re alize — We are not able to rely on anyone else, including fact-checkers, to tell us what is true.
The only way for us to become informed and savvy media users is to take ownership of our media literacy and priori tize critical thinking. Dr. Seth Ashley, a professor of Communications, gives valuable advice on how we can use critical thinking to our advantage when analyzing political content online.
isn’t accurate.”
“Start by asking ‘Who created this message?’” Dr. Ashley said. “‘Why did they create it? What purpose does it serve? What is it helping me achieve?’”
Asking these simple questions will help us determine what content is worth our time.
“One of the great questions is ‘Should I share this?’” Dr. Ashley said. “If you start there, that can help shut down a lot of bad stuff from the start. If people would just not pass it along if it’s garbage, that would help, but it’s usually the opposite that happens … People are more likely to pass on things that are false when they have [an] emotional reaction.”
Misinformation divides us, fueling anger and resentment towards those we disagree with. While healthy debate is important and can inspire change, it isn’t beneficial to get angry over things that aren’t fully true.
“It’s as important as ever to have confidence in your ability to research and digest information and be really good at deciphering true from untrue,” Cayden Stone, a student in the School of Public Service,
It’s easy to assume we already know what’s true, but our preexisting beliefs can cause us to make assumptions before doing adequate research.
“Something we talk a lot about in the Political Science realm is confirmation bias,” Stone said. “You have your preset beliefs and values, and that can lead us to only seek out information that confirms what we want to hear. I think the big challenge right now is pushing ourselves to go outside of that boundary.”
It’s hard to question things we want to agree with, but double-checking all information we see, especially when it might be divisive, will help us be more informed and confident in what we know.
“It’s vitally important to the future of democracy, that we all, despite any political beliefs or preconceived notions we have, are always critically thinking,” Stone said.
The bright side of having endless information at our fingertips is the opportunity to be more informed than ever. Not relying on fact-checkers to do the heavy lifting for us allows us to strengthen our media literacy and critical thinking skills in a digital world.
It’s our responsibility to prioritize honesty and fairness online regardless of our political beliefs, ensuring a future where the truth doesn’t just survive — it thrives.
LOVE VS. LEGISLATION: HOW IDAHO’S LEGISLATURE IS IMPACTING THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY
Members of Idaho’s marginalized communities voice their thoughts on the anti-lgbtq+ legislation
Kiryn Willett and Spencer Rentfro | Editor-in-Chief and News Reporter | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu | Grahics by Naomi Brown
House Joint Memorial 1
On Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, the Idaho House of Representatives requested for the Supreme Court to reconsider the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges case that legalized same-sex marriage in the United States.
The purpose of House Joint Memorial 1 is to emphasize the Idaho Legislature’s commitment to defining marriage as a “union between one man and one woman” and asks for the Supreme Court to leave the authority of marriage to the states.
The memorial recently passed the Idaho House on a 46-24 vote. The memorial is not a bill and doesn't carry the same effect of the law.
Sponsor of the memorial, Republican Rep. Heather Scott has not yet responded to The Arbiter’s request for comment on why the memorial was created.
Nine House Democrats and 15 House Republicans opposed the me
voted against the memorial’s passing is Democratic Rep. Monica Church.
Church said she voted against the memorial for multiple factors, one of them being that the memorial denies “human dignity”.
“It just remains to be a memorial, a statement made without consideration of its blatant unconstitutionality,” Church said. “Also it’s kind of [a] fly in the face of where the country is.”
With this memorial and a wave of 14 anti-LGBTQ+ bills in Idaho in 2024, Church expressed sympathy for the LBGTQ+ Idaho community.
“I have no idea the pain and the anguish and the suffering that our LGBTQ Idahoans and all across this country are feeling,” Church said. “I wouldn’t pretend to fully grasp that but I have to believe it is just devastating.”
After being passed by the Idaho House, House Joint Memorial 1 is expected to be taken up by the Idaho Senate soon.
On Jan. 20, 2025, the Party for Social and Liberalism (PSL) in Idaho protested against the memorial.
Adelynn Spargo, an organizer for PSL, highlighted that the crowd from the protest was largely college students, indicating that the issue resonates with the younger generation.
As an Idaho native, Spargo expressed her fear that as Idaho continues to grow, its socio-political climate may attract people who may support policies that could disenfranchise the LGBTQ+ community.
“I am worried, because I live here, that big political moves like this embolden the wrong people to come to my home,” Spargo said.
Dobbs v. Jackson overturned Roe v. Wade, which effectively returned the authority to regulate abortion laws to individual states. Boise State Political Science Associate Professor Dr. Jacelyn Kettler mentioned overturning Obergefell v. Hodges could return same-sex marriages to
Kettler expressed that the future of LGBTQ+ protections in Idaho remains unclear, specifically with the recent shift in the political landscape.
“I think right now there’s uncertainty for everyone, but I’m sure uncertainty for people in some of these populations that have had so much legislation focused on them, that it’s a lot to kind of wade through right now, to try to figure out,” Kettler said. Legislation on the LGBTQ+ community
Over the last few years, the Idaho Legislature passed multiple bills regarding the LGBTQ+ community and their rights.
In 2023, Governor Little signed House Bill (HB) 71 into law after it passed the Idaho legislature. The bill banned gender-affirming care for minors. In 2024, the legislature passed HB701, which allows individuals to sue libraries for having content harmful to children, including depictions of homosexuality.
According to Morrighan Nyx, an organizer for the PSL, this represents an escalation in legislative attacks on the LGBTQ+ community both nationally and in Idaho.
“It is meant to send a message to the LGBTQ community and its supporters that this kind of rising campaign of demonization and isolation that's been targeting LGBTQ people, both nationwide and here in Idaho, is going to continue,” Nyx said.
Nyx said this is an intentional move to divert the attention of the public away from key issues, such as healthcare, natural disasters, low wages and poverty.
“Instead of addressing any of those issues which they easily could, they instead try to divert attention to whichever minority community, whichever social issue that they think can distract people [with],” said Nyx. “You know, it's … ‘Don't ask us why your wages are stagnating. Focus on gay marriage.’”
Anti-DEI measures in Idaho
While the LGBTQ+ community has been the focus of multiple pieces of legislation, the Idaho legislature has implemented multiple DEI roll-backs.
Eric Love, the former Boise State graduate who got Idaho to recognize Martin Luthor King Jr. Day as a state holiday, said these rollbacks on DEI legislation will negatively impact all students, not just marginalized communities.
Love discussed the closure of the Gender Equity Center at Boise State, and other support offices closing in
“When you shut them down, it seems like it would adversely affect just students of color or any special populations, but it really affects all students, because even white students in Idaho won't have those resources to go and learn about other people, about history, about culture,” Love said.
Growing up in Idaho, Love didn’t read works from an African American author for a school assignment until he reached high school. He read some of MLK's work for the assignment, but it wasn’t until he got to college that he had the opportunity to explore his identity more.
“It wasn't until I went to Boise State, and they had classes on multicultural literature, and I got involved in the Black Student Alliance and the Dean of Multicultural Student Services office that I started learning more about myself and feeling like I really belong in Idaho and at Boise State,” Love said.
Love concluded by sharing the quote from an unknown author:
“If you have always been privileged, then equality feels like oppression.”
Historic precedent
Sascha Ilin, a German exchange student working on their Masters in Anthropology at Boise State believes there is a concerning historical precedent for attacks on the LGBTQ+ community and other minority groups being tied to fascism.
In 1918, a gay Jewish doctor named Magnus Hirschfeld founded the Institute for Sexual Research in Berlin, Germany. The institute pioneered gen -
transgender individuals to work at the clinic. In 1933, the Nazi’s burned the library of the clinic. The Nazis piled books from the institute, including books detailing medical procedures, in the square and burned them, as one of the first book burnings.
“I think it is similar to past projects and fascism and past attempts at fascism … it is just attacking trans people, is just to get your foot in the door and gain access to wider infringements on civil rights and freedom,” Ilin said. “Back then in Nazi Germany, it started with communists, with socialists, and it ended [with] the attempted extermination of Jewish people.”
Social media users raised concerns that fascism is on the rise in the U.S.
David Walker, a History professor at Boise State with a specialty on World War II, shared his perspective on the Nazi’s rise to power and the concerns over fascism in the U.S.
“Hyper nationalism is a key part of their ideology. Now, in any nationalist system or atmosphere … nationalism is trying to get everybody on the same page about thinking about the nation,” Walker said. “Germany, in their very, very hyper-nationalist sense, [is] viewing anything that would take away from their perception of a nation that's all one and together …That was basically the mantra of the party… One Nation, One leader, One people.”
Walker explained that anyone who was perceived as different from fitting the “one nation” mold could be seen as a threat, and that book burnings were part of the effort to maintain the
“One Nation, One Leader, One People” ideology.
As a historian, Walker said the narrative that focuses on an “us versus them mentality” or the idea that only a strong political figure can save the country, is worrying.
“I don't think it's entirely an over exaggeration,” Walker said in reference to peoples’ concern over fascism in the U.S. “We historians, especially of the second World War and the Holocaust and other such things, we worry when we see people that really seem to [become] … more nationalist about what they have … constantly worrying more and more about people around them not being patriotic and reading the wrong books and teaching the wrong thing.
“We don't want to exaggerate too much, I suppose, right? I mean, this isn't Nazi Germany or fascist Italy. And I mean, you generally, we know what that looks like at its extreme. But of course, you know it wasn't always like that in those countries. It got to that point, you can look at that history of how they got there, and it's, you know, it's not overnight.”
Despite the attacks on the LGBTQ+ community and other marginalized groups, Nyx stressed that it was important not to give up.
“If the destruction of our rights was inevitable, they would not be putting this much effort into the project of creating this terror,” Nyx said. “If we aren't willing to organize, to stand up, to fight back, then we have no chance at winning. But if we dare to struggle,
at
*Not all of these bills are mentioned in the article directly, but sources referenced them as concerning legislation.
CULTURE
The Sierra Club’s film festival highlights inclusivity in outdoor spaces
Olivia Brandon and Emily Carmela Nelson | News Editor and Culture Reporter | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu
This January, The Sierra Club’s Idaho chapter held its “Wild and Scenic Film Festival”.
Lisa Young, director of the Idaho Sierra Club, said this was the first time Boise State hosted the event. Previously, The Egyptian Theater held the event.
“It’s a great way to engage students on campus,” Young said. “Historically, we wouldn’t get very many [students] at the Egyptian, and we’re like, ‘Man, how do we get more?’ So, definitely hoping that’s the case in the end.”
Young explained that to choose the films, a group of volunteers sit down and screen films — selecting ones that feature especially relevant environmental themes.
“We try to put together a program that speaks to a lot of different people and their experiences and opens people’s
eyes to these different initiatives that are happening around the country and around the world that can really inspire people to want to do something themselves,” Young said. Inclusivity in the outdoors
One film was created by Idaho filmmakers and spotlighted the organization’s LGBTQIA+-focused initiative OUTdoor Idaho. The film highlighted the program’s aim of inclusivity, queer joy and a love for the outdoors.
Several of the films that night focused on making outdoor recreation more widely accessible. “Soundscape”, directed by Sarah Steele featured author and global adventure athlete Erik Weihenmayer and his experiences hiking and rock climbing as a person who is blind.
Weihenmayer explained during the film that his biggest fear after becoming visually impaired was
missing out on life experiences, through echo-location and other sensory experiences he has continued to enjoy the outdoors in a new way.
“Forward”, directed by Palmer Morse follows Anjelica Avella as she navigates caregiving responsibilities, her work as an educator and the sense of community she has found in her all-girl hiking group.
Avella reflected on past experiences where she was told she couldn’t accomplish certain physical feats due to being plus-size and how her journey as a hiker gave her connection and a sense of resilience.
When John Sabraw, an art professor at the University of Ohio first saw the state of Ohio’s river due to leaking coal mines, he couldn’t believe no one was doing anything about it. So he did something about it.
“Toxic Art” directed by Jason Whalen showcases Sabraw’s partnership with civil engineering professor Guy Riefler as they transformed the iron oxide pollutant into paint for artists.
“It’s not that people don’t care — it’s that they don’t know”
Emily Iskin and Sayed Mirbacha were two of the many volunteers at the film festival. Volunteers get to select which films are shown at the festival from a vast database provided by Wild and Scenic.
“The Idaho chapter volunteers get together and watch [environmental films] to rank them and decide what makes sense for Idaho audiences, [as well as] what is important to us in the state,” Iskin said. “It puts together the program, which is really gratifying as a volunteer. It really brings in that kind of local perspective.”
As a member of The Sierra Club’s youth-led Climate Justice League since 2022, Mirbacha said his favorite part of volunteering is seeing the way that the community shows up to advocate for the things they are passionate about.
“This is the third festival that I’m participating in,” Mirbacha said. “It’s really important to inspire other people and get them to learn about the environment and how to advocate [for the environment].”
Iskin is a postdoctoral researcher and a fluvial geomorphologist in the human environmental systems department at Boise State University. As a fluvial geomorphologist, Iskin works with a team of practitioners who are aiming to restore rivers and collect data to understand what processes work.
“What I find in my work is that it’s not that people don’t care — it’s that they don’t know,” Iskin said.
The event featured a silent auction, two and a half hours worth of environmental films and a thirty-minute intermission. During intermission, raffle tickets were drawn for grand prizes such as local business gift baskets, Tamarack Resort lift tickets, a Catalyst Art Collaborative Wheel Throwing Class and various other uniquely Idaho experiences.
Moments before the event started, Young shared what would make this event a success in her book.
“When everyone’s smiling, laughing, having a good time — because it’s not just sitting and watching the films,” Young said. “Part of the event is that we have [the] auction drawing, drinks, people are seeing old friends. They’re coming with family and friends, and they’re making a whole evening of it and having fun.”
Photo of the 2024 Sierra Club Film Festival Logo. Courtesy of the Sierra Club
What word defined 2024? Apparently, ‘brain rot’
Kaeden Lincoln | News Reporter | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu
“Brain rot” is the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as a result of overconsumption of trivial material considered or something likely to lead to such deterioration, according to the Oxford dictionary.
A self-proclaimed victim of brain rot, when Alejandro Proano joined the Idaho Air National Guard, he became familiar with lots of acronyms, abbreviations and
new slang. But all the military lingo never struck him like brain rot did in 2024.
“Definitely early 2024,” Proano, 22, said when asked when he first heard “brain rot.” Proano said he didn’t start using the term until more recently, though. When asked to describe it, he struggled to come up with a definition.
The Oxford definition of “brain rot” is the “supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as a result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content)
considered to be trivial or unchallenging. Also: something characterized as likely to lead to such deterioration.”
Brain rot functions as a noun and an adjective — “brain rot content” is particularly silly or ridiculous content that has little value to offer its consumer. “Brain rot” itself can be a state of mind.
A common trait of brian rot content is the use of AI in its creation — Reddit posts narrated by AI voice acting, deep fakes of famous people and characters. Some videos are completely AI-generated,
showing characters like the Grinch being prepared for knee surgery, referring to a popular meme about the “Blinch,” a blue Grinch, being excited about getting knee surgery.
Ann Campbell, Chair of the English Department at Boise State, said her course covering Jane Austen discusses the value of print media to counter the effects of social media — brain rot.
“I think coming out of COVID, we still see the aftereffects of people just watching one more video,” Campbell said. “Your mind disengages. Your mind looks different, the way that it’s functioning, from times of repose and reflection such as meditation or having read for half an hour.”
“In times of repose and reflection, such as meditating or having read for half an hour, it goes into a state of relaxation and receptivity. But if you’re taking in constant stimulus, it doesn’t require much processing, it feels like exhaustion.”
Campbell thinks it’s why we can feel exhausted after “doing nothing”. On the internet, some people call it “frying their dopamine receptors”.
Boise State graduate Jacob Paveloff said it’s easier to find on Instagram than on TikTok due to the platforms’ differing algorithms.
“On Instagram, it’ll pop up, it just throws it [brain rot] in the random mix and you just kind of see it,” Paveloff said. Paveloff said he usually sees brain rot content when his friends send it to him or in their group chat.
Following 2023’s Oxford Word of the Year “rizz”, brain rot may be part of a trend that sees meme or internet culture dominating new vernacular each year. New brain rot content is coming out constantly, like the “lock in alien” that came to prominence around the end of 2024. So far, there is no reason to believe brain rot is slowing down for 2025.
Graphic of many brain rot memes.
Graphic by Kelsey Mason
CULTURE
‘Companion’: A killer love story with a comedic sci-fi twist
This first feature film from director/writer Drew Hancock is a must-see
Kelly Ann Asker | Managing Editor |
onlineeditor@stumedia.boisestate.edu
In the film community, the month of January is known as “Dumpuary”. During Dumpuary, film studios release films they don’t think will perform well. Surprisingly, many of these films end up being fan favorites.
“Companion”, the latest Dumpuary release, hit theaters on Jan. 31, 2025. The horror/ sci-fi follows Iris (Sophie Thatcher) and her boyfriend Josh (Jack Quiad) as they visit a cabin with a group of four other friends: Kat (Megan Suri), Patrick (Lukas Gage), Eli (Harvey Guillén) and billionaire cabin-owner Sergey (Rupert Friend).
What was supposed to be a fun weekend of relaxation quickly goes south when Sergey dies, setting off a truly shocking series of events with something unexpected around every corner.
The biggest piece of advice for viewers is to go into “Companion” blind. Avoid
the trailer, avoid reading any spoilers — avoid it all. The less you know, the more shocking the film is and that’s the optimal viewing experience.
Although classified as a horror/ sci-fi, it’s important to note that “Companion” is not scary. There’s no real jumpscares or elements that would lead it to be a true horror, despite the trailer making it seem like such.
In reality, “Companion” is more of a comedy/ thriller/ sci-fi — perfectly blending the three genres together to create an exciting, engaging and memorable film.
If you’re thinking that comedy, thriller and sci-fi are interesting genres to combine — you would be right.
While it isn’t an orthodox combination, “Companion” works surprisingly well. The screenplay is well written and packed with laughs without compromising the anticipation and shock-factor of the story.
Although there is technology involved — being a sci-fi — the references don’t feel too in-your-face or overly cautionary. Instead, technology effortlessly works its way into our world — which is a relief when looking at other sci-fi/ horror releases that feel more obnoxious.
Additionally, the screenplay — written by director Drew Hancock — plays into each of the actors strengths.
“Companion”’s cast is what aids its success the most. The small cast helps the characters to have effortless comedic chemistry and to compliment each other on the screen. From laugh out loud moments to spine chilling sequences, the cast delivers incredibly enjoyable performances from beginning to end.
The best thing about this cast is that it’s composed of up-and-coming faces, rather than big stars. Although each actor has been a part of big projects, like Quaid’s
role in “The Boys” and Thatcher’s leading role in “Heretic”, these are relatively new faces.
Hopefully, “Companion” opens doors for bigger opportunities in the future — because this cast exceeded all expectations.
Having only been cast in horror projects in the last few years, Thatcher is proving to be a studio and fan favorite choice for the genre. Her performance in “MaXXXine” alongside her leading roles in “Heretic”, “The Boogeyman”, the television series “Yellowjackets” and now “Companion” are all stellar.
According to IMDB, “Companion” is rated R for “strong violence, sexual content and language throughout.”
If you’re not a fan of gore, go into “Companion” cautiously. There are several graphic scenes and while they aid to the storyline and fit well, they may be too intense.
But if you’re a fan of the bloody, then you’ll have a blast with this film. It doesn’t shy away from showing the gruesome aspects — and that’s part of what makes it so great.
All in all, “Companion” completely defies the Dumpuary standard. It’s fun, fresh and full of new faces — and it’s already doing great in the box office. As of Feb. 2, 2025, “Companion” has made $9.5 million domestically and $15 million worldwide in its opening weekend, already surpassing its $10 million budget.
This is especially impressive when you consider that “Companion” is writer-director Drew Hancock’s first ever feature film. If this is the type of work Hancock has in store, then he will have a following in no time.
Whether your plans this February are for Valentine’s or Galentine’s — make you add “Companion” to your plans. It’s a killer love story you won’t want to miss. See “Companion”, in theaters now.
A still from the movie Companion.
Courtesy of Warner Brothers
COAS Passport Program expands with new one credit courses
Students can explore the community while earning credit with new Passport courses
Emily Carmela Nelson | Culture Reporter | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu
The College of Arts and Sciences
Art Passport is an online course that allows students to experience the depth of Idaho’s arts and cultural scene.
The one credit course, which can be taken as a 200 or 400 level class in order to meet individual student needs, requires students to attend at least seven art-related events over the course of the semester. After each event, the student writes a reflection about their experience.
Amanda Ashley, the director of the School of the Arts, said she was pleasantly surprised at the student interest the Arts Passport has gained since its spring 2024
launch. She stressed that students were “hungry” for opportunities to connect with the arts and cultural scene not only on campus, but within the city of Boise.
“Something that is really special about Boise is that [in most other cities,] the arts community is not typically connected to universities and higher education,”
Ashley said. “My experience [at Boise State] has been that [the art community] cares deeply about our students. This program helps the art institutions, our students, and the university. It’s a lovely synergy.”
Morgan Kelly, a junior majoring in Theater Arts and minoring in Music
and Arts Entrepreneurship, took the Arts Passport course at both the 200 and 400 levels.
“This class has been really awesome for forcing me to get out of my bubble and learn about more things and events that are happening locally,” Kelly said. “I’ve seen films and attended events I wouldn’t have ever known about or seen if it hadn’t been for the class.”
While Professor Sue Latta provides students with a list of potential events they could attend, students are able to choose events outside of that list.
Kelly noted that taking the online course was incredibly convenient. As an aspiring creative, Kelly was able to obtain credit for writing about her attendance at events and productions she was already planning to be a part of. An example of this was when she wrote about attending an A1 Conference in the New York City area — making this course accessible to students with already packed schedules or those who may travel out of state frequently.
“My ultimate goal has been to build an audience for the various art happenings that we have on campus and in the community,” Latta said. “There are so many events on campus that are happening on campus that students could complete [the entire class] without ever leaving campus. We also have community partners that have offered student discounts or free tickets to students, offering a broader spectrum of events to students taking the class.”
These community partners include, but are not limited to: Duck Club, Boise Philharmonic, The Flicks, Boise Art Museum, Idaho Fish and Game and the Boise Bicycle Project.
Duck Club is offering students enrolled in the Arts Passport course two free shows a semester — one at Treefort Music Hall and another at the Shrine Social Club.
The Boise Art Museum continues to offer free admission to students as well — regardless of their participation in the Arts Passport course.
Benjamin Burdick, the Boise Contemporary Theater’s artistic director, is excited to continue opening the theater’s doors to college students.
Boise Contemporary Theatre offers steeply discounted tickets for students participating in the Arts Passport programs, with tickets ranging from only five to ten dollars each. If ticket prices are a barrier for student attendance, Burdick said students can reach out to him directly to receive a waived ticket upon entry.
“I encourage students to check things out in their community. I have a feeling that Ballet Idaho, Boise Contemporary Theater and a lot of these other organizations are not the theater, ballet companies or spaces that you might have in your head,” Burdick said. “We’re not your mom and dad’s theater — we are brand new with interesting stories. I think if younger audiences gave it a shot, I think they would fInd it’s something they really enjoy and want to come back for.”
The College of Arts and Sciences Passport Program has proved to be such a success that it is now expanding to include three new online courses, launching this semester — the Culture and Ideas Passport, Environment Passport and Explore Passport.
“The [passport program] has been extremely successful and has had an impact on mattering and belonging — which we know from research has a direct impact on student retention,” Kelly Myers, the College of Arts and Sciences associate dean said. “This program has been so important that our Dean recently asked us to expand it. The Arts Passport has been the inspiration for the [sections] that have gone live this semester.”
Graphic of buildings associated with the COAS Passport Program.
Graphic by Naomi Brown
SPORTS & REC
February 6, 2024 | ARBITERONLINE.COM
Blast from the Past: A look at where former Bronco athletes are now
Because of the college transfer portal, it is becoming more and more common to see ex-Broncos playing for another college after a run with Boise State. Players like Taylen Green, Hank Bachmeier and Jade Loville played at Boise State but then transferred to another school after less than ideal seasons with Boise State. With the Boise State Athletics program continuing to grow, more stars will emerge while playing for Boise State. Though the future of Boise State Athletics is brighter than ever, let’s take a look at where some of the Bronco legends are today.
Kellen Moore
From 2008-2011, Boise State’s Football program was blessed with
the winningest quarterback in college football history. In his four season career, Kellen Moore won 50 games for the Broncos while only losing three, including a 14-0 season in 2009. Moore was a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2010 and is currently 10th in all time passing yards and third in all time passing touchdowns.
After his tenure at Boise State, Moore went undrafted in the 2012 draft. He was an undrafted free agent and the Detroit Lions picked. Moore played for the Lions until 2014 without a chance to play in an official game.
In 2015, the Lions released Moore who was soon after picked up by the Dallas Cowboys. In Dallas, Moore played in three games, throwing for
four touchdowns and six interceptions in those games. Moore and the Dallas Cowboys lost all three.
Though Moore’s professional career was not ideal, he soon began coaching — which proved to be the beginning of a successful career.
In 2018, Moore became the Dallas Cowboys quarterbacks coach, which only lasted one season. The next season, Moore was promoted to Offensive Coordinator (OC) for the Cowboys where he held this position until the end of the 2022 season.
In 2023, Moore had a quick stint as the Los Angeles Chargers OC for one season, then took a job with the Philadelphia Eagles as OC for the 2024 season.
Kellen Moore will now be coaching in the Super Bowl as his Eagles take on the Kansas City Chiefs on Feb. 9.
It is unknown if Moore will stay in Philadelphia for the 2025 season and there are rumors that Moore will take the vacant New Orleans Saints Head Coaching position.
Chandler Hutchinson
With the 22nd pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls selected Chandler Hutchinson out of Boise State University.
Early in Hutchinson’s college career, there were flashes of potential, but no one could expect the turnaround for his 2016-2017 season. During Hutchinson’s junior year he averaged 17 points per game, while receiving a First Team AllMountain West award.
In Hutchinson’s senior year he continued to improve. He averaged 20 points per game and became one of two to receive Mountain West Player of the Year. Because of his incredible two season run
with the Broncos, the star forward decided to declare for the NBA Draft.
Unfortunately for Hutchinson, an injury in his rookie year sent him to the NBA G-league where he was given time to recover.
Hutchinson played for the Windy City Bulls, the G-league affiliate for the Chicago Bulls, for three seasons before being traded to the Washington Wizards. Hutchinson was then bounced around the league for a while, until he retired in 2022.
In total, Hutchinson played in 103 NBA games across five seasons, averaging 5.4 points per game.
Khalil Shakir
Before there was Ashton Jeanty, the Broncos football team was led by star wide receiver Khalil Shakir. Playing for the Broncos from 2018-2021, Shakir posted 3,292 total yards and 24 touchdowns. Shakir seemed to be good at it all: impossible to bring down and putting on highlight reel catches.
In 2022, Shakir was drafted in the fifth round of the NFL draft by the Buffalo Bills. In his rookie season, Shakir saw the field but was not a full time starter. Shakir’s rookie season consisted of only 10 catches, 161 yards and one touchdown.
After his rookie season, Shakir’s career took off, emerging as a starter for the Bills. In Shakir’s 2023 and 2024 seasons, he had combined six touchdowns and 1,431 receiving yards.
Shakir’s career is still young, but he may be a star in the making getting to play with one of the best quarterbacks in the league: Josh Allen.
Photo of Kellen Moore.
Courtesy of Yong Kim / Philidaphia Inquirer
NIL at Boise State: ‘What’s
Next’
for Boise State Athletics in the NIL era
How Boise State Athletics navigates the ever-changing NIL landscape
Spencer Rentfro | News Reporter | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu | Graphic by Naomi Brown
Name, Image and Likeness (NIL), refers to providing college athletes the opportunity to monetize their name, image and likeness.
Recognized as the “Best Institutional NIL Program” in 2022, Boise State Athletics has provided student-athletes with the opportunity to maximize their NIL.
Boise State Athletics opts-in House vs. NCAA Settlement
On Oct. 24, 2024, Boise State Athletics announced their plan to opt-in the House vs. NCAA settlement in part of their “What’s Next Initiative”.
The settlement includes an approximate $2.78 billion retroactive payment plan over a 10-year period paying back college student-athletes who played during the 2016-2021 years that missed out on NIL opportunities.
Chris Kutz, associate athletic director for Strategic Communications and Brand Advancement, explained Boise State Athletics’ decision to opt-in the settlement.
“As being a non [Power Four Conference] school, there’s a bit of an expectation of opt-in, opt-out at this level,” Kutz said. “For us as an institution, we want to alway strive for the top of college athletics.”
In addition, the settlement details a proposed formula called the “Revenue Sharing” method beginning July 1, 2025, aiming to promote a more competitive balance for schools to share up to 22% of the Average Shared Revenue with student-athletes.
Kutz mentioned that Boise State Athletics is in the process of analyzing their total revenue across ticket sales, multimedia rights, licensing, tv rights, etc. with the main goal being to “compete”.
“We have a standard of excellence at Boise State that we want to uphold no
matter what version of college athletics we are facing in the future,” Kutz said.
“[Athletic Director] Jeramiah [Dickey] says it all the time, ‘what’s next?’ and what’s next for us is competing just like we did before.”
Boise State Men’s Basketball Assistant Coach Lexus Williams, who formerly played for Boise State Men’s Basketball in 2017-2018, says he intends to join in on the settlement.
“It just says to that era of people [student-athletes] that what you did didn’t go unnoticed and [NCAA] didn’t just try to run you dry for what you had to give to the game while you were in college,” Williams said.
The final approval of the House vs. NCAA settlement is scheduled for spring 2025.
Boise State international athletes seize NIL opportunities despite limitations International student-athletes play in the United States through a F-1 student visa, which prohibits them from making money in the United States that’s deemed as “labor”, such as commercial endorsements, social media posts or event appearances.
However, international athletes have a couple avenues for generating income: securing NIL deals in their home country or when their team travels outside the U.S.
Boise State Men’s Basketball senior point guard Alvaro Cardenas, who’s from Spain, began his collegiate basketball career in 2021 around the same time the initial NIL rules went into effect on July 1, 2021.
Cardenas says he feels that he’s missing out on NIL opportunities based on his visa regulations.
“It’s honestly a disadvantage because not only you can’t get money from [NIL] collective in the U.S. but you can’t sign with any brands,” Cardenas said.
Boise State junior punter James Ferguson-Reynolds garnered attention from Bronco Nation because of his record breaking punts and is also known as one of the very few international players on the team.
Similar to other international athletes, Ferguson-Reynolds is playing at Boise State on a F-1 student visa.
For a deal to be done, FergusonReynolds, who’s from Melbourne, Australia, said he must be physically present in his home country to conduct any NIL promotion and sign the necessary documents. Ferguson-Reynolds mentioned that the trip back home is around a 17-24 hour flight.
“It’s very physically demanding,” Ferguson-Reynolds said.
Additional ways Ferguson-Reynolds is able to monetize off his NIL is through “passive” income opportuni ties, which require no labor.
Examples of these are through the NIL merchandise store and recently with the new Electronic Arts (EA) Sports College Football 25 Video Game. College athletes who allowed their name, image and likeness to be used in the game received $600 and a free copy of the game.
Boise State senior defensive end Ahmed Hassanein expressed why he believes international athletes should receive the same NIL opportunities in America like himself.
“If you’re committed to a team and you give all your heart and effort, you shouldn’t say ‘oh, he’s international, he can’t do NIL,’” Hassanein said. “It’s all the same really, we’re in the boat together, we’re trying to go and win.”
From teammates to competitors: The Loyim twins gymnastics journey
Emma and Hannah Loyim remain inseparable after parting ways for college
Boise State gymnast Emma Loyim’s passion for gymnastics sparked by the time she could barely walk.
At two years old, Emma and her identical twin sister, Hannah were doing flips off furniture any chance they got, so their parents put them in “Mommy and Me” classes as a way to let their energy out.
Now 20 years laters and 1,400 miles apart, the twins continue to serve as each other’s biggest role models in the sport.
“We’ve been through it all together,” said Emma Loyim. “Having someone to motivate me to work harder and have healthy competition within the gym and at meets gave me an extra push to always give my 100%. She’s definitely the hardest worker that I know and I’ve always looked up to her.”
Although the dynamic duo have been attached at the hip since birth, they decided to go their separate ways in college to grow in their individuality.
Growing Up
The Loyim sisters were adopted from China at one and a half years old and grew up in New York.
Since taking classes at two years old, the twins never looked back. By age five they started doing gymnastics at the competitive level.
At 13 they were reaching level 10 (highest level), so they took the opportunity to move to New Jersey to train at a better gym and get some more advanced coaching.
By that point, Emma and Hannah homeschooled to get more hours in the gym and develop in the sport as best they could.
Taking Separate Paths
After having been teammates for almost 16 years, the duo split up for college. Hannah committed to Iowa State University and Emma to Boise State University.
“Even though we love being twins and we couldn’t imagine life without each other, we decided that we’re gonna have to split up eventually and we wanted to find who we are without each other,” Loyim said. “We know we’re always going to be there for each other, but since this is a new chapter of our life, we took this big step to try and do it on our own.”
Emma struggled with the transition to college without her sister by her side because she viewed Hannah as the leader in their relationship.
“She was just more outspoken and bold than I was,” said Loyim. “Whenever we would meet people, she would do most of the talking. I would just kind of stand back, so when I came to college, I realized I really need to start being independent and have the confidence to do that myself.”
Although it wasn’t easy at first, Emma found sisters through her teammates at Boise State.
Transition to College
Loyim kept her options open during the recruiting process and looked at about 20 schools before committing to Boise State.
“Everyone says that when you step into the right college for you, you’ll just know,” said Loyim. “I got that feeling. And every single day since being recruited, I’ve fallen more and more in love with Boise.”
The senior has truly left her mark on Boise State gymnastics, competing in all four events and earning countless awards in floor and beam.
Loyim finished third on floor with a score of 9.875 and earned Mountain West Floor Specialist of the Week, which is awarded to the highestscoring athlete in each event. This was her sixth-career weekly award.
On Jan. 20, 2025, Loyim had the opportunity to compete against her sister
in the Wasatch Classic for their final competition against each other.
“While I was waiting for my turn to compete, I got to watch my sister stick a bar dismount and hit a floor routine and it was just everything,” Loyim said. “I cherished every moment and I was glad that both of my parents were there to see it too. It was a really great end to our last competition together.”
Through her time at Boise State, Loyim overcame mental blocks by learning how to shift her mindset.
“I remind myself to stay in the moment and not to think ahead of myself,” said Loyim. “I need to switch my thinking from ‘What if I mess up?’ to ‘What if I hit this perfect’ or ‘What if I stick the landing like I just did in practice?’”
What’s Next
As Loyim enters her final season as a Bronco, she is working toward the opportunity to score her first 10 and help lead her team to another confer-ence championship.
After graduation, Emma and Hannah plan to bring their gymnastics chapter to a close and go to PA (physician assistant) school.
“I’m definitely interested in the medical field and all my classes have put me on the path to go to PA school,” Loyim said. “But I definitely want to explore other options and continue to see what’s out there.”
Look out for Loyim at Boise State’s next home meet on Feb. 14 against San Jose State University.
Photo of BSU Gymnast Emma Loyim. Photo courtesy of Boise State Athletics
OUR BEST GUESS
THE ARBITER ALIGNS YOUR STARS
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GEMINI
MAY 21 - JUN 20
YOU NEED TO MAKE A DECISION EVENTUALLY.
CANCER
JUN 21 - JUL 22
YOU’RE NOT IN LOVE, IT’S JUST CLOSE TO VALENTINE’S DAY.
LEO JUL 23 - AUG 22
YOU SHOULD LEARN TO COOK. IT’S A PROBLEM.
VIRGO
AUG 23 - SEPT 22
IT’S OKAY TO GO TO THERAPY. PLEASE TRY IT.
LIBRA
SEPT 23 - OCT 22
RETAIL THERAPY IS THE SOLUTION.
ILLUSTRATIONS BY SYDNEY SMITH
OCT 23 - NOV 21
THE GRAMMY’S ARE NOT A PERSONAL ATTACK ON YOU. SCORPIO
NOV 22 - DEC 21
GHOSTING PEOPLE ISN’T NICE. WE’RE ONTO YOU. SAGITTARIUS
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