The Arbiter 1.16.18 Vol. 30 Issue 18

JANUARY 16, 2017

VOL. 30 ISSUE 18 I N D E P E N D E N T

The president search is on Page 4

S T U D E N T

V O I C E

O F

B O I S E

Star Wars fan theories Page 14

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Column: BSU in Power 5 Page 18

EVENTS

Events this week Winter Craft and Game Night Jan. 16 | Gender Equity Center | 5 pm

Come by the Gender Equity Center for a night of fun and games and experience a supportive community on campus.

Space Station Downlink with Astro Acaba Jan. 17 | SUB | 9 am

Astronaut Joe Acaba will answer questions posed by young students while broadcasting live from the International Space Station.

Boise State vs. Utah State Jan. 17 | Taco Bell Arena | 7 pm

Boise State’s men’ basketball team faces off against Utah State.

FIFA Video Game Tournament Jan. 18 | SUB Games Center | 7 pm Come test your FIFA skills against other gamers on the PS4 and possibly win a new Neymar Jr. jersey.

Boise State Gymnastics vs Denver, SPU and UIC Jan. 19 | Taco Bell Arena | 7 pm Boise State’s gymnastics team competes with three other schools. Come cheer them on!

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JANUARY 16, 2018

INSIDE

JANUARY 16, 2018

Photo of the week Editor-In-Chief Brandon Rasmussen editor@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Online Editor Taylor Munson onlineeditor@stumedia.boisestate.edu Opinion Editor Jacob Palmer opinion@stumedia.boisestate.edu News Editor Jordan Erb news@stumedia.boisestate.edu News Reporter Ximena Bustillo news@stumedia.boisestate.edu Culture Editor Shannon Brennan culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu Culture Reporter Logan Potter culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu Norma is famous among students at Boise State for making them smile while ringing up goods at the C-Store in the SUB. Though she admitted to being a little camera-shy, she graciously allowed us to snap a few photos of her working her magic. Never change, Norma. Photo by Brandon Rasmussen.

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On the cover: Boise State students march on campus for the MLK Day of Greatness Rally on the morning of Monday, Jan. 15. Photo by Taylor Humby. Design by Olivia Tocher

Contact us The Arbiter’s mailing address is: 1910 University Dr., Mail Stop 1340 Phone: (208) 426-6300 Website: www.arbiteronline.com Distributed Tuesdays during the academic school year. The Arbiter is the official independent student newspaper of Boise State, 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.

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NEWS

JANUARY 16, 2018

The search process for a new Boise State president has officially begun

The process will begin with listening sessions this week for students, faculty, staff and stakeholders Taylor Munson and Brandon Rasmussen | Online Editor and Editor-in-Chief | editor@stumedia.boisestate.edu The Idaho State Board of Education has officially begun its national search process for a new Boise State president to fill the shoes of President Bob Kustra. In November, President Kustra announced his plan to retire on June 30, 2018, after 15 years as Boise State’s president.

According to a press release from the Idaho State Board of Education on Jan. 11, the search process began with “a series of in-person listening sessions to give Boise State stakeholders and community members an opportunity to offer input on qualities and characteristics most important to the position profile and advertisement.” These listening sessions will take place Wednesday, Jan. 17 through Friday, Jan. 19 in Boise State’s Student Union Building, according to Idaho State Board of Education President Linda Clark. These sessions will specifically provide opportu-

“

The timeline is very challenging because our goal is to have the new president employed and on campus before the start of next school year. It’s an ambitious timeline, but a reasonable one.

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- Linda Clark, President of the State Board of Education nities for faculty, students, staff and alumni to give their input.

“That is the first step: to gather this wide range of input into what all of those folks think we should be looking for in a new

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president,” Clark said.

According to Clark, a search committee will hold its first meeting on Friday, Jan. 19 to determine the official criteria and requirements, then an outside consulting company will turn that into a job description and then a job posting for candidates to begin applying.

The Idaho State Board is using AGB Search—a firm that specializes in higher education executive searches—as well as a local search committee to help with the selection process. The Idaho State Board will make the final selection, according to Clark.

On Feb. 5 the search will be officially open for candidates to submit materials, according to Boise State. The application process will then close on March 12, and the search committee will review the applicants and schedule interviews. The candidates will then be reduced and campus visits will be scheduled, and recommendations will be made to the Idaho State Board. Finally, the Idaho State Board will interview the final candidates and make its decision. The national search for a new Boise State president is expected to take about six months, with the final selection planned for May of 2018.

“The timeline is very challenging because our goal is to have the new president employed and on campus before the start of the next school year,” Clark said. “It’s an ambitious timeline, but a reasonable one.”

According to Clark, there have been some recent changes to the search committee in an effort to make it more diverse. As of now, the committee includes ASBSU president Sienna George, faculty senate, two State Board of Education members, other Boise State staff, alumni association, community members, the Chamber of Commerce and others. There are a total of 14 members.

Bob Kustra speaks in front of a newly-constructed Honors College Building. Photo courtesy of Boise State’s Facebook page.

As this search process begins, many of those who have worked closely with President Kustra are able to reflect on their time with him, as well as look forward to what they hope for in a new president.

“We have a special culture at Boise State.

We’re innovative. We try to figure out how to get things done. We’re often on the cutting edge of a lot of things,” said Mark Rudin, vice president of Research and Economic Development. “We need someone who can continue on and adopt the Boise State culture and continue to move this ship forward.”

Chief Operating Officer Kevin Satterlee, who has been appointed to the search committee, has worked closely with Kustra throughout his time as president of Boise State.

In a new president, Satterlee said he hopes for “someone who can take what Dr.

Kustra has accomplished in his 15 years and use that as the base to be even better.

(Kustra) has built a foundation that the new president is going to be able to springboard from.”

Leslie Webb, vice president for Student Affairs, also spoke on her hopes for the new president in terms of building off of what President Kustra built during his career at Boise State.

“Dr. Kustra (has had a clear) vision of a vibrant campus life—student organizations, our living-learning communities and our residence hall system. Boise State is now seen as a regionally-serving institution,” Webb said. “I’m interested in someone who is both thinking about what’s next for the institution, has a continuing vision of this exciting trajectory we are on and will work to strengthen our core foundation.”

JANUARY 16, 2018

Boise State professors to discuss media literacy at the Fettucine Forum

NEWS

Panel discussion will include topics surrounding media literacy and fake news MaryAnn Fernandez | Staff Writer | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

The Fetuccini Forum is an ongoing project by the Boise Department of Arts and History that promotes community education and engagement. Photo courtesy of Boise State.

Disclaimer: Seth Ashley, a primary source in this article, is the advising faculty member for The Arbiter.

A panel of experts, including professors from Boise State, will lead a discussion at Boise City Hall on Wednesday, Jan. 17 at 6 p.m. The forum, named “Fettuccine Forum,” is part of a continuing lecture series that is sponsored by the Boise City Department of Arts and History. The forum will be located in the Boise City Hall Council Chambers and is free to the public.

Seth Ashley, associate professor of journalism and media studies in the Department of Communication at Boise State, will be leading the panel.

According to Ashley, the purpose of the forum is to take a closer look into fake news and media literacy. Additionally, the panel will be considering the contexts of these topics including historical, political and economic aspects that impact the

media and news.

As specified by Ashley, the current focus on fake news is beneficial for getting people to critically think about what frames responsible journalism. Furthermore, society should develop a better sense to recognize hoaxes and evaluate the credibility of facts.

“It’s much easier to educate people about the news system rather than to get them to question their political views,” Ashley wrote in an email. “The result can be to empower people to become more engaged in civic life and democratic society. That’s the ultimate goal for anyone who cares about media literacy.”

Julie Lane, assistant professor at Boise State, will be one of the participants on the panel and will be focusing on the history of fake news and misinformation.

“I’m a media historian by training, so I’ll be providing a little historical context about distrust in the mass media and efforts throughout our nation’s history to try

discredit the media,” Lane said.

As explained by Lane, media has always been connected to politics. Additionally, politicians have always been aware of the power that the media has and the impact they can have as well. In the forum, Lane will briefly discuss the early history of the media system for the 17th to the early 19th centuries.

According to Lane, media literacy is essential in society because consumers should be skeptical about what they see.

Also, consumers should ask questions before they can trust the validity of what they read, and they should gather other sources as well.

“Media in the variety of forms that it is today is how we learn a lot about what we know in the world outside of our personal experiences,” Lane said. “So you need to be able to bring some level of skepticism to it if you are going to depend on that to inform yourself and your opinion.”

Jeffrey Lyons, assistant professor at

Boise State in the department of political science, is another participant on the panel and will be elaborating on the motivated reasoning behind the idea that consumers are biased processors of information.

“We give more weight to news that tells us we are right and less weight to information that doesn’t align with our prior beliefs,” Lyons wrote in an email. “We are likely to seek out news that conforms to our prior beliefs and reject [or] forget things that do not.”

According to Lyons, media literacy is a necessary element for a functioning democracy and is challenging in the current fragmented environment surrounding the media.

“People often think they are unbiased in their thinking and are being ‘fair’ when evaluating information, but that is not the case for the vast majority of individuals,” Lyons wrote. “We like to be right, so we pursue information in a way that will tell us we are right.”

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NEWS

JANUARY 16, 2018

Spring recruitment gives students a new opportunity for involvement Recruiters utilize informal process for a more personalized experience Ximena Bustillo | News Reporter | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu The spring semester at Boise State means the start of new opportunities to make connections with other students through student organizations. Becoming a part of Boise State’s growing Greek community is one of the many options that students have available. Spring recruitment for fraternities takes place during the first few weeks following winter break.

Senior general business major Austin Bleecker explained that spring recruitment is more casual than fall recruitment.

“It is run by the fraternities themselves.

We have less students who come in and shorter activities,” Bleecker said.

Both the Student Involvement Center and the Interfraternity Council are less involved in creating a formal structure for the spring recruitment process and events as opposed to in the fall.

The informality of spring recruitment can cause challenges when it comes to the lack of regulation for event planning and coordinating, but it can also be beneficial because it allows each organization to individualize their event and bidding timeline, according to junior mechanical engineering major Ryan Faithe.

Both Faithe and Bleecker agreed the recruitment process in the spring can also be a better experience for potential new members.

“Spring rush is the best time,” Bleecker said. “You’ve had a semester to manage your time, understand the reputation of each organization and there is a lot less chaos.”

Students have now had at least one semester to get adjusted to campus life, have had time to interact with people in multiple organizations and filter through what they are actually looking for in their college experience, according to sophomore political science major Hayden Rogers.

Bleecker explained some of the best leaders come from spring recruitment due to this.

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Spring recruitment can be a more personalized experience for prospective Greek life members. Photo coutesy of the Delta Tau fraternity.

The spring process also allows for a more personal experience, according to Rogers.

“The average size for a recruitment class in the spring is about five to 12, whereas in the fall it’s about 25,” Rogers said.

In agreement with Rogers, Faithe claims this results in less competition.

“We can recruit more efficiently and get

to know students more personally,” Faithe said. “You get more focused individuals who may be in it for less of a social aspect and receive higher quality members.”

All three agreed that if someone is interested in recruitment, they should not hesitate.

“Choose a fraternity whose rituals, core

values and philanthropic involvement you agree with,” Faithe said. “If you mainly focus on all the formals and the socials, then you could easily be dissatisfied. If you don’t find the organization you want now, just wait, and you will.”

JANUARY 16, 2018

Netanyahu backs Trump’s attack on UN Palestinian refugee agency

NEWS

Jonathan Ferziger | Piece Courtesy of Bloomberg News TEL AVIV, Israel –– Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for the dismantlement of the United Nations agency that cares for Palestinian refugees, backing U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to cut funding unless Palestinians cooperate with his Middle East peace efforts.

Netanyahu accused the U.N. Relief and Works Agency of exploiting the plight of Palestinian refugees “in order to destroy the state of Israel,” according to a copy of his remarks at the weekly Cabinet meeting in Jerusalem. “UNRWA must disappear from the world,” Netanyahu said.

The Israeli leader said he agrees “completely” with Trump’s Jan. 2 Twitter message in which he complained that the U.S. pays the Palestinians “hundreds of millions

of dollars a year” and in return gets “no appreciation or respect.” Nikki Haley, the

“

What perpetuates the refugee crisis is the failure of the parties to deal with the issue.

”

- Chris Gunness, U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) spokesman U.S. ambassador to the UN, said later that the administration would cut off aid to UNRWA if the Palestinians refused to

participate in peace talks with Israel.

The U.S., which is the biggest contributor to the agency, put a hold on a Jan. 2 payment of $125 million while the administration reviews its next steps, said two people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity. An UNRWA official in the Gaza Strip said the organization hadn’t been notified of any aid freeze.

Netanyahu said it was “absurd” that UNRWA was set up in 1949 exclusively to distribute aid to Palestinians, proposing that funds be provided instead through the U.N. agency that cares for all other refugee populations around the world.

UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness said the agency UNRWA must continue its

activities until Israel and the Palestinians resolve their decades-long conflict.

“What perpetuates the refugee crisis is the failure of the parties to deal with the issue,” Gunness said.

Palestinian officials condemned Trump’s Twitter post, calling it “an American-Israeli coup against the peace process” and appealing to the U.N. to step in.

“This is a dramatic and clear transition to the stage of dictating solutions on the Palestinian and Arab sides through a kind of coercive surgical operation,” the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Saturday.

–––– (Saud Abu Ramadan contributed to this report.)

Palestinian women take part in a protest against U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, on December 20, 2017 in Gaza City. (Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto/ Zuma Press/TNS).

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OPINION

JANUARY 16, 2018

When statistics go horribly wrong

Examples of how you can be mislead by simple numbers for complicated situations Jacob Palmer | Opinion Editor | opinion@stumedia.boisestate.edu Here’s a bold prediction: There is a 100 percent chance you will be exposed to a statistic today. We see them in many places, such as in commercials where a product might be recommended by nine out of 10 dentists, or in political debates where a politician may claim his or her policy has lead to 58 percent growth in 25 percent of the economy. Statistics are appealing as sources because they’re simple to memorize, sound scientific and make people look like they’ve done their research.

But a statistic is only as good as the methodology behind it. There are many ways one can adjust numbers in order to mislead. Unfortunately, many have settled on using bad statistics as their main arguments. This has reduced the public’s understanding of issues to trite talking points filled with misleading claims. There are so many faulty numbers out there it would be impossible to cover them all in one article. But here are a few examples that can be used to show the ways statistics can mislead.

in their administrations first three months.

This implies Donald Trump’s policies in those three months were much better for the economy than Obama’s and Clinton’s.

The most misleading thing about this statistic is that it’s technically true, but the context of the statistic is misleading. As The Hill newspaper reported, the problem is the statistic only looks at the presidents’ first three months in office, which is not enough time for the full effects of an administration’s policy to fully be seen. This is similar to car companies claiming their cars are reliable because they have won “Initial Quality Awards” when in fact that award only applies to the first 90 days of car ownership.

Now that there has been almost a year of a Trump administration and major legislation has been passed, such as the tax cut bill, it would be more accurate to look at economic activity currently as a measure of Trump’s policies rather than his first three months.

Claim: Mass shootings Claim: Donald Trump’s are a daily occurance in the presidency has seen a lower United States. There were jobless rate in its first three at least 355 mass shootings months when compared to in the year of 2015 alone. his Democratic predecesThis statistic from just two years ago aws sors.

This first claim was shown in a tweet from Fox News last April. The tweet compared the jobless rates of the last two Republican presidents (Bush and Trump, who had a 4.4 percent and 4.5 percent rate, respectively) to the jobless rate of the previous two Democratic presidents (Clinton and Obama, who had a jobless rate of 7.1 percent and 9.0 percent, respectively)

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repeated many times by news outlets such as NBC news, which ran the sensational headline, “Staggering Stats: There have been more mass shooting than days this year.” The main goal of this statistic is too allege there is a mass shooting epidemic in the United States and advocate for gun control. Now I’m not here to advocate for or against gun control either way, nor am I saying mass shootings are not a prob-

Statistics might seem appealing and convincing at first glance, but if done wrong, they can cause mistruths to be spread as long as they are repeated enough. Graphic by Axel Quartarone.

lem. Every life lost in a mass shooting is a tragedy and we should take steps to reduce these casualties. That said, when looking at this statistic by itself, there is a very serious flaw in its methodology, pointed out by no less than left-leaning news source Mother Jones. The problem is what’s defined as a

“

A statistic is only as good as the methodology behind it.

And many have settled on bad statistics as their main arguments.

”

“Mass Shooting.” The statistic defines a mass shooting as an event where four or more people (including the shooter) were at least injured by a gun. This term is much broader than the FBI’s definition of a mass shooting which requires actual homicides to occur. As a result, a gang fight in a big city where four were wounded can easily be equated with the horrific events that transpired in Las Vegas, when in reality, the situations, causes and potential solutions to both are much too different to be conflated.

What’s even more problematic is the source of this new, expanded definition of mass shootings doesn’t come from any research organization or political think

OPINION

JANUARY 16, 2018

tank. Instead it comes from MassShootingTracker.org, which originated from Reddit, which, to say the least, isn’t regarded as a shining beacon of objective research.

Intentionally bending the numbers surrounding the issue distorts the problem, stokes up public fear and prevents truly effective solutions to issues such as gun violence from being enacted.

Claim: Planned Parenthood isn’t really involved in birth control because they’ve drastically reduced the amount of life-saving procedures they provide and drastically increased the amount of abortions they provide.

“

In pointing out these faulty statistics I do not mean to indict the causes they support, but they serve as examples of oftenrepeated statements that do nothing more than spread misinformation about complex issues.

�

This claim, also from just two years ago, comes from the organization Americans United for Life. They provide a graph of two criss-crossing lines, one going up and the other down. The line going down represents the amount of “cancer screenings

and prevention services� Planned Parenthood provides, which decreased from 2,007,361 in 2006 to 935,573 in 2013.

The line going up represents the amount of abortions they provided, which increased from 289,750 in 2006 to 327,000 in 2013. Because both lines criss-cross, it gives the impression that the amount of abortions have overtaken the amount of prevention services.

But a quick look at the numbers reveals the problem. 327,000 is still much less than 935,573 and barely in increase from 289,750, at least compared to the drop in the same graph. By not including a y-axis in the graph, it gives a very inaccurate view of the picture. This statistical trickery is not limited to just one side of the debates surrounding Planned Parenthood.

Claim: Planned Parenthood isn’t really involved in abortions because only 3% of the services they provide are abortions.

This claim, made by Planned Parenthood and its advocates, is also misleading. Slate Magazine called it “The Most Meaningless Abortion Statistic Ever.� The reason for this claim being so misleading lies in what Planned Parenthood defines as a “service� in their statistic.

If a woman arrives at a Planned Parenthood for an abortion procedure, she might also get an STD test and contraception pills while there, so according to Planned Parenthood, the abortion is now only 33 percent of her appointment since they count everything else as a service equal to the abortion procedure. They keep bundling “services� together until they

reach the low 3 percent figure. But as the Washington Post’s fact checker points out, this completely ignores the medical and pricing differences between an abortion procedure and an over the counter STD test. The statistics logic is faulty to the point where one could say only 25 percent of the hamburgers ordered at McDonalds are actually hamburgers because they also gave you a bag, cardboard container and napkins. The Washington Post ultimately gave the claim three out of four Pinocchios on its fact check rating scale, indicating “significant factual error and/or obvious contradictions.�

Conclusion: In pointing out these faulty statistics I do not mean to indict the casues they support, but they serve as examples of often-repeated statements that do nothing more than spread misinformation about comples issues. Because statistics are so

easy to memorize, they often become true simply by being repeated by a large enough group of people. It’s always much easier to “like,� “reblog� or “retweet� something than to do proper research on it.

Ultimately, every person needs to look into statistics and their methodology themselves and come to their own informed conclusion instead of parroting what they hear from people they agree with online. The internet gives us access to more information than ever possible in human history, and if we ultimately used it to do true research rather than reinforce our own opinions, the overall quality of political discourse would improve dramatically.

Got a comment, thought, opinion or rebuttal?

Send a letter to the editor at opinion@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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FEATURE

JANUARY 16, 2018

Current political climate reflected in Boise State MLK celebrations

There will be new events this year, including a talk on Title IX and a leadership workshop Taylor Munson and Amelia Albanese | Online Editor and Staff Writer | onlineeditor@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Boise State students show of their freshly-made signs before the MLK rally on Monday, Jan. 15. Students, faculty and community members continued to the march that took place later that morning. Photo by Axel Quartarone.

In January of 1989, Boise State student Eric Love organized a march to the Idaho statehouse to peacefully advocate for the recognition of Martin Luther King’s birthday as a holiday in Idaho. Over a year later, in 1990, Idaho officially recognized Martin Luther King Jr. Human Rights Day as a statewide holiday, making it one of the last five states to do so.

It is now 28 years later, and the peaceful protest that took place in 1989 has become two weeks worth of events planned to celebrate Martin Luther King’s legacy at Boise State. In addition to the annual march and rally that took place Monday, Jan. 15, these events include a discussion about Title IX, a movie showing, a keynote address featuring Melissa Harris-Perry and a diversity fair. The main organizers behind

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these events are members of the MLK Liv-

“

Many of us who work closely with these issues know they haven’t been resolved; they have mutated, they have evolved, they have set before us different kinds of challenges, new challenges, maybe even more entrenched challenges.

”

- Francisco Salinas, Director of Student Diversity and Inclusion

ing Legacy Planning Committee. Francisco Salinas advises the committee and also works as the Director of Student Diversity and Inclusion.

“In the state of Idaho, you can credit the students of Boise State for really bringing the recognition of the Dr. King holiday to the entire state,” Salinas said.

According to Salinas, the many events scheduled following Martin Luther King Human Rights Day are intended to recognize not only MLK’s legacy, but how that fits into the current issues of today.

“Some of these issues the civil rights movement brought up, brought out front, brought right into people’s living rooms, there was a popular impression those issues were resolved,” Salinas said. “Many of us who work closely with these issues

know they haven’t been resolved; they have mutated, they have evolved, they have set before us different kinds of challenges, new challenges, maybe even more entrenched challenges.”

Boise State President Bob Kustra acknowledged this in an email to students on Saturday, Jan. 13. The email addressed recent words spoken by President Trump.

“On the occasion of the national celebration of the life and works of Martin Luther King, Jr., it pains me to have to speak about words so completely contrary to those we would hear from Dr. King,” Kustra wrote. “But I feel the words recently spoken by the President of the United States require those in leadership to speak out.”

FEATURE

JANUARY 16, 2018

Kustra also encouraged students to partake in MLK events, such as the march to the Idaho capitol on Monday, Jan. 15 Boise State student Tanisha Jae Newton

“

Martin Luther King Jr. said that ‘the arc of history is long, but it bends toward justice.’ The holiday in his name calls us all to see where we are on the arc, what’s happening, and learn how we can further progress along it.

”

- Jill Gill, Boise State history professor is a junior studying history, secondary education, sociology and political science and wants to become a professor of black history. Newton spoke at the MLK rally in front of the Idaho statehouse about what she believes MLK’s legacy means for today.

“The stigma around being a pot-stirrer seems to diminish as well when we internalize (being an agitator), which is especially needed when the pot that is being stirred is bubbling over in the toxicities of this hateful and divisive administration,” Newton said.

Boise State history professor Jill Gill specializes in race, rights and religion in U.S. history and also leads the new Marilyn Shuler Human Rights Initiative.

“Idaho’s relationship with MLK day is fascinating,” Gill wrote in an email. “Idaho was among the last five states to pass the holiday and there was considerable resistance in the legislature to pass it. (It) took four years and a statewide movement to get it passed—barely—in 1990.”

According to Gill, Boise State’s MLK events are meant to highlight and learn about community efforts that address in-

equalities in our society, and to put a focus on social justice.

“Martin Luther King Jr. said that the arc of history is long, but it bends toward justice,” Gill wrote. “The holiday in his name calls us all to see where we are on the arc, what’s happening, and learn how we can further progress along it.”

According to Salinas, aside from the MLK day march and rally, Talk-O-Tuesday and the keynote speaker, all of the other events are new as of this year. “(The MLK planning committee) has taken it upon themselves to expand the legacy of Dr. King from just being recognized one weekend a year to trying to influence campus climate throughout the year,” Salinas said.

One of these new events is a discussion about Title IX. According to Salinas, an MLK committee member and other experts will be present to facilitate discussion on this topic.

“This is part of the legacy of Dr. King, to speak to the needs of oppressed groups,” Salinas said. “We know in our society there’s inequity based on gender, so Title IX is an important thing to think about.”

The keynote speaker this year will be Melissa Harris-Perry. Additionally, there will be a movie showing of the film “Marshall,” highlighting the story of Thurgood Marshall. There will also be a diversity fair and celebration and a leadership development workshop called “Building the Beloved Community.”

“The beloved community is one of Dr. King’s concepts and it frames the nature of the work we should all be collectively trying to build towards,” Salinas said.

“These conversations will be unpacking that a little bit. Legislation matters. National policy matters. How we treat each other day-to-day, in the classroom, on the bus, wherever we are, that’s building the beloved community too.”

Photo by Taylor Humby.

Photo by Axel Quartarone.

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CULTURE

JANUARY 16, 2018

Balancing responsibilities

Students reflect on the cost and benefits of working while in school Shannon Brennan | Culture Editor | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

While the workload of a student can be comparable to that of a full-time job, many students at Boise State work part-time or more in addition to their schooling. Most of these students seek employment out of necessity while others are simply looking to gain experience.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2015 43 percent of full-time university students had parttime jobs. Here at Boise State, there are a plethora of students who are employed on and off campus.

Hunter Robertson, a junior business finance major, expressed his need for a job, saying, “I got a job to be able to make some extra money, not extra in terms of saving, but I help pay for rent and food.

In addition to the money I make over the

“

One of the benefits is the real world experience. I think a nine to five would be easier than this. Working really, really hard prepares you for anything to come.

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- Carson Addison, senior health science major summer, this helps get me through the school year.”

This sentiment is similar to that of many student employees. Robertson is employed by the Payment and Disbursement Center on campus. Before employment in this office, he worked as a bicycle delivery rider for Jimmy Johns.

“It was hard for them to schedule around school hours whereas an on campus job really looks at exactly what your

Kai Collingwood, Carson Addison, and Hunter Robertson discuss working while studying fulltime. Photo by Axel Quartarone.

class schedule is and works with you to figure out your best work hours,” Robertson said.

While on-campus employers may be easier to work with, maintaining a high GPA while working can be difficult.

When asked if and how working affects his schooling, health science senior Carson Addison said, “It absolutely affects it in a negative way. It’s time dedicated to something other than school. I work 20 hours a week and that could be time spent on class work.”

Despite the difficulties Addison has encountered, he expressed many positive outcomes of working as well. “If it were really that bad I wouldn’t do it. The positives

outweigh the negatives and the experience is worth it,” Addison said.

All sources interviewed expressed the development of time management skills as one of the benefits of working while studying.

“One of the benefits is the real world experience. I think a nine to five would be easier than this. Working really, really hard prepares you for anything to come. Any nine to five would be easier than going to school full time while working,” Addison said.

Working gives these students the experience that they feel is essential for the real-world they will be thrown into after graduating. Working allows them to gain

skills that, while essential for entering the workforce, are not necessarily found in classrooms.

As Benjamin Franklin said, “If you want something done, ask a busy person.” Senior health science major Kai Collingwood has a very similar outlook.

“I have a good work-ethic at work and I try to do my best, and I can more easily carry this over to school than when I did not have a job and just sort of sat around doing nothing for a few hours. It’s a lot harder to transition into the ‘okay, now lets work hard’ mindset, rather than working hard at my job and then as student and just keeping that going,” Collingwood said.

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CULTURE

JANUARY 16, 2018

May the Force be with you...always?

Students share fan theories on the future of the “Star Wars” franchise Logan Potter | Culture Reporter | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

When considering the most successful film franchises of all time, “Harry Potter” or the Marvel Cinematic Universe may come to mind. Recently, after years of hiatus, “Star Wars” came back onto the fantasy fan’s radar with “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”

Excitement and anticipation for the newest installment flooded the nation, leaving fans to ask the question: what comes next?

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The first time I saw the new film I was very underwhelmed. I loved it because it was ‘Star Wars,’ but it didn’t blow me away like the ‘The Force Awakens’ did.

”

- Jake Haley, senior media productions major Two films later, “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” was released in November of 2017, sending films like “Father Figures” out of the top box office for its opening weekend-not unusual for a “Star Wars” franchise film historically. Since the film’s release, outlets like Variety and Newsweek have reported fan theories from devoted fans of the franchise from all over the nation, giving “Star Wars”-loving individuals the spotlight as they hypothesize where they believe the next film will take the main characters. In the past week, Boise State students were asked to give The Arbiter their best fan theories regarding what comes after “The Last Jedi,” as well as existing conspiracies within the currently released films.

Senior media production major Jake Haley says, “Honestly, the first time I saw the new film I was very underwhelmed. I loved

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it because it was ‘Star Wars,’ but it didn’t blow me away upon first viewing like ‘The Force Awakens’ did. I honestly believe every big plot point is either a misdirection or setup for the next film. For example, I do not think (Supreme Leader) Snoke is dead. I think that he’s still alive and we haven’t really seen him yet. If he can slam Hux on the floor from across the galaxy, why wouldn’t he see his death coming? I think his body was just a projection.”

While that theory is detailed, it isn’t the last to be heard from this “Star Wars” fan. In fact, the death of Supreme Leader Snoke isn’t the only hot topic surrounding the last film, according to Haley. It seems that “The Last Jedi” has more to offer than just controversial deaths throughout.

“I also keep going back and forth between whether Rey’s parents are actually junkers or not. When I watched it again, I realized that a big theme and a big takeaway from this movie is that the Force does not just belong to the Jedi and that just because you’re a Skywalker doesn’t mean you’re inherently powerful. Rey can be a nobody and still be powerful. I’m so excited to see what the next episode has in store,” Haley said.

Haley isn’t the only one who feels strongly about the next “Star Wars” episode. Freshman media arts major Ryan Eckart believes there’s more to the story than this episode--he’s looking past “The Last Jedi” to evaluate what’s on the horizon for the future.

“I believe Luke will be a Force ghost in Episode IX. Before Carrie Fisher’s death, Episode IX was supposed to be about her.

Since VII was about Han, VIII was about Luke, IX (has to be) about Leia,” Eckart said.

Although “The Last Jedi” may not have entirely been the episode that moviegoers were expecting, it definitely gave viewers

Eckart, along with students Ali Hollis, Natalie Wallace and Samantha Varao attend the premiere of “The Last Jedi.” Photo courtesy of Ryan Eckart.

some plot points to think about. With new storylines on the forefront of students’ minds, the final film is anticipated to be just what fans are looking for.

“I feel as though the last two movies have really been exploring something that has been touched on a lot in the old Republic, non-canon era, in which the Force is much more than just dark versus light,

and that the Jedi and the Sith are arbitrary to its existence,” said freshman linguistics major Ben Geffon. “I think with Rey and Kylo at the helm of the story and both of them largely unsure of where they stand commitment-wise, there is a lot of room to explore the gray areas of the Force more as we move into the final film.”

CULTURE

JANUARY 16, 2018

“All the world’s a stage”

Professor shakes things up with Shakespeare classes on campus Logan Potter | Culture Reporter | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu Boise State Professor Matthew Hansen has brought a new perspective to service-learning for students in the English Department. Hansen graduated with his Ph.D in English literature with special concentration in Shakespeare from the University of Nebraska, and moved to Boise for the job that he currently holds at the University in 2005.

It wasn’t until 2006, however, that Hansen created the idea for his self-pioneered service-learning program, Shake It Up After School.

The program, primarily led by Boise State students in Hansen’s Special Topics on Shakespeare course, focuses on bringing elementary school students an understanding of Shakespeare before learning it in later schooling. Students are taught the basis of a well-known play and are then given roles and scripts to be polished and performed for their families and friends at the end of the program.

Hansen makes it a point to serve lower-income schools--those with decreased access to higher literature such as Shakespeare--to create a “deeper understanding,” according to Hansen, of the material for those students.

The program has three partnered schools: Whittier Elementary, Lowell Elementary and Taft Elementary. Two out of the three schools have a Title I designation. In Idaho, this expresses that at least 50 percent of the school’s population gets free or reduced lunch based on household income.

Whittier Elementary is even higher at an 80 percent designation-- a percent so high, in fact, that all students are provided with free or reduced lunch. Hansen determined that these schools are where the students can use the program the most, and has been successful in providing elementary schools with the experience.

While Shake It Up is one of Hansen’s most prominent successes at the University, he is a professor and academic advisor

first. Hansen is the Director of Literature and Humanities, meaning he not only pioneers programs in the department, but also advises students with majors in the department through their four years in school.

One of these is students is senior Denise Holbrook, an English literature major. In addition to having Hansen as her undergraduate advisor, last semester, Holbrook took Hansen’s Advanced Topics course on Shakespeare.

“I think one of the greatest assets in the classroom that facilitates learning is having an instructor that is enthusiastic and passionate about the subject matter, and Professor Hansen embodies these characteristics when it comes to anything and everything Shakespeare,” Holbrook said, “In my classroom experience, his personal interest and excitement for Shakespearean subject matter really gives his courses a boost of energy. Professor Hansen’s expertise in the field of Shakespeare is so resounding that as a student, I couldn’t help but also be excited about learning.”

Hansen may not be the most wellknown professor on campus, but students believe he has made a genuine impact in their academic experiences.

Whether it be the elementary students that he gives a new understanding of Shakespearean plays or the Boise State students that he teaches, Hansen is recognized as an “asset” to the English Department--a title that he doesn’t seem to have any plans to walk away from.

“I feel that Professor Hansen has shown true interest in and facilitated my success at Boise State. As a transfer student, he helped me better understand the different paths I could take to achieve my goals at Boise State. I have met with him many times over the past semesters, and he always comes to advisory meetings prepared with solutions and answers to my questions,” Holbrook said.

Hansen explains the importance of ‘shaking’ things up in the classroom. Photo courtesy of Boise State.

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SPORTS & REC

JANUARY 16, 2018

Men’s Tennis Prepares for Spring 2018 Season

Tennis hits the courts with high hopes for season Autum Robertson | Staff Writer | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu Boise State’s men’s tennis head coach Greg Patton has coached tennis for 41 years, 25 of those years being spent coaching for the Broncos. Before coaching he played tennis at the collegiate level for UC Santa Barbara. Patton’s career record at Boise state is 203-67. He has led the team to 14 conference championship titles and has had a winning record every season his entire career at Boise, until last season he faced his biggest challenge yet. The 2016-2017 year was Coach Patton’s first losing season.

The team was one of the youngest in the country; they were plagued with injuries and athletes quitting, leaving them with

“

Expect to see some great tennis, a lot of energy on the tennis court and a lot of passion.

”

- Kyle Butters, Boise State Tennis competitor few players to compete. The team finished the season 5-24.

From being a team that found themselves in the rankings yearly to completely falling off, the team believes the 20172018 season is all about redemption. Head Coach Greg Patton talked about how this season is rebirth back to the winning culture Boise men’s tennis is used to.

“It’s really exciting. We want to get back to being a prominent team. We were a team that came from nowhere and became a prominent program. Just two years ago we were 20-10” Said Patton This season the team has brought in five new players, two being nationally ranked in the junior college level. The team will

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boast more players and experience than the previous year. One of the team’s most experienced players, Kyle Butters, is expected to be back this season after being out almost all last season due to injuries.

“I’m excited for a new beginning for our team, I’m excited for a new assistant coach and I’m excited to hopefully have a great season,” Kyle Butters said about the upcoming season.

One of the men’s tennis team’s new additions is Matteo Tinelli. Tinelli came to Boise from Milan, Italy. A big reason why he chose to come here was head coach Greg Patton.

“I like (Patton’s) philosophy. He told me something that really opened my eyes, (Patton) said I just care about your happiness. All the other coaches just spoke about tennis, like I was some sort of machine,” said Tinelli.

The team as a whole expressed their desire to improve vastly from last year.

“Revenge from the last season, expect great things from this team,” Tinelli said.

Kyle Butters, like Matteo Tinelli, has high hopes.

“Expect to see some great tennis, a lot of energy on the tennis court and a lot of passion,” Butters said.

Northwestern travels to Boise Jan. 21 to kickoff the season. The Broncos will play two ranked teams that weekend in Northwestern and Michigan. Head coach Greg Patton talked about the importance of having people show up to matches, “We’ve been one of the top teams in the country for attendance, so we really hope everyone comes out. I always ask my guys, what’s the greatest feeling of playing? The greatest feeling is to serve others, to play for others, to play for the team,” Patton said.

Boise State Mens’ Tennis prepares for the season Photo courtesy of Boise State Photography

JANUARY 16, 2018

Chandler Hutchison breaks school scoring record

SPORTS & REC

Boise State Men’s basketball defeats San Diego State 83-80 Peter Huguenin | Sports Reporter | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Chandler Hutchison hits a fade-away against San Diego State. Photo by Taylor Humby.

Boise State defeated San Diego State 83-80 Saturday night in front of a sold out crowd at Taco Bell Arena. The game was a closefought game that had 11 lead changes.

Senior guard Chandler Hutchison started out hot scoring the first 16 points for Boise State.

He scored 25 in the first half to give the Broncos a 40-34 lead headed into the break.

Hutchison continued to dominate in the second half and finished the game with 44 points, which broke a school record for points in a game. He hit seven of his ten 3-point shot attempts.

“For me I’m not surprised, (Hutchison) is in the gym everyday working his butt off,” said redshirt senior guard Lexus Williams. “Just to see him do that, I’m really

happy for him.”

Head coach Leon Rice emphasized how proud he was of Hutchison.

“It was the best performance I’ve ever seen on this court and one of the best I’ve ever seen period. He just took us on his back,” Rice said.

Despite the strong performance from Hutchison, San Diego State kept the game close in the second half in a back-andforth battle.

Boise State had a slow start to the second half, allowing San Diego State to score the first six points to the game at 40 early in the second half.

San Diego State had a four point lead with 6:24 left in the game, when San Diego State’s junior guard Devin Watson hit a three point shot.

Boise State was able to take the lead for good when sophomore guard Justinian Jessup was fouled by San Diego State’s senior forward Malik Pope with 1:38 left in the game. Jessup was able to make both free throws to put the Broncos up 79-77.

The teams would trade baskets a few more times before Hutchison was fouled with 14 seconds left in the game. He would make both free throws to give Boise State an 83-80 lead. Watson missed two 3-point shots that would have tied the game, and Boise State was able to secure the win.

“The whole time I’m just thinking we have to finish this game,” Hutchison said.

“Some things didn’t go our way, but we kept battling … that was the biggest thing for me was this win. I know how much it

meant to all these guys and our coaches.”

Boise State was able to find success from the 3-point shots again as they were 14-28 from behind the arc.

Rice and the players commented on how much they appreciated the sell out crowd cheering them on.

“A night like tonight, come on, you can’t beat that,” Hutchison said. “I was literally looking around when (San Diego State redshirt freshman Jalen) McDaniels was shooting that free throw, my ears were ringing. I haven’t been in anything like this … you have to have fun and enjoy it.”

Boise State’s next game is a home game against Utah State, Wednesday night at 7 p.m. The game can also be seen live online on the Mountain West Network.

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SPORTS & REC

JANUARY 16, 2018

Collumn: Boise State Football Deserves a Power 5 invite

Boise State struggles to reach potential

Josh Arace | Staff Writer | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu Over the years, Boise State sports have become known for their consistent football play. At an all-time record of 439-164-2, Broncos football has been the definition of sustained excellence. With both long-term and recent success, it is time for the argument to be made for Boise State Football Power Five Case. However, the knock on the team has always been the level of their opponents, which has held them back from consistently gaining top recruits and gaining favorable votes in the polls.

“

Among FBS Division I teams with atleast 100 games played, Boise State has the third winning percentage of all time at .726, slightly behind storied programs Michigan and Notre Dame.

”

Boise State currently plays in the Mountain West Conference, which is considered a Group of Five conference, also consisting of the AAC, C-USA, MAC and Sun Belt conferences. These conferences are considered to consist of competition that is not as strong as that of a Power Five conference, which consists of the ACC, Big 10, Big 12, PAC-12 and SEC. Those teams annually feature more award winners, sign better recruits and garner more bids for more prestigious bowls.

The case for Boise State’s move to the Power Five rests almost solely on the school’s sustained football success. Among FBS Division I teams with at least 100 games played, Boise State has the third best winning percentage of all time at .726, slightly behind storied programs Michigan and Notre Dame. Among teams

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with at least 15 bowl game appearances, Boise State also has the second best bowl game win percentage at .667.

Boise State has also been one of the most successful teams over recent history. Since 2002 the Broncos are 179-32, including two perfect seasons and 12 bowl wins. In that time they are also 14-6 against teams currently in the PAC-12, which is likely the division they would join if moved to the Power Five. Boise State has proved that they are not just a product of their opponents, and have what it takes to compete with the big boys.

There are many more cases against a Boise State conference change than there are for. First, facilitating a move such as this isn’t as simple as just moving a team from one conference to the next. The last conference realignment in the Power Five was seen in 2014 when the Big 10 and ACC reaglined, and the PAC-12 hasn’t realigned since 2011 when what was once the PAC-10 added two new teams.

Should the PAC-12 decide to welcome Boise State, the Broncos would still need to find another worthy team to join them.

BYU comes to mind as a potential partner, as well as Mountain West foe San Diego State. However, Power Five conferences are unlikely to realign again until at least 2023 due to TV deals. Should Boise State leave, it would also strip the Mountain West of their most notable school which may be an unpopular move.

Another knock on Boise State’s Power Five candidacy is the team’s lack of success in other college sports. Outside of football, Boise State is typically average in most other athletics they participate in. It is possible for just Boise State football to change conferences, but single sport conference swaps are rare. Instead Boise State would have to improve in other sports, particularly men’s basketball. While men’s basketball is

Boise State slams against Virginia on the blue in September. Photo by Axel Quartarone and Taylor Humby.

having a successful season so far in 20172018, they need to keep it up and perform in future years to prove they can hang with top competition.

Academics are another field to address when looking at Boise State’s case for a move to the PAC-12. According to College Data, Boise State currently has an acceptance rate of 82 percent, ahead of only one PAC-12 school (Arizona State), and average GPA of those admitted is just 3.43, also ahead of just one PAC-12 school (Washington State). These numbers put them well below average for a PAC-12 school, as average acceptance rate among PAC-12 schools is just 53.6 percent, and average admission GPA is 3.71. While

Boise State wouldn’t be the worst in either category, the PAC-12 may want to look for schools that better match the average when they look to adding schools.

Overall, Boise State has many hurdles to face in their path to a Power Five conference. While the schools success in football is undeniable, there are other unfavorable factors the NCAA may look to when considering possibly realigning the Broncos to a stronger conference. However, in college sports football is king, and if Boise State football continues to see success, eventually the NCAA’s hand will be forced into moving them to the Power Five.

BUCKING AROUND

JANUARY 16, 2018 Puzzle 1 (Very hard, difficulty rating 0.94)

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Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/sudoku on Mon Sep 18 15:11:27 2017 GMT. Enjoy!

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

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