The Arbiter Vol. 32 Issue 15 by The Arbiter at Boise State University

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I N D EPEN DE NT

S T UDE NT

Vol. 32 Issue 15

V O I CE

O F

B O I SE

STAT E

IS BOISE STATE KEEPING OUR DATA SECURE? PG 10 NEWS

Pilot program coming in 2020 will allow campus community to test Canvas as Blackboard alternative

VISIT US ONLINE:

OPINION

Senior year comes with a multitude of “lasts.” Our sports and rec editor reflects on her last football game arbiteronline.com

CULTURE

S I N C E

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The recent addition of the climate studies minor intends to make geosciences more accessible @arbiteronline

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SPORTS & REC

Senior day for volleyball marks an emotional farewell to three of the team’s most impactful players

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@boisestatearbiter

Editor-In-Chief Logan Potter editor@stumedia.boisestate.edu Online Editor Emma Freitas onlineeditor@stumedia.boisestate.edu News Editor Celina Van Hyning news@stumedia.boisestate.edu News Reporter Taylor Rico-Pekerol news@stumedia.boisestate.edu Culture Editor Will Meyer culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu Culture Reporter Michelle Johnson culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu Sports Editor Delaney Brassil sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu Sports Reporter Autum Robertson sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu Opinion Editor Blake Hunter opinion@stumedia.boisestate.edu Copy Editor Megan Mary Social Media Coordinator Trisha Kangas Digital Content Manager Taylor Humby digitalcontent@stumedia.boisestate.edu Digital Content Producer Mackenzie Hudson Graphic Design Manager Maddie Ceglecki design@stumedia.boisestate.edu Graphic Designer Kacie Fromhart Illustrator Wyatt Wurtenberger Distributed Tuesdays during the academic school year The Arbiter is the official independent student newspaper of Boise State University, where student editors make all content decisions and bear responsibility for those decisions. The Arbiterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s budget consists of fees paid by the student body and advertising sales. The first copy is free. Additional copies can be purchased for $1 a piece at The Arbiter offices.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK Boise Stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first snow of the season welcomes a change of scenery, much like this photo from the fall of 2018. Taylor Humby | The Arbiter

ON THE COVER:

As cybersecurity threats continue to grow, people are raising concerns about how Boise State is protecting the data of its students. By examining common practices, data threats, phishing emails and the future of cybersecurity, students may evaluate the preventative measures they can take to protect themselves. Cover design by Maddie Ceglecki.

HOW TO REACH US: CONTACT US: editor@stumedia.boisestate.edu 208.426.6302 PHYSICAL LOCATION: Located on first floor of Lincoln Avenue Garage Suites

MISSION:

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

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

Fun place to work, flex schedules, discounted meals & free t-shirts

$9.00 or more per hour Cooks & Carhops

(Carhops can earn tips) Starting pay based on experience To Apply 2145 S. Broadway: Text APPLY5023 to 876-642 851 N. Orchard St: Text APPLY4687 to 876-642

EVENTS CRAFT MAKING SERVICE OPPORTUNITY

SUB LOOKOUT ROOM

SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS VOLLEYBALL

DECEMBER 3, 7 PM

Get Involved will be hosting a holiday craft making event for patients at St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital. Individuals interested in attending can RSVP on OrgSync.

ANNUAL TREE LIGHTING THE QUAD

The Broncos (18-11, 10-8) ended their regular season with wins on Nov. 21 and 23. Mountain West honors were released on Nov. 27, naming Janell Walley and Jessica Donahue to the All-MW Team, Danielle Boss received an honorable-mention and Lauren Ohlinger was named the MW Freshman of the Year.

DECEMBER 5, 5 PM Join the Boise State community for the annual tree lighting to celebrate the upcoming holidays with festive music and hot chocolate for all to enjoy.

HOLIDAY CONCERT MORRISON CENTER MAIN HALLROOM B125

DECEMBER 6, 7:30 PM The Department of Music is proud to present their annual holiday concert. Admission is free for all Boise State students and faculty with an ID.

MEN’S BASKETBALL Boise State is on a three-game winning streak after two victories during fall break. The Broncos’ 82-76 thriller over Pacific on Nov. 23 came in triple overtime. Justinian Jessup led the team with 22 points, his season-high. The Broncos went on to take care of North Carolina-Wilmington 80-59 at home on Nov. 29.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

MOUNTAIN WEST FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP ALBERTSONS STADIUM

DECEMBER 7, 2 PM Cheer on the Broncos football team as they play Hawaii for the Mountain West Championship. Full-time Boise State students can receive tickets for free and student guest tickets are priced at $10.

Over fall break, the Broncos took on three substantial non-conference opponents. On Nov. 24, Boise State fell 82-98 to No. 8 Louisville. They then claimed a home victory over Utah Valley on Nov. 26, 77-69. On Dec. 1, Boise State traveled to TCU for the Maggie Dixon Classic, where they fell 65-77.

NEWS

DECEMBER 3, 2019 | ARBITERONLINE.COM

BOISE STATE PROFESSORS EXAMINE CANVAS AS BLACKBOARD REPLACEMENT

Spring 2020 Canvas LMS Pilot Program offers students and faculty a chance to test Canvas site Ashley Clark | Staff Writer | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

s technology continues to innovate, so does Boise State’s Office of Information Technology (OIT). A subsection of OIT, the Learning Technology Solutions (LTS) department has announced it will be launching a pilot program in Spring 2020 to test the educational platform Canvas. Boise State has been using Blackboard as its learning management system (LMS) since 2000. Blackboard was established in 1997 and maintained its status as LMS leader for K-12 and higher education institutions for almost 20 years. However, it was announced in July 2018 by MindWires Consulting, an educational data company, that Canvas had finally caught up to Blackboard. Each platform individually represented 28% of the primary LMS user base, which also included other LMS programs like Moodle, Brightspace and Schoology. As the year progressed, Canvas surpassed Blackboard as the United States market leader of LMS. This came as no surprise to those familiar with Canvas’ cloud-based services, updated user-friendly interface and outstanding customer service. Starting Spring 2020, there will be 13 courses with a maximum capacity of 400 students offered within the Canvas pilot. Up until the Sept. 27 deadline, instructors were able to apply to participate in the pilot as long as their course(s) met the requirements. The only determining factors that would render a course ineligible was if the course was 100 level, non-campus based (“eCampus” program), already using a Blackboard portfolio or utilizes the Testing Center. Leif Nelson, director of LTS, says his department sent out a survey to collect qualitative data from faculty regarding their personal experiences, opinions using the

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Faculty members and professors may remove all courses from Blackboard in exchange for Canvas. Mackenzie Hudson | The Arbiter Blackboard system and their feelings about the possible exploration of a different LMS. Nelson explained, while the faculty was generally satisfied with Blackboard, a majority of the surveyees said they would support Boise State looking into the idea of alternative platforms. Without being prompted, about 10% of respondents specifically asked for Canvas by name in the final comment box. The surveys and the pilot are intended to be an agnostic analysis of the benefits and hindrances associated with Boise State’s current LMS. Because Canvas is most comparable to Blackboard, it will be used to determine whether or not the administration moves forward with the alternative LMS initiative. “One word that was used to describe Blackboard the most in that survey was ‘clunky’ or ‘hard to navigate,’” said Nicholas Webster, instructional technologist with LTS. “So while [the faculty] might say they

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are satisfied, the overall opinion is that [Blackboard] is not a very usable system.” Josabeth Brizuela, a senior criminal justice major, prefers Canvas because she believes it was enjoyable and easy to use when she took classes at Clark College, whereas it took her awhile to figure out Blackboard and her experience was much slower. “It would help especially with my online classes because the modules would be easier to navigate,” Brizuela said. Regardless of multiple system updates, Blackboard seems to be stuck in a “forum style” layout which has proven difficult for students and faculty to intuitively navigate. “Blackboard is like an onion; you have to peel it back a lot,” said Lanny Inabit, a remote clinical assistant professor in the Respiratory Care Department and a member of the Canvas pilot’s data collecting taskforce. “It’s this folder, to this folder, to this folder. Moodle just lumped everything

all on one page, which was just nightmarish for students. I think Canvas is the boundary between that.” Gena Nelson, an assistant professor in the Department of Early and Special Education, will be transitioning one of her courses to be used in the Canvas pilot. She believes the biggest drawback of using Blackboard is that it is not streamlined, but acknowledges the fact that a majority of students are comfortable using Blackboard because they already know the system. “A new system might take time for instructors and students to adapt to,” Gena Nelson said. “But ultimately if Canvas ends up being more efficient, allows students to access content in a more meaningful way and allows students to understand the content at a deeper level compared to courses that are taught on [Blackboard], then I support transitioning to a new system.”

NEWS

ASBSU RESOLUTION MOVES TO PRESERVE COURSE MATERIAL ON BLACKBOARD

Students may soon be able to access coursework from previous classes under new ASBSU resolution Taylor Rico-Pekerol | News Reporter | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

ver Thanksgiving break, sophomore economics and political science double major Shyanne Massie was working on a research paper about foster children. She has worked with foster children for six years and it has become a passion of hers, however, the research paper was similar to another paper she had written during a previous semester. Unable to access her past work on the subject, Massie wondered, ‘Why is there no access to past course material?’ “I had read a particular study a semester ago that would have worked seamlessly, but was not able to find it anymore,” Massie said. “The projects were very similar, and I am sure I will continue to have similar projects in the future, as foster kids are my passion. Having that access to my past work would be very beneficial.” The preservation of course material on Blackboard was presented as the first resolution of the school year. A resolution expresses an opinion of a person, or group, that can not be voted on because it is not in their jurisdiction. Haydn Bryan, second-year master’s of economics student, is an assembly member for the Associated Students of Boise State University (ASBSU). Bryan has been on assembly for three years and presented the resolution on Oct. 23. “One of the biggest aspects of it is there [has] been a lot of students that don’t recognize they will need access to the course materials until it’s too late,” Bryan said. According to Boise State’s Policy 1020, past coursework is sent to a server and is purged from the server after five years. One topic of conversation between Blackboard and ASBSU is the allotted time students should have access to past course materials, whether it be two, three or even four years. The main concern brought up by faculty and students working on the reality of the bill is academic integrity. Professors often

Students in assembly request to have access to past course material on Blackboard. post quizzes and tests on Blackboard and there is a concern that those materials could be passed around among students. According to Dehra McFaddan, secretary of academic affairs for ASBSU, there would be a function for professors to choose what they want to be available for students. “We want anything that we do to allow students to have more of an ability to have access. A couple of different things with that is that most exams and quizzes already close the second after you submit, you’re not able to look at questions and answers,” Bryan said. A discussion with the Blackboard committee on allowing for the preservation of course materials and the amount of accessibility to students will be held during the spring semester. A test version will be presented to assembly to see what improvements could be made, according to McFaddan.

“We would have to kind of come up with a way that this can be standardized, but also so that way, [professors] can just turn off certain aspects,” McFaddan said. “That’s kind of the process we’re working through now is the academic integrity.” The availability of past coursework would aid students in future endeavors and give them access to writing samples they may need for future jobs and employers. Students oftentimes are in “survival mode” and focus on what is to come in their courses and do not have time to indulge in the extra readings teachers assign, according to Bryan. “Especially when I’m talking to students and saying, ‘Oh my gosh, there was this really good reading I had, like, two years ago or three years ago. And it’s really applicable to what you’re learning about right now but it’s almost impossible to find,’” Bryan said. “So an udate like this would be nice because you’d be able to pull up the

Kacie Fromhart | The Arbiter

syllabus and look at the syllabus readings right there and you could find them.” McFaddan and Bryan are looking into how long the course materials should be available to students and whether it should be available for two to four years. A survey is currently being drafted to see what amount of time would be the most beneficial. Assembly is intended to be a representative group of campus and the survey will be administered to receive their input. “I also feel that we’re paying for this education. So having continuous access to that education even after we’re no longer in that class should be a very big part of who we are as students,” McFaddan said. “Especially for having access to papers again, I know so many students who have told me their laptops have died. They thought it was backed up to their cloud or whatever, and they lost all of their work.”

DECEMBER 3, 2019

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NEWS

ALBERTSONS STADIUM TO IMPLEMENT CLEAR BAG POLICY Bronco fans will face some adjustments regarding items permitted into Albertsons Stadium Bridger Cowan | Staff Writer | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

t the conclusion of the 2019 Boise State football season, a new clear bag policy will be implemented at Albertsons Stadium. This will enforce which types of bags are permitted into Albertsons Stadium at the entry to various events for the 2020 season and beyond. The new policy is intended to speed up security processes at the gate of the stadium, as well as to increase security measures and safety for those attending events. Clear plastic or vinyl bags and containers that do not exceed 12 x 6 x 12 inches, and one-gallon plastic bags and small bags and purses that do not exceed 4.5 x 6.5 inches will be permitted. Prohibited items include, but are not limited to, large bags, backpacks, coolers and computer bags that are larger than the permissible size. Plans for implementing a clear bag policy have been discussed by Boise State security officials in the past; the announcement of official implementation, however, was not made until Nov. 15. Texie Montoya, advisor and attorney for the Department of Public Safety at Boise State, explained that a clear bag policy was considered in 2013 when Boise State stadium security procedures, such as the use of magnetometers, were put into place. “The magnetometers were, in part, a response to the legislation in 2013 that made it an actual law violation to enter the stadium with a weapon,” Montoya said. “Several years ago they were planning to do clear bags, or that was a discussion when the magnetometers were put in place but they kind of changed course on that.” Boise State has several structures where large public events may frequently take place, like the ExtraMile Arena and the Morrison Center. This raises questions as to if and when this same policy will spread to these other event centers. As of

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now, there has been little indication of any extensive efforts to implement the new policy to other Boise State buildings, but it has not necessarily shown to be out of consideration either. Joe Nickell, associate athletic director, explained that no other facility will be implementing the policy for the foreseeable future. “The plan would be to extend this policy to other venues on campus in the future, but the only facility scheduled to go into effect for this next year is Albertsons Stadium,” Nickell wrote in an email. Brian Thacker is the director of Ticketing and Events at the Morrison Center. He said the Morrison Center currently does not use magnetometers for events, rather guests are scanned with a handheld metal detector at the entry along with having their bags checked. “Right now we are looking into buying the magnetometers,” Thacker said. “We were planning on doing it but then we replaced our executive director so we’re for that whole process to go out [first], but it is definitely part of our plan.” Thacker mentioned that he has heard no word of the clear bag policy making its rounds to the Morrison Center as of yet. “We don’t have a ton of bags that come in here because the events aren’t as long and people aren’t bringing in snacks,” Thacker said. While football fans should begin to prepare for changes in the upcoming 2020 season, individuals who attend theatrics at the Morrison Center or Bronco basketball games at Extra Mile Arena will not be experiencing any changes in security procedures for the moment.

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Albertsons Stadium continues to improve security measures by only allowing certain items inside the stadium. Mackenzie Hudson | The Arbiter

NEWS

MEDICAID EXPANSION SET TO LAUNCH IN JANUARY 2020

The voter initiative passed last year resulted in a high number of applicants Marcos Guadarrama | Staff Writer | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

edicaid expansion is set to launch in January 2020, this comes after the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (IDHW) saw 43,000 of the 91,000 eligible Idaho residents apply for coverage. The expansion will provide coverage to Idaho residents between the ages of 19 and 64 who make up to a maximum of 138% of the federal poverty level. Individuals who earn up to $17,200 or $35,500 for a family of four will be eligible. The voter initiative was passed in Nov. of 2018, though 61% of the vote was met with some provisions in the Idaho legislature earlier this year. The waivers included work restrictions requiring eligible residents to work at least 20 hours each week. A second waiver required referrals for family planning services such as birth control, abortions and pregnancy care. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for Medicaid and Medicare services will still have to rule on these and any additional waivers. This process can take months and will likely happen after the coverage date of Jan. 1. IDHW is still encouraging Idaho residents to sign up for coverage. If any restrictions are passed, applicants will be notified. Many of those who are eligible for Medicaid are independent students at Boise State who work part-time jobs or do not work at all. Jacob Kendra, a junior media arts major, believes it is time that the state closes the gap on those residents who cannot afford regular insurance coverage. “It gives students like me who are making less money an option to get some form of assistance,” Kendra said. “I’m on a temporary health care plan right now that is meant to be used as a supplement to the primary insurance, it only covers the basics, leaving me underinsured and still paying a premium every month. I don’t work or have a job so the Medicaid initiative would benefit me.” Committee chair Rep. Megan Blanksma

The Medicaid Expansion interim committee works to assess the costs associate with Medicaid expansion in Idaho. Mackenzie Hudson | The Arbiter

has concerns with those who fall in the gap that allows them to qualify for Medicaid but are currently paying for their insurance through the Affordable Care Act. “What people are forgetting here is that Medicaid is public assistance, which means although 90% of doctors take Medicaid, they can limit how many Medicaid patients they take and even limit the days they take those patients,” Blanksma said. Currently, under 18,000 Idaho residents are covered through the state health insurance exchange who will now be auto-enrolled in Medicaid based on the writing of the expansion. An additional waiver has been filed to allow those individuals to stay enrolled in their health care plans but has not been approved yet. “We have put a detriment on these folks who will get thrown off their insurance, some without their knowledge,” Blanksma said. Rep. Mat Erpelding does not feel the

provisions are needed and believes the restrictions and requirements put in place will be rejected.

“We have put a detriment on these folks who will get thrown off their insurance, some without their knowledge.” Representative Megan Blanksma

“The least expensive way and the most fair way is for the state to pay for it out of the general fund,” Erpelding said. “Savings at the state level should be applied to pay

for Medicaid.” The expansion would add about 90,000 people to the Medicaid program costing about $400 million with the federal government paying 90%, leaving Idaho to pay for $40 million. Earlier this year, $10 million was set aside to pay for six months of the program. State lawmakers are looking at various methods to fund the expansion and are hoping to rely on counties for help. County indigent funds, or catastrophic funds which typically help pay for medical bills of county residents, are also being considered. Lawmakers are even looking to tap into the anti-smoking millennium fund. There has been no consensus and the committee plans to meet to look over options before the legislature reconvenes in January.

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OPINION DECEMBER 3, 2019 | ARBITERONLINE.COM

TAKING ADVANTAGE OF ONE LAST HOME FOOTBALL GAME AS A BRONCO A final student-fan experience from the eyes of a sports editor Delaney Brassil | Sports Editor | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu

ame day came around like clockwork on Saturday, Nov. 16 as I found myself gearing up for Boise State’s football game against the University of New Mexico. The Broncos were heavily favored over the Lobos, who were winless in the conference. As the sports editor for The Arbiter, I knew it would be another late night of analyzing the game from the Stueckle Sky Center thanks to the 8:15 p.m. kickoff, a time slot that would likely put us at a 2:00 a.m. clock-out, per usual. But in the middle of my typical scrambled preparation of picking out a good blazer and searching for my press pass, I received a text from our sports reporter, Autum Robertson — my football-expert partner in crime — that offered a perspective which had not yet crossed my mind. “It’s our last game day of college,” she wrote. This stopped me dead in my tracks. I realized the season had gone by so quickly, and we had been so enamored with our work in game coverage for the newspaper that Robertson and I had not set aside much time to attend a game as students instead of reporters. At the time, we were not sure that the Broncos would host the Mountain West Championship, so with the regular season coming to an abrupt end right before our eyes, we thought it might also be our last home football game as students. At first, this did not affect me much. Who else gets to spend their college years sitting in a press box among the best media professionals in the city? But that day turned out to strike a different chord with me than the work-centered attitude I had been so focused on all season. Throughout my time as a sports writer and editor for The Arbiter, I have often

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Delaney Brassil and Autum Robertson have run The Arbiter’s sports & rec section since fall 2018. grappled with the concept of balance. How could I objectively report on the wins and losses of several Bronco teams while suppressing my own school spirit? Which was more important to me: supporting my peers in their competitions while spending time with my friends, or serving the campus community by reporting the news of such events? I have since realized there is no right answer, nor do I necessarily have to choose between the two. To be a student journalist is a unique opportunity to view campus through multiple lenses. The experience of being a student is part of what makes events like football games so fun as a reporter. Thus, Robertson and I decided to put our press passes aside for the night and fully embrace our school spirit with the rest of the student crowd, and I will be forever

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grateful that we did. Throughout the evening, I felt as though I had a special appreciation for everything that came with being a student-fan, from the $2 hotdogs, to the unassigned seating and the passionate cheering of everyone around me. I could even appreciate and empathize with those students who decided to call it a night at half time because their beloved Broncos were leading 28-0. It was a bittersweet experience. I finally got to cheer for touchdowns and boo for questionable calls. I knew I would likely never find myself in the student section again, but that did not make me sad. I was beyond happy that I chose to attend my last game as a Bronco, but will also forever value the opportunity to have spent many other games in the press box. We will always have time for work; most

Taylor Humby | The Arbiter

of us will work for the rest of our lives. We have all the time in the world to prioritize our careers, build our portfolios, network with professionals and stay up far too late to meet deadlines. This work will be important, but we will never get our simple, blissful college moments back — even if that moment is a chilly, late-night blowout of a football game. So, Boise State upperclassmen, I urge you to take advantage of your lasts; your last 15-page paper, your last philharmonic concert, your last service-learning project or your last tree-lighting ceremony. But I especially encourage you, specifically in the case of the Mountain West Championship game this Saturday, to embrace your last game day as an official Boise State Bronco. Odds are, you won’t regret it.

OPINION

DACA AND THE LGBTQIA+ COMMUNITY ARE ON THE DOCKET

Two recently argued Supreme Court cases could have huge impacts for minoritized students Blake Hunter | Opinion Editor | opinion@stumedia.boisestate.edu

hough the Supreme Court of the United States is the most powerful court in the judicial branch of the government, its roles are most often conducted behind the scenes. A senator might be able to ride the waves of viral Closed Circuit TV (CCTV) footage onto Instagram and into a double-digit polling campaign for the presidency, but a Supreme Court justice cannot, even if they resign. The judicial system is complex, and by design, lacks the celebrity status and drama of both the presidency and Congress, but its impact runs deep. Two recently debated cases at the Supreme Court deserve our attention. A scroll through CNN’s headlines or a cursory glance at Fox News on the television shows a country enamored by Latin slang, the next presidential election and democracy in Latin America and Hong Kong. In early summer, the Supreme Court made headlines leading up to their decision about a citizenship question on the census. Last September, Christine Blasey Ford stood before the United States Senate and described her memories of now-Supreme Court justice, Brett Kavanaugh, sexually assaulting her in high school. Beyond those two events, most college students probably could not remember a major news event involving the Supreme Court in the last two years. As students, we are privy to localized hubs of dialogue and encouraged to experiment in our ways of growing and thinking. We are part of communities that interact with one another constantly and intimately. Some of those communities center around hobbies or fields of study, while others cater to identity or experience. Many of these groups experience marginalization. But few are debated at our nation’s highest court. On Nov. 12, the Supreme Court heard arguments for the case Department of Homeland Security v. Regents of the University of California to decide whether President Trump’s administration acted

The Supreme Court recently heard cases for DREAMers and the LGBTQIA+ community. Photo courtesy of Creative Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0

legally in moving to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA), and whether that is even judicially reviewable. There are at least 700,000 DACA recipients, or DREAMers, who would face deportation if DACA ended. Just over two months ago, the Supreme Court heard arguments for the case R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes Inc. v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which will decide whether Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination against individuals based on gender identity and sexual orientation “on the basis of sex.” There is no federal legislation protecting queer and transgender individuals. The Equality Act was passed in the House of Representatives earlier this year, but is predictably being stalled in the Republican-led Senate. Add the Words Idaho, an LGBTQIA+ advocacy group, has worked to include

the words “gender identity” and “sexual orientation” in the state’s Human Rights Act for over a decade. Ada County recently approved the expansion of anti-discrimination policies for LGBTQIA+ county employees. Several cities in Idaho protect their residents, but this is a small portion of Idaho’s population. The DACA case is structurally different: rather than offering to protect individuals, the DACA case is threatening individuals. If the court decides that the Department of Homeland Security’s action is not judicially reviewable, it keeps the green light for the Trump administration to continue removing DACA, which would almost certainly mean deportation for thousands. When people talk about institutional oppression, this is it. It is a privilege not to have your identity and experience debated in our country’s highest court. In the span of two months, nine people — none of

whom have an identity within either the immigrant community or the LGBTQIA+ community — heard arguments to decide whether people in those communities have access to the freedom that we identify as fundamentally American. Broncos, support your communities. Educate yourself and your friends, and reach out in support. You pass someone who will be affected by one of these decisions every day in the quad. They live down the hall from you and study the same things as you do. They have the same dreams as you.

HAVE A COMMENT OR REBUTTAL? EMAIL US AT: OPINION@STUMEDIA.BOISESTATE.EDU

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he looming threat of having personal data stolen is a growing fear for those who trust institutions with their private information. Providing personal information is a prerequisite to using many websites and applications, but many people have concerns about their personal information being leaked or sold. With large-scale cyberattacks becoming more obvious to the public, students should be savvy about what happens with their data. Westin Mokhtari, a sophomore pre-business major, expressed this frustration from companies that do not seem to value security. “It shows what shortcuts a lot of these companies are willing to take in order to just get the most amount of money from someone or a group of people,” Mokhtari said. In order to best protect their data, students should evaluate how institutions like Boise State manage third-party data usage, maintain transparency about data leaks, inform users about phishing emails and prepare for the future of cybersecurity.

THIRD PARTIES AND PERSONAL INFORMATION

Leaks such as the Equifax breach, a credit reporting company, that exposed the

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personal information of over 145 million people due to poor cybersecurity, struck a chord with the millions who had their financial lives put at risk. These concerns narrow down to the institutional level as students worry that, one day, their information could be leaked from Boise State. Third parties like Blackboard and Orgsync are some of the more common third-party applications that students use. Blackboard, for example, stores data protected under FERPA, or the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. Blackboard’s website indicates that information cannot be shared with third parties except those permitted under FERPA. Educational records are protected personal information, and only the student or approved school officials can receive that information for educational purposes. By enrolling at most universities in the U.S., students have likely given permission for institutions to share information with third parties. Because Boise State has moved to a “cloud-first” data storage system, there are more potential ways that third parties may use or need student information. Ty Callihan, a senior construction management major, had not considered that third parties may be using personal data under the terms and conditions.

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“I’ve never actually considered that a company would give my information to a third party, but I’ve never read the terms and conditions,” Callihan said. “I just never considered that those would be in there.” Callihan is not the only one who does not read the terms and conditions. Business Insider in Nov. 2017 reported that 91% of consumers do not read the fine print when using a service or application. Doug Ooley, executive director and chief information security officer at Boise State, explained the usage of contracted third parties. As the digital landscape grows, there is a stricter examination of what third-parties the university conducts business with. “Contracted third-party vendors may have a business need to use student information,” Ooley said in an email. “With the university’s cloud-first strategy there are definitely more requirements for third-party vendors to use student data. There are numerous third-party applications that may use student data but Blackboard is the biggest user of student data.” Personally identifiable information includes identifiers like financial information, Social Security Number and addresses that are not to be provided to the public

by a third-party or institution. Under FERPA, third-parties are required to keep such information safe if they have it.

FRESNO STATE DATA THEFT

In December of 2017, approximately 15,000 people, including 3,000 former Boise State students, fell victim to an uncommon data attack — an external hard drive was stolen from Fresno State containing their personal information from 2007, 2008 and 2011 football camps. Boise State responded by alerting those whose personal data was contained in the hard drives, but not all could be reached due to outdated contact information. In response to this data theft, Ooley said his department discussed the improvements to be made as a result. “My office performed technology audits, assessments and recommendations to

“ALTHOUGH IT IS IMPOSSIBLE T DATA WILL NOT BE STOLEN, S THAT THE UNIVERSITY SECURITY ICY AND PRACTICES) AND DEF EVOLVE WITH THE CYBER THREA RISK OF DAT

- DOUG OOLEY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CH

101001010010011010010 101001010010011010010 100101011100100100100 100101011100100100100 F E AT U R E 100111001101001010010 HOW TO PROTECT 100111001101001010010 YOURSELF FROM PHISHING EMAILS 101110010010010010011 101110010010010010011 -BE AWARE OF EMAILS THAT -BE WEARY OF EMAILS THAT -DON’T OPEN EMAIL ATTACH100011010010100101100 100011010010100101100 SEEK OUT PERSONAL INFORMADEMAND IMMEDIATE ACTIONS MENTS FROM USERS YOU DON’T TION, SUCH AS CREDIT CARD OR THREATEN ACCOUNTS TO BE KNOW OR ARE SUSPICIOUS OF, 110100101001010111001 110100101001010111001 NUMBERS OR PASSWORDS. CLOSED. THOSE EXIST TO MAKE EVEN FROM FRIENDS OR COMPANIES WILL NOT EMAIL YOU ACT QUICKLY WITHOUT COWORKERS. 001001001001110001101 001001001001110001101 YOU FOR PASSWORDS OR CONSIDERING SCAMS. FINANCIAL INFORMATION. SOURCE: BOISE STATE OIT 001010010110011010010 001010010110011010010 100101011100100100100 100101011100100100100 TIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE 100111000110100101001 OF STUDENT PRIVACY 100111000110100101001 011001101001010010101 011001101001010010101 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE BEEN THE VICTIM OF A PHISHING SCAM, CONTACT THE OIT HELP DESK AT 426-4357 OR HELPDESK@BOISESTATE.EDU. IF YOU’RE CONCERNED ABOUT FINANCIAL SECURITY, CONTACT YOUR FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS. MORE INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT: HTTPS://WWW.BOISESTATE.EDU/OIT-CYBERSECURITY/PHISHING-INFORMATION/

affected department as a result of the Fresno State data breach,” Ooley said. “Updates to the desktop, laptop and tablet PC policy were recently submitted for approval. Boise State follows all federal and state guidelines for data breach reporting, including user notifications for transparency purposes.” Boise State is required by law to report data theft to their knowledge, but like the Equifax breach, it is possible to not know about data leaks until months later. However, Boise State’s practices continually evolve to protect the cybersecurity of students. “Although it is impossible to guarantee that student data will not be stolen, students can be assured that the university security program (including policy and practices) and defenses will continue to evolve with the cyber threat landscape to limit the risk of data loss,” Ooley said in an email.

Dr. Jyh-haw Yeh, a faculty member in the department of computer science at Boise State for nearly 20 years, noted that external hard drives are being phased out and being replaced with cloud systems for the most protection. “With the advancement of cloud technologies, Boise State and any other institutes should migrate their data to clouds,” Yeh said in an email. “Reputable cloud service providers should provide reliable cloud storage with less cost and better security.” Yeh later went on to explain that external hard drives are no longer the best method for data storage. “Storing personal data in external hard drives was not uncommon ten years ago, though it is not a good practice now,” Yeh said.

LE TO GUARANTEE THAT STUDENT N, STUDENTS CAN BE ASSURED RITY PROGRAM (INCLUDING POLDEFENSES WILL CONTINUE TO REAT LANDSCAPE TO LIMIT THE DATA LOSS,”

Although not always from the university, students are still vulnerable to data leaks; that vulnerability often takes the form of phishing emails. Those emails seek to gain personal information by threatening a sudden action, such as deleting an account or by looking like a legitimate email from a trusted source to have you input information. “My office registers between 8 to 12 phishing campaigns a month and each

& CHIEF INFORMATION SECURITY OFFICER

PHISHING EMAILS

campaign varies in the number of phishing emails sent from dozens to hundreds,” Ooley said. “On average, we typically see less than 1% user engagement rate on any given campaign. Over the past 5 years, we have seen between 50 to 70 users annually that actually engage the campaigns and require intervention and follow up. We did see an uptick in user engagement with an October phishing campaign centered around canceling accounts. Several hundred students engaged the phish that required escalated intervention from my office.” Mokhtari says that he receives about one phishing email per month. “I don’t expect to get any emails unless it’s from work, so I’m usually skeptical of every single email I get in the first place,” Mokhtari said. Phishing emails are a small threat compared to a company-wide breach, but staying aware of the problem is the best course of action to prevent scams. The future of cybersecurity is unpredictable but likely to grow to meet the frequent demands of phishing emails, cyber-attacks and data leaks. Yeh cited research from Global Market Insights that predicts the cybersecurity market will grow from $120 billion to $340 billion by 2024.

“As a cybersecurity faculty, I agree with the report’s prediction because I’m also seeing a sharp growth of cybersecurity effort within academia, industry and government in recent years,” Yeh said. “To respond to the trend of cybersecurity demands, the Department of Computer Science at Boise State has developed several cybersecurity programs to prepare our students with the necessary skills and knowledge. To broaden the cyber awareness education to non-stem majors, several campus-wide efforts in developing cybersecurity programs for all [students] are also underway.” Because cybersecurity is not absolute, students must take action into their own hands to prevent data theft. At an institutional level, that action comes in the form of awareness of policies and how your information is used with third parties. “Humans are the weakest link in the entire chain of cyber protection,” Yeh said. “Human errors and some inadvertent actions are the main sources making systems vulnerable to attacks. Some basic cybersecurity training, such as correct password usage and maintenance, and awareness of phishing emails and messages, could significantly reduce personal data theft.”

DECEMBER 3, 2019

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C U LT U R E DECEMBER 3, 2019 | ARBITERONLINE.COM

THEATRE, FILM AND CREATIVE WRITING: THE TRIO FINDS ITS FOOTING The growing department offers unique opportunities to emerging storytellers Blake Hunter | Opinion Editor | opinion@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Students can take classes from multiple disciplines to complete their degree. Wyatt Wurtenberger | The Arbiter

round the end of each semester, many students are working hard producing plays, revising their screenwriting or sharing their poetry. They stay up late to meet deadlines like everyone else, but their work is very different from most other fields of study. Over the last year at Boise State, the Department of Theatre, Film and Creative Writing has found its stride under one

DECEMBER 3, 2019

umbrella for the first time. “In essence, we are a department of storytelling,” said department chair Richard Klautsch. “We tell stories through different media, whether it is a novel, a poem, a stage play, or films or television shows. We’re storytellers.” Klautsch was previously the chair of the theatre arts program, and has been active in Boise’s theatre community for decades.

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The creation of the new department was a several-year process that merged the existing creative writing program from the English department with the theatre department. In the spring of 2017, the creative writing faculty size doubled to eight faculty members, combined with eight faculty members in theatre and two in film and television, Klautsch said. This gave the department the stability to roll out five new undergraduate degrees in fall 2018: a BA and BFA in creative writing, BFA in narrative arts and a BA and BFA in film and television arts. Now, there are over 250 students majoring within the department, and hundreds more minoring or simply taking their classes for elective credits. Brady Udall was one of the creative writing professors in the English department, and has now shifted with the program into the new department of theatre, film and creative writing. In the English department, the creative writing faculty oversaw the MFA graduate program, but now they also oversee the undergraduate program, meaning they are able to develop new ideas and coursework and ultimately work with more students. Udall said in most cases students have been able to tailor their experience to their desires because of the increased opportunities. “It gave them more choices, really: they could finish their old degree track or shift to a new one,” Udall wrote in an email. “Many students, because of the new and exciting offerings, decided to do the latter.” Both Klautsch and Udall mentioned one unique opportunity in the Narrative Television Initiative, which was based on film professor Ryan Cannon’s graduate experience at the University of Texas at Austin that allows undergraduate students

to partake in one or more semesters of a four-course sequence in creating a multiple-episode television show. According to Udall, the Narrative Arts BFA is another gem at Boise State. Lori Hunsaker is a senior in the narrative arts program who, as a fiction writer, appreciates the opportunity to experiment and create literature rather than analyze existing material. “The reason I liked [the program] is because it allows a lot more diversity,” Hunsaker said. “Screenwriting is built in there, playwriting is built in there and the major allows us to explore multiple things. For one thing, there are fewer literature courses than before, which for me as a creative writer means that I get to write more.” In the merging and shifting of the department, Hunsaker said she knew several peers who had a semester or more delayed from graduation with the new coursework. With the fast changes, she said it sometimes felt that there was little information available to her as to what classes she should take, even from advisors. Overall, though, she said the change was for the better. Udall said, although the faculty has faced some learning curves, Boise State is becoming a leading university for the literary, theatrical and visual arts. “We’ve put together an innovative, cutting-edge program that we’re really proud of,” Udall said. Klautsch has a vision for the department that ensures it will continue to evolve. “The goal was to give the arts more of a profile on campus, a stronger identity,” Klautsch said. “I want to see students banging down the walls of Boise State to get in here to study in our department.”

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CLIMATE STUDIES MINOR PREPARES STUDENTS FOR THE CHANGING WORLD

Geosciences faculty members work to make the subject accessible and important to all Will Meyer | Culture Editor | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

s Boise weather changes and brings a consistent winter chill, students and faculty on campus cannot help but interact with and deliberate about the climate. Among this population, there are devoted individuals who go much deeper than just weather in terms of the climate and humans’ relationship to it. Two faculty members in this group are Jenn Pierce and Kerrie Weppner, who, in the fall of 2017, spearheaded the creation of a new minor which would help students specialize in climate studies. “I developed and taught the first class on climate change at Boise State when I first arrived in 2005, and so that class on the short and long term effects on climate change has been going on ever since,” said Pierce, an associate professor of geosciences. “As I noticed that more and more students were interested in the topic, and of course climate change is something that affects all of us no matter what your major, I saw a student demand for more classes on climate change.” Making more classes concentrated on climate change led Pierce, along with Weppner, to start working on making a minor on the topic. Not only did students have a desire to study the topic more intensively; but Pierce also noted that climate change is something that every student at Boise State should understand and be aware of, and creating the minor helped to legitimize the topic. Not only does the minor equip students with a specialized understanding of climate change, but it also addresses the lack of education on the complicated issue. “One of the things that is really concerning to us is that kids are not learning about this in school, so we’ve been trying to get into the K-12 schools and teach kids about climate change, but it’s got to continue,” said Weppner, a research associate in the geosciences department. “The minor is important because, no matter what you do in the future, whatever career path

Kerrie Weppner and Jenn Pierce continue to expand the horizons of the climate studies minor. you go down, it’s going to be impacted by climate change.” Since creating the minor, Weppner and Pierce have been working to make it more accessible to a variety of students who can apply it to whatever major they have already chosen, including the triple-discipline degree. Lason Crogh, a senior geology major, will be the first student to graduate with the climate studies minor. For Crogh, this minor not only allowed him to take classes that he was interested in, but also accentuated and better informed his studies in geology.

“Growing up in Idaho, a lot of people don’t believe in global warming or climate change, so when I was younger and before I went to school, I was almost against it,” Crogh said. “The challenge comes down to scientific literacy, really. Actually understanding the science, knowing what the science says, that’s the real challenge. Because people are going, ‘Oh, this is happening here,’ but that’s an effect, not a cause.” Crogh said that taking classes on climate change helps students engage with the extensive scientific work being done on the climate, as well as how to personally and

Taylor Humby | The Arbiter

societally address the causes and minimize the effects. Although many students and faculty do not have to take classes that focus on climate change and the way in which humans are entwined within it, several Boise State faculty members and students are working to encourage greater engagement with the conversation by equipping their peers with the skills to help combat climate change.

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‘AMERICANS AND THE HOLOCAUST’ EXHIBITION COMING TO BOISE STATE IN 2021 Faculty members discuss the significance of the exhibition coming to Boise State Michelle Johnson | Culture Reporter | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

he “Americans and the Holocaust,” a traveling exhibition that examines the circumstances that shaped Americans’ responses to the war and Nazism, is coming to the Albertsons Library in 2021. Out of 252 applicants, Boise State was selected as one of the 50 libraries to host the historical exhibition. Multiple faculty members from Boise State lent a helping hand in the application process. Gwyn Hervochon, an archivist in Special Collections and Archives, is one of the main leaders and coordinators for the event. “I submitted an application through the American Library Association who’s sponsoring the national tour, and this is an exhibit that exists in D.C. right now,” Hervochon said. “The Watson Center for Human Rights, located in Boise, has all kinds of educational programming that they offer to students and they run and manage the Anne Frank Memorial. They wrote a letter of support for the application as did the synagogue, Beth Israel.” Hosting an exhibition such as this one is extremely important to Boise State. Bob Reinhardt, an assistant professor in the history department, said there are multiple reasons that Boise State’s selection is significant. “It’s hard to overstate the importance and significance of Boise State’s selection as one of the very few institutions who will host this exhibit,” Reinhardt said. “Obviously, our selection demonstrates the strength of the application, but more importantly I think it demonstrates the selection committee’s recognition of Boise and Boise State’s growing importance and role as a center for publicly-engaged and relevant scholarship, [and] the ability of and need for Boise State to work with diverse communities to connect our region’s history with national and international events.” While the full exhibition is on display in Washington D.C., the traveling version is condensed. It will, however, still include many important features from the original.

DECEMBER 3, 2019

Albertsons Library is set to host the “Americans and the Holocaust” exhibition. “It uses primary sources from the 1930s and 40s. There’s reproductions of historic artifacts, documents, photographs, and even film footage,” Hervochon said. “So the exhibit that actually travels, it’s 18, freestanding exhibit panels that have images of these documents that help tell the story as well as I think four video screens that come with it and then a video interactive map.” While it is honorable to be selected to host an exhibition such as this, it is also necessary to understand why learning about the Holocaust is crucial, according to David Walker, an associate professor of military history at Boise State. “First, the Holocaust is a unique event in terms of the scale of the annihilation of a people. This uniqueness led to a post-World-War II world where there is greater awareness of such ideas as genocide and crimes against humanity,” Walker said. “Second, the Holocaust is a simple reminder also of what happens when humans divide themselves into groups and

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when that happens it becomes easier to justify cruelty to the other group – because they are not one of us.” This opportunity also provides Boise State with an award that helps go towards any extra costs needed to set up the exhibition. “The award comes with $2,000 to help put on the public programming,” Hervochorn said. “All of the host sites who get the exhibit have to post a minimum of four free public programs. Ideally, they target a variety of ages and different levels of expertise, including programs that directly engage students. So that money will go specifically to organizing and bringing in speakers and any other costs.” The exhibition will run on campus for five weeks in 2021. Reinhardt explained why it is not just important for students to visit this exhibit, but faculty and community members as well. “It’s a rare opportunity to experience an exhibit of this significance and quality — nationally-touring exhibits are almost always outstanding,” Reinhardt said. “The

Mackenzie Hudson | The Arbiter content of the exhibit is critically important, because we must never forget the horror of the Holocaust. As the organizers of the exhibit says, the hope is that the exhibit will challenge people to not only ask ‘What would I have done?’ but also, ‘What will I do?’”

“It’s a rare opportunity to experience an exhibit of this significance and quality — nationally-touring exhibits are almost always outstanding.” Bob Reinhardt, assistant professor in the history department

HOLIDAY PLAYLIST Will Meyer | Culture Editor | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu The Arbiter staff hand-picked songs to give you a festive soundtrack to the end of your semester.

SAVE TO YOUR LIBRARY

Make It To Christmas by Alessia Cara Logan Potter, Editor-in-Chief