April 9, 2019
Vol. 31 Issue 28
I N D EP EN D ENT
S T UDENT
V O ICE
O F
BO IS E
S TAT E
S I N C E
1 9 3 3
THE ACHILLES’ HEEL OF FEMALE ATHLETIC HEALTH
how societal pressures can put female athletes at risk for serious conditions
NEWS
04
Senior capstone course aims to bring awareness to sexual assault through month of events
VISIT US ONLINE:
OPINION
09
Exploiting race to get ahead is far too common in job and college applications arbiteronline.com
CULTURE
14
Graduate student’s exhibit explores the role of Soviet women in World War II @arbiteronline
PG 10
SPORTS & REC
17
Take a behind-the-scenes look at Boise State’s women’s lacrosse team
@arbiteronline
@boisestatearbiter
Editor-In-Chief Jordan Erb editor@stumedia.boisestate.edu
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
Online Editor Ximena Bustillo onlineeditor@stumedia.boisestate.edu News Editor Jordan Erb and Ximena Bustillo news@stumedia.boisestate.edu News Reporter Taylor Rico-Pekerol news@stumedia.boisestate.edu Culture Editor Logan Potter culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu Culture Reporter David Collie culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu Sports Editor Delaney Brassil sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu Sports Reporter Autum Robertson sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu Copy Editors Christopher Duggan Digital Content Manager Taylor Humby digitalcontent@stumedia.boisestate.edu Digital Content Producer Mackenzie Hudson Graphic Design Manager Maddie Ceglecki design@stumedia.boisestate.edu 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 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.
Pups Sage (left) and Cody (right) visited campus to help students relieve stress.
ON THE COVER:
Overexer tion, combined with societ y’s demand for beaut y and leanness, can cause female athletes to develop dangerous health conditions. Cover by Maddie Ceglecki and Taylor Humby.
HOW TO REACH US: CONTACT US: editor@stumedia.boisestate.edu 208.426.6302 PHYSICAL LOCATION: Located on first floor of Lincoln Avenue Garage Suites MAILING ADDRESS: Student Media MS 1340 1910 W Universit y Dr. Boise, ID 83725 -1340
Alex Buchholz | The Arbiter
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SCOREBOARD WOMEN’S TENNIS APRIL 5 BSU 3 - UTEP 4 APRIL 7 BSU 0 - UTEP 4
MEN’S TENNIS
APRIL 5 BSU 3 - NEW MEXICO 4 APRIL 7 BSU 4 - AIR FORCE 1
WOMEN’S BEACH VOLLEYBALL
Sacramento State Tournament 3 - 0 overall
TRACK & FIELD Sun Angel Classic
Women’s Long Jump: 1st Taj Dorsett (5.57m), 2nd Abi Dargan (5.47m) Men’s 200m: 2nd Bryce Kirby (21.36)
NEWS
APRIL 9. 2019 | ARBITERONLINE.COM
CLASS BRINGS AWARENESS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT ON CAMPUS
Senior capstone class hopes to open a dialogue through month of events Taylor Humby | Staff Writer | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu
Students in a nonprofit capstone class (above) will be hosting events throughout April.
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hroughout the month of April, Boise State will be host to a multitude of events aimed at bringing awareness to the issue of sexual assault on campus. A nonprofit senior capstone class, partnering with the Boise Women’s and Children’s Alliance (WCA), aims to explore the WCA’s mission statement of safety, healing and freedom, through focusing on one subject each week, culminating with the exploration of community for week four. Throughout the month, students can expect to see tablings in the Quad, a mobile tour of the WCA’s services, various presentations and a “Chalk Art Festival” event on Saturday, April 27 to wrap up the month. Class member Cody Evans, a communication major, was part of the week-four group focusing on community. “Instead of writing a senior capstone paper, our teacher told us we are going to put together events, for the nonprofit that he had decided was our partner, which was the Women’s and
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Children’s alliance,” Evans said. “We had no idea how we were going to structure these events going into the class, so it was a big collaboration of 20-some people deciding what can we accomplish in this short amount of time with the resources that we have.” Evans was tasked with helping create the final chalk art event, and hopes to use art to make people feel more comfortable in opening a dialogue on such a serious issue. “Our goal is to use art to make the topic not as dark and gloomy, and something that people want to come and talk about,” Evans said. “This is an issue that isn’t just apparent on campuses around the nation, but in the community as a whole. People think the Treasure Valley is very safe, which we are, but there are definitely things that go unheard, and this is for sure a topic that is silenced sometimes.” Fellow class member, Madeline Martinson, cited a campus-wide email sent out regarding someone being sexually assaulted in the Lincoln garage as a driving point in the class’s invest-
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Taylor Humby | The Arbiter ment towards tackling the issue. “Being sent the email, it was kind of fitting in a sad way that we were doing this and bringing that awareness,” Martinson said. “It really showed that the Boise State campus and our community in general can be more aware and take more preventative measures.” Martinson hopes that with this final art festival, they will not only be closing their month of awareness on campus, but also laying some foundations for the future, in terms of what people can do for sexual assault and the steps they can take if they need help. “The severity of this issue is not something that is talked about. This happens to so many people. One in three people that you know have either experienced or know someone who has experienced sexual assault,” Martinson said. “I think normalizing how we respond to these events and understanding preventative measures are important to consider, but helping plan this event has been eye opening in how we can help these affected people become full and really get
that safety, healing, and freedom they deserve.” WCA member, Rebecca Del Rossi, mentioned how she hopes the work from this class will help students become aware of the services they offer, and that anyone can get confidential, free counseling through the alliance. “Thankfully the conversation on college campuses has started over the past 10 years, about sexual assault. But I still think that it isn’t happening enough,” Delrossi said. “I think this class is doing a really great job of getting people comfortable talking about it and normalized into our conversations. Talking about what is a healthy relationship, what is consent, what is asking for consent, all these different things. I hope that’s what other Boise State students get out of this project as well.” “Community” group member, Blake Harms, hopes that the final festival will draw a wide variety of artists who will be able to illustrate the issue in a way that sparks conversation. “What we are looking for in applicants specifically is anybody who feels inspired by the WCA’s cause, or just preventing sexual assault in general,” Harms said. “We feel it would be most appropriate for the art to be centered on the WCA themes of safety, healing and freedom, and then of course we invite everybody in the community to come and engage with these art pieces at the end of the month.” Although the event is still a few weeks away, Harms mentioned the joy it has been working to shine a light on an issue often shied away from. “It has been such a rewarding experience to gain awareness ourselves as a class, but also the ability to use that awareness to help others,” Harms said. “That is really at the core, what we are hoping to do. If we can just reach one person who goes and gets help, that’s what our goal is and that’s what we are passionate about.” To contribute your artistic skills and become involved in the festival of awareness on April 27, fill out the following form found at https:// bit.ly/2SYy2Er, or if you have any questions, contact Blake at Blakeharms@boisestate.edu. If you or a friend is in crisis, you can call the 24/7 WCA hotline at (208) 343-7025.
NEWS
THE 2019 GOLDEN APPLE AWARDS
FOOD PANTRY GETS NEW LOCATION
Alex Buchholz | Staff Writer | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu
Sonora Birnie | Staff Writer | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu
Annual ceremony honors professors for outstanding teaching
Mikayla Melchert speaks at the ceremony Alex Buchholz | The Arbiter
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very year, students nominate professors from various colleges on campus to receive an award for outstanding teaching. The award is given out at a ceremony hosted by the Associated Students of Boise State University (ASBSU), and is known as the Golden Apple Awards. This year, the event was held in the Stueckle Sky Center. The teachers who were chosen to receive the award had the student who nominated them go to the podium to share what they wrote about why that professor should receive the award. The event rewards initiative and honors successful teaching models and programs among Boise State University educators. The first Golden Apple Award went to Shelton Woods of the College of Arts and Sciences. He was nominated for his humble and kind demeanor towards his students as well as his exceptional performance as a professor. He was nominated by Francesca D’alessandro, who was chosen to speak about why she nominated him. “He would always ask how I was doing or how my day was going. It made me feel like someone really cared about my well-being in this new place,” D’alessandro said. “He has made me feel so welcome
here and I really couldn’t be more grateful for the influence he has had on my life and perspective through his class, as well as his humble and kind demeanor.” The winner from the College of Business and Economics was professor William Wynn. He received the Golden Apple Award for consistently making himself available to his students as well as interacting with and welcoming them, even those who weren’t as participatory as others. He and the student who nominated him were unable to attend the ceremony, so ASBSU secretary of academic affairs and event host Mikayla Melchert read the nominee description provided by the student who nominated Wynn. “Mr. Wynn is a remarkable and memorable professor and I feel confident that any person that attends his class would feel as though they could drop into his office anytime to receive further guidance,” Melchert said. “He truly cares about his students and wants to give them the opportunity to succeed.” John Lampignano from the College of Health and Sciences was nominated to receive a Golden Apple for his contagious and uplifting dedication to his field. He shows nothing but an interest in the success of his students as well as the improvement of the program, according to Brittney Peppel. Due to his overwhelming amount of nominations, two students were chosen to read what they had written about him and why he should be awarded the Golden Apple Award. “John truly cares for the future of his students and works hard to ensure their learning environment is productive and fun,” said Jenna Draper. “He takes the time to meet with us and clarify any questions we may have. He treats everyone with equality and kindness and is a lending ear and great support system for all of his students. He is a shining example of an excellent teacher and great human being.”
Boise State’s food pantry expands to College of Innovation and Design
The new food pantry is located in the College of Innovation and Design Taylor Humby | The Arbiter
B
oise State is making strides to ensure that its students’ basic needs are being taken care of. While the Office of the Dean of Students has worked to create a campus food pantry program over the past few years, their efforts are now being expanded even further. The newest food pantry location is in a set of blue lockers on the second floor of the library in the College of Innovation and Design. The Boise State food pantry is open to all students, provided they show their student ID. According to Shannon Anderson, who interns for the assistant dean of students, the program is being very well received. “We have expanded the campus food pantry program out of the Office of the Dean of Students to another location in the College of Innovation and Design kitchen,” Anderson said. The idea, according to Anderson, is to make food readily accessible to all Boise State students, and the new location is just another step in the right direction. Despite posting about it on Twitter, the student body seems somewhat unaware of the pantry’s existence on the second floor of the Albertsons Library. Cierra Abellera, a senior with a major in
psychological science, was studying in the College of Innovation and Design and had no previous knowledge of the food pantry. “Maybe they should advertise better, but now that I know that it is there, I’ll be able to tell other people about it,” Abellera said. “It’s really cool there is something like that there, I just wish more people knew about it so they could donate.” Granted, that particular food pantry addition is relatively new, and Abellera said that she was aware of the one in the Office of the Dean of Students. The dean of students wishes to remind Boise State students that anyone is welcome to come to the food bank, but a student ID is necessary. Lauryl Jensen, an office assistant for the dean of students, said that donations can be brought directly to the Office of the Dean of Students, but donors must make sure that the food is not expired or open. “Sometimes when students are cleaning out their dorms they find food that they don’t want and donate it to us. We get donations from all over, but we always welcome more,” Jensen said. In order to donate to the food pantry, students can fill out the donation form that can be found at the link here.
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NEWS
VETERAN AFFAIRS OFFERS VOCATIONAL REHAB FOR STUDENTS An inside look into the VA’s best-kept secret
Celina Van Hyning | Staff Writer | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu
be difficult for some veterans, and most of this difficulty comes from the career assess-
“We pay for their tuition, all of their books, all their fees, we provide a parking permit and a computer (if needed). Everything they need to get through college, we pay for.” Sean Burlile, VetSuccess counselor for Boise State and the VA
Sean Burlile, VetSuccess counselor for Boise State and the VA.
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or military veterans, the transition from life overseas to life back home can be a daunting concept. The sense of security that those serving feel can be taken away the second their feet touch the land of their hometown. That feeling of insecurity can leave many veterans feeling scared, anxious and hopeless, and disabled veterans are no exception. Finding careers that will not aggravate any disability they may have can be challenging, but a Veterans Affairs (VA) program is aiming to help these veterans set themselves up for success. The VA Vocational Rehabilitation program is interested in attracting more veterans into the program. They are the bestkept secret in the VA, and the program directors want more qualified veterans to take advantage of the opportunity. Sean Burlile, the VetSuccess counselor
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for Boise State and the VA, said that of the 1,400 people using VA benefits, only 100 are using VOC rehab for their education, and he wants to see an increase in the number of veterans who set themselves up for lifelong success. “The goal of vocational rehabilitation is to help veterans with service-connected disabilities get into suitable employment, employment that won’t aggravate their service-connected disability,” Burlile said. “You have to have a 20 percent disability rating to get into VOC rehab. It could be back pain, leg pain; it’s a minimal rating.” Burlile said that making sure the veteran’s disability is considered is of the utmost importance upon entering the program. “We do an evaluation to help them determine what a suitable career goal is,” Burlile said. “That includes career interest and aptitude testing, (looking at) their
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Mackenzie Hudson | The Arbiter service-connected disability to make sure that whatever we are preparing them for won’t aggravate their disability, and the labor market data to find out if the career we’re preparing them for has employment opportunities.” In addition to the detailed career evaluation, veterans who join this program also have many other benefits to enhance their career experience. “We pay for their tuition, all of their books, all their fees, we provide a parking permit and a computer (if needed). Everything they need to get through college, we pay for,” Burlile said. “All medical and dental care is also provided. It’s very comprehensive. If a veteran needs special equipment for their career, we cover it as well.” Mike Duke, the manager of the VOC rehab program, said that the program can
ment and mandatory counseling sessions. “Veterans are not automatically approved for the program they want to get into,” Duke said. “The field they want to go into could worsen their disability or have nothing available in the market. We want to set the veterans up for success.” Duke said that the key to success in this program is keeping an open mind and letting the program do what it does best. “Some of the veterans have no idea what they want to do, and that’s okay,” Duke said. “We always encourage them to work backwards and compare their interests to what is available in the job market.” Burlile and Duke agreed that this program could be very beneficial for veterans returning home, and want to get the word out about this great opportunity. “The VA tries to market the program, but everyone (only) knows about the GI Bill. I think a lot of times people forget that VOC Rehab is an option,” Burlile said. “We want college to be as stress free for the veteran and their family as possible.”
GOVERNOR BRAD LITTLE SIGNS SEXUAL ASSAULT KIT BILL INTO LAW
NEWS
Idaho Legislature passes bill for testing of all sexual assault kits except under rare circumstances
Taylor Rico-Pekerol | News Reporter | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu
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n Friday, March 22, Governor Brad Little signed a bill requiring all sexual assault kits to be tested except for rare
occasions. According to the 2018 Sexual Assault Kit Tracking Report, the Idaho Code 67-2919 does not require submission of a kit to the lab for testing when there is no evidence to support a crime being committed, when it is no longer being investigated as a crime or when an adult victim expressly indicates that no further forensic examination or testing occur. This has caused some confusion for law enforcement agencies and prosecutors, because they struggle to understand and implement the particular legislative wording. Lieutenant Stan Niccolls of the Boise Police Department is contracted by Boise State to handle criminal acts on campus, along with his team of six officers. Tana Monroe is the director for the Department of Public Safety at Boise State and manages campus security and safety. “If this does make sexual assault victims feel supported then I am all for it,” Monroe said. By the end of 2017, a total of 509 sexual assault kits had been submitted and 106 of those kits went at least 90 days without being tested. The oldest kit had been untested for 381 days. “If you said you’re a victim, or if I was a victim, we would still investigate the same way; that is we’re victim-centered. We take what you say and we go with that and the evidence and we go wherever it leads us,” Niccolls said. Sexual assault kit testing has been undergoing changes since 2014, such as having the state pay for the testing kits instead of the victims having to pay for their own tests. “We said ‘yeah, we better be testing it all,’” said Representative Melissa Wintrow. “When we put DNA into that database, what we’re looking for is that there’s a hit on another crime. So this is the way to find a serial offender.” A serial offender is someone who has committed the same crime multiple times.
In 2018, there were 210 kits entered in the database, and from those entered 32 hits were made, meaning matches to the assailant were found. During the calendar year of 2018, there were 620 sexual assault kits submitted, along with other kits that were backlogged from years prior. In 2016, to combat this backlogging, a tracking system was started in the state of Idaho to know where the kits were in their testing process. The Idaho State Police Forensic Services (ISPFS) has three trained DNA analysts and four biological screening analysts and partnered with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Laboratory to aid in testing the kits that were backlogged. “As of November 1st, 2018 all of the existing sexual assault kits that had previously never been submitted by law enforcement to a forensic laboratory for testing, and that meet the current legislative requirements, have now been submitted to either the ISPFS or FBI laboratory for testing,” the ISPFS said in a statement. Victims of a sexual assault are allowed to receive an anonymous sexual assault kit test and have it held and not logged for up to 55 years from when the test was collected or until the sentence in the case is completed, whichever occurs first. According to Niccolls and Monroe, 1 to 2 percent of sexual assault
cases will be under a Jane Doe. A Jane Doe is a female person who does not want to be identified in a medical situation or is unable to be identified in a legal action. “We want to create systems that provide and allow choices for somebody that’s been through this trauma,” Wintrow said.
“We want to create systems that provide and allow choices for somebody that’s been through this trauma.” Melissa Wintrow, representative
Maddie Ceglecki | The Arbiter
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OPINION APRIL 9, 2019 | ARBITERONLINE.COM
IN DEFENSE OF CORPORATE PERSONHOOD
What progressives get wrong about corporate law Jamie Maas | Guest Writer | opinion@stumedia.boisestate.edu
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lexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently gained political traction in the promotion of her Green New Deal, a series of political reforms designed to promote economic and environmental sustainability. And while many of these reforms are necessary and important, one segment of the current draft is a step in the wrong direction. Article 1 of Section IV calls to: “Revoke corporate personhood by amending our constitution to make clear that corporations are not persons and money is not free speech. Those rights belong to living, breathing human beings — not to business entities controlled by the wealthy.” And while this makes for good partisan rhetoric, are the problems of corporate greed and money in politics highlighted by populists like Bernie Sanders or Liz Warren really the fault of corporate personhood? The short answer is no. To unpack why, it is necessary to understand the function corporate personhood plays in our democracy and how we can create laws to better address these problems.
Corporate personhood is essentially the idea that a corporate for-profit entity has a distinct legal identity with its own assets separate from that of its shareholders. This means that a corporation is legally considered its own person with an ability to have money, take out loans and collect debt. And contrary to popular opinion, corporate personhood actually serves two important functions in our democracy: protecting government accountability, and upholding corporate responsibility. In terms of governmental accountability, corporate personhood is our best protection for freedom of speech. Giving corporations the First Amendment rights guaranteed to natural citizens means that news outlets, and other for-profit media conglomerates are able to report on the news without government interference. Absent corporate personhood, corporations do not get access to freedom of speech and are much more vulnerable to censorship. Take the 1971 court case New York Times Co. vs United States, in which corporate access to the First Amendment was
Contrary to popular belief, corporate personhood has its benefits.
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the deciding factor in rejecting Richard Nixon’s attempts to censor the New York Times’ and the Washington Post’s attempts to publish the Pentagon Papers. In law, the opposite of a constitutional right is a government power. Does anybody really want to live in a world where the government can lawfully search corporate property because they don’t have access to the Fourth Amendment (like Apple’s predicament in the San Bernardino case)? Or make it legal for the government to expropriate corporate property protected by the Fifth Amendment (as in Google’s fight to protect its data from the NSA)? Corporate personhood is, ironically, also our best bet for enforcing corporate responsibility. This is because corporate personhood gives corporations a legal identity with its own money that people can file lawsuits against. The best example of this is the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill fiasco. After spilling around five million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, BP plc became the target of several lawsuits to force the company to pay for the $61 billion dollars of damage the oil spill
caused. Getting that $61 billion would have been nearly impossible without corporate personhood because those lawsuits would have been limited to suing individuals personally responsible for the disaster, like managers overseeing the oil rig, or the CEO. But one would be hard-pressed to find an individual person in a company as wealthy as the corporation itself. Corporate personhood allows the public to sue a corporation for its misdeeds, and because a corporation will have more financial assets than any of its individual shareholders, this means lawsuits can actually collect the correct amount of damages and approach something near justice. So while bashing corporate rights might be politically popular at the moment, it doesn’t mean that we should ignore the important legal purposes that corporate personhood serves. Citizens United was undoubtedly a bad decision, but that doesn’t mean we should throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Maddie Ceglecki | The Arbiter
OPINION
CHECKING THE WRONG BOXES TO GET AHEAD Exploiting race for an advantage is too common in the status quo Logan Potter | Culture Editor | opinion@stumedia.boisestate.edu
Racial bias in hiring and admissions is escalated by false demographic claims in applications. Wyatt Wurtenberger | The Arbiter
“M
y signature indicates that the information in this application is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge. If inaccuracies are detected, I accept that the consequence could be: One, automatic dismissal of my application for admission, or two, automatic dismissal from admission to or enrollment at this institution.” This common statement, or similar ones, on job and college applications appear to be more of a threat than a promise, because it seems that certain individuals are still getting away with infidelity in the race and nationality section on any given application. Whether it’s an application to a local law firm or an Ivy League university, it’s far too simple to evade hiring systems with false information about your demographic. It comes at the disadvantage, it seems, to minority races and underprivileged
applicants who are forced to “whiten” up their applications to compete. While said minorities are struggling, however, isolated circumstances exist where the majority are “borrowing” their identities to get ahead in the name of diversity. Colleges, universities and potential job opportunities aren’t vetting their clients with 23 & Me. DNA tests aren’t universally required like drug tests, making it unsurprising that insecure applicants would fake minority status and cheat the system because they think being “diverse” creates more open opportunities. If that were the case, however, it’s safe to assume there wouldn’t be a 25-year deficit in black and Latinx hiring — if there still was, it arguably would have improved. This happens closer to us than we choose to believe. Someone I graduated high school with, who will remain anonymous, applied for Ivy League schools while
claiming to be 25 percent black. Here’s the kicker: they were, without a doubt, a very privileged white person. What’s even worse than the act itself, unfortunately, is applicants like them are getting into schools effortlessly. Fraudulent claims to get into high-ranking schools have recently come to surface with the college admissions scandal practically led by Lori Loughlin and her daughters and, while USC has began to consider revoking degrees, many other universities nationwide haven’t taken that step. Beyond the university platform, companies across the nation are showing a racial bias in the hiring process. Beyond Affirmative Action and other movements intended to promote workplace equality, the question still remains: why in 2019? As it turns out, employers may actually be more concerned about what their customer base believes in terms of bias, rather than
the actual values of the company. This is a huge problem at corporations like Starbucks, which has taken policy measures to promote diversity in its stores that may not be reflected in certain franchises under varied hiring departments. This not only makes it easier to promote discrimination, but creates an imbalance and lack of consistency between the standards and values of the organization as a whole, leading to a decrease in accountability when it comes to diversity in the future. In short, white people are exploiting the “minority card” to get hired. Meanwhile, actual minorities are being forced to mask their race, “whitening” their application by doing so, and are still left out of the hiring pool by a large margin. The problem, in conjunction with a general need for more diverse hiring practices nationwide, lies in the fact that this shadiness often means success, and there may not even be a clear solution. After being exposed, universities should follow in USC’s footsteps and try to correct the mistakes they’ve made with recruitment up until this point, but there also ought to be some sort of apology. Rather than simply considering revoking degrees, do it. Dismiss the students who cheated the system, and ensure those who have already graduated lose their competitiveness in the job market. Stop rewarding the false sense of diversity that exists in the status quo, and don’t allow white people to steal the identities of minority groups, even just on paper. Checking the wrong boxes is no way to get ahead, and it’s nearly certain to create a further divide between identities in the future if the past isn’t corrected now.
HAVE A COMMENT OR REBUTTAL? EMAIL US AT: OPINION@STUMEDIA.BOISESTATE.EDU
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F E AT U R E
A DANGEROUS LACK OF ENERGY
how societal pressures can put female athletes at risk for serious conditions
DELANEY BRASSIL | SPORTS & REC EDITOR | SPORTS@STUMEDIA.BOISESTATE.EDU
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n a poll by ESPN of 201 female Division I student-athletes, 68 percent answered “yes” to the question “Do you feel pressure to be pretty?” Thirty percent were afraid of becoming too muscular, 48 percent wear makeup when they compete, 35 percent said their teammates have eating disorders and 67 percent worry about long-term damage to their bodies. Female athlete body positivity has been a rampant conversation in the sporting world, with numerous female professional athletes speaking out. But one obscure condition that could be contributing to unhealthy body image coping habits is Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S). The term RED-S is a relatively new one, and expands on the condition which many know as the female athlete triad. As stated by the International Olympic Committee, “The syndrome of RED-S refers to impaired physiological functioning caused by relative energy deficiency.” In simple terms, athletes are experiencing calorie deficits that don’t add up to the amount of energy exerted. This issue can affect a variety of athletes, many of whom could call Boise State home. What are RED-S and the female athlete triad?
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According to the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, the female athlete triad is made up of disordered eating, abnormal or nonexistent menstrual cycles and osteoporosis. But every athlete is different, so a cut-and-dry definition is not always enough to identify the condition. Boise State athletic trainers Marc Paul and Tyler Smith noted that the conversation around the female athlete triad is shifting to a bigger picture conversation about RED-S. While low energy availability can impact any athlete, competitive or recreational, female athletes show signs of RED-S in a more unique way because of the female hormonal system. “It’s so prominent in females is because it’s easier to catch there. For a female, as your calories go lower, your body adjusts your different systems to meet the lack of calories. Body core temperature will start to drop,” Smith said. “The telltale sign is they lose their menstrual cycle. Your body looks at this as a nonessential process and you’re not eating enough calories to bear a child right now anyway, so it shuts that system down.” More signs of RED-S include increased frequency of stress fractures, fatigue and lack of energy. The long-term effects include potential infertility or very early-onset osteoporosis due to bone mineral deprivation. “We’ve had athletes that have had to go
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through hormonal therapy to kind of get back and going again, and those are extreme cases,” Paul said. “The psychological component is one that is probably one of the bigger (contributors), the ones that really get down the road and develop disordered eating or a true full blown eating disorder. And that’s really probably the hardest one to overcome, is because it becomes part of just who (the athletes) are.” Smith pointed out the psychological component contributing to the lack of energy from calorie deficit, which ranges on a spectrum from disordered eating to full-blown eating disorders. Athletes can be at peak performance, crushing their workouts and feeling healthy without knowledge of an underlying issue. “It’s also a little bit deceiving...that’s why some people can not be aware of the situation because they’re like, ‘Why? My workouts are going good. I’ve been at the Rec five days this week, I’ve killed every workout I’ve done, and I feel fine’... And then you kind of just hit the point where the body can’t take it anymore,” Smith said. Education and Prevention According to Smith, the NCAA and International Olympic Committee (IOC) have been hesitant to put forth strict guidelines on the subject because of how conditional and evolving it is. So practices are done on a school-by-school basis. This includes objective measures, like body mass index percentage, observing medical history and consistent dietary check-ins. “One thing that I learned is that this whole situation kind of applies itself to certain characteristics of people,” Smith said. “People who are perfectionists, goal-oriented and regimented in what they do, they’re the people who have a tendency to lean more towards these type of things, because that’s how their brain structure puts their
day in play.” Daily check-ins include average eating habits, energy levels and
attitudes toward performance. Then, trainers can identify anyone with RED-S characteristics to keep an eye out for and take preventative measures to ensure no long term issues develop from unhealthy relationships with food. In 2014, the NCAA Legislative Council approved nutritional measures for Division I student-athletes to receive unlimited meals and snacks in conjunction with their athletics participation, eliminating any question of food availability on campus –– including at Boise State. “Looking at the collegiate athletic population,
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some cases happen just by lack of knowledge and knowing the amount of calories that they’re expending in the day and
what they need to do to get back to where they’re supposed to be,” Smith said. Upon their arrival at Boise State, athletes go through extensive screening and pre-participation exams. Trainers review medical histories and flag for various potential issues or injuries. If flagged, athletes can get tested and learn how to supplement themselves during and after their collegiate careers. Societal contributors “There’s this image built throughout the media and through the fitness world, that you have to look aesthetically a certain way,” Smith said.
“It’s all a lie, because there’s a lot of things going on behind the scenes that are not the reality of the situation of the person you see on the cover.” Throughout social media, bodybuilding and fitness accounts tend to set a “standard” for what true fitness looks like. But for athletes in various sports with various muscular requirements, these images couldn’t be further from the truth. “Those pictures you’re seeing in those things are not realistic...that is not an ideal to shoot for. Focus more on being healthy and healthy behaviors,” Smith said. “A lot of people get caught in that trap of just looking at things and wanting to look aesthetically a certain way because that’s how they’ve been marketed to, which is not true.” In a position statement by the IOC on the female athlete triad, researchers concluded that “athletes have more problems with eating, dieting and body image than non-athletes, and the problem appears to be greatest in sports in which there is an emphasis on thinness, either for performance or appearance.” These sports include distance running, sports with weight categories (martial arts and rowing) and sports that have a judging/appearance aspect (diving, gymnastics and figure skating) and use revealing uniforms. “If I’m leaner, I’m faster; it’s really simple. If I don’t weigh as much, I can run faster,” Paul said. “Rather than the calories and nutrients and things needed to fuel my body and perform, I’m measuring my food in ounces... the scale they used to measure it is completely skewed and different.” But, not all disordered eating comes from negative body images and the “need for speed.” According to Dave Hammons, director of Boise State’s athletic training program, disordered eating can stem from a prior traumatic incident or other underlying causes. He recognizes that
most cases are recognized in those sports where there is an appearance aspect, but not every case is the same. “That is where most of it occurs, probably a majority. I think that on paper 60 to 70 percent of triad cases are found there,” Hammons said. “You see, disordered eating is rampant in college athletics. I can’t even imagine what it looks like in high school athletics.” Grace Gaddis, a Boise High senior, decided to do cross country and soccer in the same season of her sophomore year, meaning back-to-back practices right after school. She admitted that she was likely not eating enough due to lack of time to do so; she would eat a quick snack between events to make sure she didn’t feel too full or nauseous. A combination of puberty and low energy availability were causing her to feel heavier, slower and discouraged about her athletic abilities. She suffered from minor stress fractures, shin splints and compartment syndrome in her calves. “I noticed it became significantly harder because of my body changing. Running is a sport where it’s so much easier if you’re agile and just have less weight,” Gaddis said. After a knee surgery and talks with her coaches, Gaddis decided not to continue her high school athletics career, let alone pursue a collegiate career. She did not realize that her changing body was requiring more fuel, and possible caloric deficits were impacting her performance and attitude. “In that moment, felt like, ‘I suck at running’. I’m just getting fat and I am slower. I have no motivation,” Gaddis said. “But in reality there’s some room where I can be like, this isn’t all on me. I’m not just getting slower. I’m going through changes in my body, and that should be like socially accepted.”
Moving forward “This is not uncommon at all, even outside of collegiate athletics. In fact, I think it’s very, very common...we’re lucky because we have a staff and great protocols,” Paul said. “When you’re outside of that and you don’t have those resources readily available, you can start going down this road without even realizing it. It’s important to know that you’re not alone in this and not just fighting this thing yourself.” While elite athletes have access to a full staff of trainers, nutritionists and more, the same cannot be said for recreational athletes. College campuses are full of non-Division I college students playing intramurals, lifting weights or going on the occasional run; they too could be experiencing RED-S and not know it. “They don’t understand how it affects their mental state in classes or how it can be affecting their test preparation or their sleep patterns,” Hammons said. “There’s so many different variables on there... that would be good for some students (to know).” In athletic training program courses, Hammons and faculty address symptoms of disordered eating, RED-S and the female athlete triad. No matter how extensive the curriculum from class to class, the department aims to educate trainers to recognize ways to help anyone. “Please find somebody to help; if it’s a physician that can help you just take some simple lab work and find out a place to start; if it’s a registered dietitian to help figure out your dietary needs and what you’re eating; if it’s a counselor, either on campus or in the community that can help work through if there’s anything going on and how you will look at your food,” Paul said. “I promise you, you aren’t the only one doing it. I promise you that.”
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C U LT U R E APRIL 9, 2019 | ARBITERONLINE.COM
BOISE STATE GIVES BLOOD
How donating can make a difference
Ben Harris | Staff Writer | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu
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n January of 2019, there was a blood shortage across America. According to the American Red Cross, frigid temperatures and inclement weather caused the organization to collect 14,000 fewer donations than what’s regularly collected. While the need for blood isn’t in the same emergency state that it was three months ago, Samantha Pollard, blood services communication manager for the Red Cross, said that there’s still an urgent need. “There’s flooding going on in a lot of the Midwest, and there’s still a lot of snow happening in many parts of the country,” Pollard said. “That always just means bad news for blood drives. The later the winter goes on, the worse it is for us.” While the occasional emergency requires an increase in people needing blood, a blood shortage hardly ever actually comes from a spike in demand. Sometimes, there just isn’t enough blood donation to meet the need. “In Nebraska, where there’s heavy flooding right now, we’ve had to cancel 500 donations because we can’t get to a town,” Pollard said. “There’s so much water, and buildings where blood drives were supposed to be held have been destroyed. It’s rarely a demand issue, it’s a supply issue.” A blood supply problem is one that Boise State students can help with. Across campus, there are plenty of opportunities to give blood. From volunteering with the American Red Cross Club on campus, to participating in the frequent blood drives held around the university, Pollard said that college students really make a difference. “About 20 percent of Red Cross blood donations come from universities and high schools,” Pollard said. “That’s a lot of people’s first experience donating blood.
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We definitely count on college students donating, because that makes up a really big percentage of the people who give.” Kylie McGhee, senior biology major and president of First Generation Pre-Meds (FPGM) at Boise State, is a part of that 20 percent. She has donated blood on three separate occasions, and even got her family involved. “My family and I started a tradition when I moved up to college to donate blood on Christmas Eve,” McGhee said. “It’s something very simple. If my family member were in need of a blood transfusion, I would hope that somebody would go out of their way to do something like that for me.” While plenty of students like McGhee are all about donating blood, it’s understandable why some would feel hesitant. Some may feel wary about needles and others about bodily fluids, but McGhee said that a lot of that hesitation can come with the fear of trying something new. “I think a lot of people have just never really considered it before. College is a great time to try something new,” McGhee said. “These are all trained professionals, and they’re not gonna let anything bad happen to you.” Despite how good or bad the experience of giving blood is, donations are still doing wonders in the local and national community. No matter where a student lives, a blood donation can go a long way. Jalila Bahu, junior pre-med biology major and president of the Global Medical Brigades Association, directly sees the impact that blood donation has. In the summer, Bahu works as an emergency room medical scribe at a hospital in her home state of California. Through her job, Bahu has a perspective that makes donating blood a
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more emotional experience. “Because I work in a hospital, I can see directly when blood goes to a patient,” Bahu said. “It’s kind of emotional. I can do it consistently, it’s free and it’s really no harm to my body besides a little fatigue. It’s just an easy way to give back.”
If students want to participate in a local blood drive, FGPM is hosting one on Monday, April 15. More information can be found on the organization’s OrgSync page.
Boise State students can make a difference by donating blood. Mackenzie Hudson | The Arbiter
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BOISE STATE MAKERLAB MAKES TECHNOLOGY ACCESSIBLE FOR STUDENTS
The experimental space offers all students a chance to learn about emerging technology David Collie | Culture Reporter | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu
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n an age of ever-advancing technology, there are times when things like 3D printing can feel out of reach, especially for those who are not in a STEM field. Boise State’s MakerLab, however, offers a space for students from all disciplines and experience levels to use and learn about these technologies. Take, for example, Sheil Krell. Krell is a sophomore communication major who was first introduced to the space during her Academic 102 class, when she visited the MakerLab and got the chance to make buttons. She was drawn to the MakerLab, and later took the associated class, eventually becoming the MakerLab lead. She now helps other students navigate the space. Krell said that people are sometimes apprehensive about their own abilities to learn the technology, but she explained that, even as a communication major, she can do it. “I think it’s just (that) people are scared of the technology, and I feel like they shouldn’t be, because literally anyone can do it,” Krell said. “I feel like everyone should give it a try.”
“I think it’s just (that) people are scared of the technology, and I feel like they shouldn’t be, because literally anyone can do it.” Sheil Krell, sophomore communication major Aside from the technology, Krell has found a home in the space, and said that other students might be able to do the same. “I want the space to be bigger, mainly
The MakerLab seeks to bring in students from diverse disciplines to learn the art of technology. because I think more people would find it’s kind of their place on the campus,” Krell said. “It made me feel kind of at home. I never really did this stuff when I was in high school, but the community around it and everyone who works here, it made me feel like it’s my home on campus… I think that there are a lot of things you can learn from just being in here.” One visitor who was new to the space was John Lampignano, a visiting faculty member in radiology sciences. Lampignano was looking for a way to include 3D printing into the curriculum of his future classes as a way to achieve what he called “authentic assessment.” “It would be what we call authentic assessment, where students would not just learn about the brain on an MRI scan, but actually be able to create it in a manner where they would have to carry further knowledge about what the anatomy would involve,” Lampignano said. Working with this new technology, according to Lampignano, is a critical skill
for his students to develop. This is not just because of the knowledge of the technology, but because of the method of learning outside of the classroom. “I think that students need to be able to take their learning beyond the classroom, beyond what I could offer them,” Lampignano said. “The most deep and meaningful learning is (learning) they acquire on their own.” This was echoed by the head of Emerging Technologies and Experiential Learning, Amy Vecchione, who explained that students working with emerging technologies to create things related to their discipline requires them to talk about things in a way that they would not have to in a class. This discussion can then lead to a greater understanding than what a student might get from just preparing for a test. Even for students not creating models of the brain, Vecchione explained that the space is a chance for all students to learn and have fun, especially through things she calls “grippy.”
Taylor Humby | The Arbiter
“I’m always looking for things that are grippy, and those are what takes a high, emerging technology and makes it accessible for other students,” Vecchione said. “That grippiness, that’s my focus, is to make things that are accessible so that any student can walk into the space and begin to see themselves as a maker. That’s really the most important thing to me.” But beyond any of the technologies in the MakerLab, Vecchione said the most important thing is for students to understand how to learn, and to be adaptable in the face of changing technology. “I think we’re going to see the basics behind the technology are going to still be important skills, (but) what matters more than all of that is how a graduating student has the aptitude to acquire new technological skills,” Vecchione said. “Nothing is going to stop changing… If you can keep learning technology, you’re not going to be hurting in your career, and so I would advise to come in and just start challenging yourself to learn new things.”
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GRADUATE STUDENT’S EXHIBIT EXPLORES OVERLOOKED WOMEN IN COMBAT
The exhibit in Albertsons Library shares the overlooked story of Soviet women in World War II David Collie | Culture Reporter | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu
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any individuals may be familiar with the conversation surrounding whether women should be allowed to fill combat roles in the armed forces, with some claiming women are not physically or emotionally capable. This conversation, however, would likely not be taken very seriously by the estimated half million women who served in the Soviet Union during World War II. According to an exhibit by Boise State graduate student Hayley Noble entitled, “Women in Combat: The Soviet Example,” women played a vital role in the Soviet military, with approximately one million Soviet women bearing arms, and roughly half of those serving at the front. Through telling the stories of these women, Noble hoped to achieve two goals. “(The goals were to) increase that awareness, and then utilize their example to advocate for more current issues within the military,” Noble said. “When you have the administration saying, ‘Oh, we need one more study. We need one more experiment to see if women can do it.’ We already have countless examples that show they can.” Noble’s exhibit — located on the first floor of the Albertsons Library through May 20 — includes texts, research and several historic artifacts that help explore some of the varied roles that women played in the Soviet military, such as snipers, medics and airwomen. One medic, Maria Petrovna Smirnova, detailed her experience of carrying 481 wounded soldiers under fire, and hauling men who were sometimes two to three times her weight. This bravery can also be seen from Soviet sniper Sgt. Roza Shanina. “I am ready to head back to the front lines again, as if there were some force pulling me there,” Shanina was quoted as saying in a portion of the exhibit. “How can I explain it? …Some think I have a boyfriend on the front, but I don’t know anyone. I want to fight! I want to see real war.”
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Despite the actions of these women, however, their efforts were largely ignored and even shamed once the war ended, according to Noble. Although the military displays many examples of unequal treatment, Noble explained that this reaction is indicative of a larger problem. “It’s not just a military issue,” Noble said. ‘We see it socially, as well (as) within business, or academia or whatever it is. You see women working to achieve the same goals as men, but they have to work twice as hard because of that need to be taken seriously.” These attitudes contribute to the lack of common knowledge regarding female involvement in the war. This erasure of efforts is not entirely uncommon for women in history, according to Noble’s advisor, associate professor of history David Walker, who explained this process. “(The exhibit) sort of exposes who was writing about the war,” Walker said. “There’s a certain sexism going on there... That’s the case with women’s history in general, in terms of being sort of written out of history, and women being written out in all different fields and all endeavours.” Walker also talked about how this erasure shows an ignorance regarding the importance of history, explaining that the U.S. military has conducted several studies to find whether women were capable of filling combat positions. “From a historian’s point of view, why are you wasting your money and time studying whether it’s possible, when the history shows that it is?” Walker asked. Noble’s exhibit illuminates an interesting piece of history that is often overlooked, and lends valuable perspective to an issue that is still relevant today. Learning from history to better the future is often-used advice, but, as Noble’s exhibit shows, that history includes all voices. Graduate student Hayley Noble stands in front of her exhibit. Taylor Humby | The Arbiter
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REVIEW: “PSYCHODRAMA” BY DAVE
The UK rapper’s debut album portrays pain in fame Tommy Drorbaugh | Staff Writer | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu
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wenty-year-old UK rapper Dave, also known as Santan Dave, released his debut album “Psychodrama” on March 8, 2019. Dave’s first studio album sets groundbreaking precedent in the popular UK music genre, grime. The album explores family, identity, domestic violence and mental illness through the concept lens of a therapy session. For those unfamiliar, psychodrama is a therapeutic approach that uses guided drama and role-playing to work through problems, and Dave uses the approach well. The concept of the album is Dave in a therapy session talking to his fictional therapist. The album’s first track, “Psycho,” starts with Dave’s therapist asking him to talk about his background and issues he’s been dealing with. Over a haunting beat Dave asks “how to stop all the pain” he faced trying to make it where he’s from: South London. Dave paints pictures of toxic masculinity in his childhood, forcing him to act tough but behind closed doors he “shed so many tears on a pillow/ but nobody gets it.” The back and forth emotions in his rhymes from tough to sad can be a metaphor for mental illnesses, like bipolar disorder. This becomes evident when, halfway through the first song, the beat changes from a haunting piano and ambient sounds to a bouncy, head-nodding rhythm. Dave’s delivery changes as well, turning into a braggadocious delivery that has become synonymous with hip-hop. Right when he reaches the peak of bragging, Dave and the beat switch back to darkness. “I’m humble, arrogant, reckless, extravagant, probably battlin’ with manic depression,” Dave performs. “Man, I think I’m going mad again.” As with most debut albums, listeners are looking to learn more about an artist and who they are and, luckily, tracks like “Streatham” and “Screwface Capital” do just that. Streatham is the district in South London where Dave grew up. Dave raps about what his experience was like growing up in Streatham with polarizing cultures, “teachers givin’ man tests/ same time the man-
dem givin out testers.” “Testers” are small amounts of drugs given to consumers for free to get them hooked. So, while teachers were giving out tests at school, drug dealers were giving out testers in the neighborhood. Dave grew up in London, which he nicknames the “Screwface Capital.” In this track, Dave describes what it’s like living in a busy city that can get people caught up, and neglect their duties to their families and health. On both these origin story tracks, Dave’s bars express his bouncy wordplay style vehemently throughout. For poppier listeners, tracks “Disaster” featuring J Hus, and “Location” featuring Burna Boy will satisfy. On “Location,” Burna Boy provides a catchy, sullen hook, while Dave raps about the lifestyle that comes with wealth and fame. Standout 11-minute song “Lesley” tells a story about a girl Dave meets on a train who is experiencing domestic violence. Storytelling is at the core of hip-hop and what it means to be an emcee. In this dark song Dave speaks out against domestic violence against women by recounting a morbid story to his fictional therapist. After the story Dave tells women to seek help and that it isn’t their fault. “This song is more than a song or track/ It’s a message to a woman with a toxic man/ I’m begging you to get support if you’re lost or trapped/ I understand that I can never understand.” This track brings darkness to lighten the harsh reality many women face every day in the UK. The track ends with Dave’s fictional therapist thanking him for sharing about himself; Dave has played out his therapeutic psychodrama. “Psychodrama” is a thought-provoking, intimate and creative debut album on par with artists like Kendrick Lamar. It is a breath of raw, fresh air with so many clout-chasing albums out in today’s hip-hop industry. “Psychodrama” feels less like an album and more like a therapy session, letting audiences explore the mind of an artist, as well as shed light on taboo topics in today’s society.
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JUST A THOUGHT Television is the perfect home for tough conversations Logan Potter | Culture Editor | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu
Content warning: discussion of rape and sexual assault.
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edical dramas and crime shows, especially those like “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit,” are known for the way they address tough and often controversial topics on the small screen. While the issues range from mental health to sexual assault, seeing both the emotional and clinical sides of these common problems can be beneficial to audiences with little knowledge regarding the topics at hand — alternatively, however, a poorly-handled representation can lead to devastating misinformation. Fortunately, current television is staying on the side of realism. “Grey’s Anatomy,” while not a television show to shy away from difficult discourse, isn’t highly regarded as the most educational show on cable. It recently became the longest running medical show, surpassing the record previously held by “ER,” and it continues to turn heads in its 15th season. The show most recently took on the issue of sexual assault in a hospital setting, and it broke some
major walls down to do so. Reportedly, the Shonda Rhimes-created show was given strict guidelines by ABC, its home network, on how they could continue with a script in which a rape kit was involved: no fluids can be shown on cotton swabs, no body fluids should be seen during testing, and so on. Rather than abide by these rules, however, Rhimes discussed the need to accurately portray the circumstances and events that come with sexual assault and rape in a real-world setting, ensuring that viewers are given a realistic and emotional roller coaster ride. There’s more to this than meets the eye. Not only does this mean that Rhimes defied standards of cable television to tell a realistic and heartbreaking story, but she ensured that those watching were exposed to scenes that started discourse within their own homes. No matter who found themselves screening the most recent episode of “Grey’s Anatomy,” they changed the channel with an updated outlook on the lives of those who have experienced trauma. Although the events in the episode, including a supportive doctor-lined hallway to the operating room, may not be entirely representative of the majority of sexual assault cases, the emotions that come with admitting trauma exists and is validated are prominent and relevant to the times. “Grey’s Anatomy” isn’t the first television show to take on the obstacles that come with traumatic and realistic events, but it’s absolutely crucial that it also is not the last. It’s time that television becomes the home for these difficult conversations, and studios refuse to shy away from the trauma, body fluids, tears and emotional scars included — just a thought.
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SPORTS & REC APRIL 9, 2019 | ARBITERONLINE.COM
WHY TRACK AND FIELD IS A GLOBAL PHENOMENON
Athletes playing the international sport discuss its place in the athletic community Autum Robertson | Sports Reporter | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu
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he rules of track and field hardly differ from country to country, making it universally understood. In looking at Boise State’s track and field roster, it is apparent that track and field affects many; there are 11 international athletes from seven different countries. From Dani Georgiou from Cyprus to Michael Vennard from England, Boise State’s track team showcases the worldwide impact running has on the athletic world. There are over 1,000 track and field college programs across the nation, but the answer to how it became an international phenomenon is different for everyone. Boise State assistant distance coach and international recruiter Benji Wetli spoke on the process of recruitment and the immense role social media plays in helping international athletes get recruited. He mentioned that it makes getting in contact with coaches in other countries –– especially with language barriers –– a lot easier. Wetli has noticed that the athletes’ biggest trials come from learning how the NCAA works, but then the transition to continue playing their sport is usually seamless. “In the NCAA, cross country and track season are a little bit different in their home country than in the United States. For example, our cross country season is a little earlier than most cross country seasons, so that is a little bit of a transition. But we’re fortunate that running is a pretty simple sport, so it’s a pretty easy transition,” Wetli said. Over time, an abundance of sports have become worldwide sports. But track and field has been prominent since the start of athletics, and has continued to be one of the world’s most well-received sports. One of the reasons for this sensation could be
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Track and field requires little funding and equipment, making it an international sport. the low financial strain that running has on its participants. Virtually no money has to be put in –– while other sports require much more funding for athletes to compete due to equipment and facilities, track only requires a person to show up and practice. “You can just go anywhere to train. You can train on the track, grass and you can train on the beach,” said senior sprinter and horizontal jumper Taj Dorsett, who is originally from the Bahamas. “It’s not an expensive sport to play or do. Back home, swimming is more of a ‘rich people sport’ because it costs more; I would say that track is just more of a welcoming sport for everyone.” According to Time magazine, youth
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athletics have recently turned into a $15.3 billion industry. Some sports require families to buy their own equipment, pay to practice, get personal trainers and more. The simplicity of track and field makes it one of the more accessible sports for people to participate in. The track and field team has one of the biggest rosters at Boise State, but can still be a place for people who do not necessarily like competing on a ‘team,’ and prefer to compete individually. For some athletes, the large team community is part of the appeal of the sport. “It’s a good community. You’re able to run for a team here,” said junior distance runner and Australian native Clare O’Brien. “A lot of people think of it as
Maddie Ceglecki | The Arbiter an individual sport, but it’s a pretty cool concept to be able to run for something more than yourself and I’ve learned that over the years.” There are not many differences in the way track and field is executed worldwide. There are small differentiations, such as how the races are measured and the season’s timing. Those differences become minute when there are coaches and an entire team that can help international athletes with such adjustments. “You’re surrounded by like-minded people who really enjoy running, so there are always people around there, always people to run with and help with the transition,” O’Brien said.
SPORTS & REC
LOOKING BEYOND THE STICKS
SPRING GAME TAKEAWAYS
Cameron Pepin | Staff Writer | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu
Autum Robertson | Sports Reporter | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu
Behind the scenes of Boise State’s women’s lax club
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atch out Boise State lacrosse fans, Boise State’s very own women’s club lacrosse officially started their season on Jan. 20. Before they hit the field for their games on the weekends, they are usually hitting the gym during the week prepping for what is to come in their games and tournaments. On Monday and Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. in Caven - Williams Sports Complex, and then again on Thursdays, they go to the Rec Center from 8 a.m to 9 a.m. Mondays are usually offensive-driven, while Wednesdays are more defensive-driven. Their Thursday practices are for core workouts and cardio conditioning. “During our usual practices on Mondays and Wednesdays, we start with warm ups then go into shuttles for passing and catching,” said sophomore Bailey Lenon. “After that, we do about five to 10 minutes of intense and continuous conditioning. Then the rest of the time is spent practicing drills with conditioning intertwined.” With only three days a week to get prepared for their upcoming games, the team bases their practices on what they could improve on from their latest games. Without the additional funding required to record their games, the players and coaches rely on themselves to make note of the things they want to work on. Even with three practices a week, Lenon wishes she had more time to prepare. “I wish we had more field time rather than only two days on the field and one in the gym. Last year we had three days on the field and I thought that was really helpful because we were able to practice drills and field situations,” Lenon said. “I think as a team we would be able to prepare with real game situations if we had more time on the field. But it isn’t our choice to only have two days on the field, as a Boise State Club sport, the school can only give us so much time.” To help strengthen the team’s unity in
games, the women’s lacrosse team also does bonding before or after game weekends. “We’ve gone to movies before, (and) usually we have a pregame team ‘party’ and do team bonding exercises and activities,” said sophomore Grace Taylor. “We also encourage players to work with and get closer to other girls on the team that they might not know as well.” The team also does a little and big system like the Boise State Greek societies on campus, except they call it “rookies and vets.” A “vet” is a player who has been in the club for over a year, and they take on a “rookie” who is just joining the team. These relationships are established at the beginning of every year. Taylor’s rookie is Emma Panrucker, a freshman from Reno, Nevada. “She’s been playing a lot of midfield currently, which is great because she is a fast runner,” Taylor said. “We constantly encourage each other to do better on the field and to push ourselves to do better in school and to stay on top of our school work.” On March 9 and 10, the women played Wyoming and Utah Valley. Their practice and team bonding paid off in the first game against Wyoming, and they grabbed a hold of a win, but lost against Utah Valley. Over the last few weeks, they have been preparing in the gym, on the field and building their relationships as a team outside of practice to grow closer in communication on the field. On March 29, Boise State played in a tournament at Utah State University. They defeated Weber State 13-3 and Wyoming 10-2, but lost their final game to Utah State 2-10. With their spirits high after winning their last two games, they are in a great mindset for their remaining games to come.
Here are three things we learned from the spring game
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oise State football held their annual spring game on Saturday, April 7. The game showed fans glimpses of the Broncos’ returners and gave them ideas of what to expect during the upcoming 2019 season. With plenty of questions running through Broncos fans’ heads, here are three takeaways from the spring game. 1. Boise State’s defense looks prepped for another big year When Boise State’s former defensive coordinator Andrew Avalos left the team abruptly to coach at Oregon, and cornerback Tyler Horton, STUD Jabril Frazier and defensive end Durrant Miles declared for the draft, there were questions about how elite this defense could be. During the spring game, the defense finished with 63 total tackles, eight sacks, nine tackles for a loss and one forced fumble. Leading the defense in tackles with six was redshirt freshman cornerback Chris Mitchell. With the Broncos’ defense in need of one of their younger cornerbacks to step up, it was encouraging to see Mitchel have a solid game. Redshirt junior STUD Curtis Weaver had his way with the opposition’s quarterback during the last two seasons and is currently tied for sixth in sacks on Boise’s all-time list with 20.5. After an impressive spring game, Weaver looks ready for yet another big year. Weaver led the defense with two recorded sacks and if quarterbacks weren’t off-limits during the game, he may have had a couple more. Along with his two sacks, he finished the game with three total tackles.
Khalil Shakir finished the game with the most receiving yards, with three catches for 96 yards and one touchdown. He also had one of the most explosive plays of the game with a 53-yard play. This was the first time Shakir saw action since spraining his knee on Nov. 9. Senior wide receiver John Hightower fished right behind Shakir with three catches for 92 yards and a long of 37. No matter who ends up starting at quarterback, it will be nice to have these two playmakers on their side. 3. No quarterback stood out... But it is only spring so there’s plenty of time to pick the starter With redshirt sophomore quarterback Chase Cord out due to a torn ACL, it is still not clear who will be starting when fall comes around. Five other quarterbacks got their chance and they combined for 367 yards and one touchdown. Redshirt senior quarterback Jaylon Henderson, who appeared in three games in 2018, led all quarterbacks during the spring game. He completed nine of his 13 pass attempts for 187 yards and one touchdown. Henderson got the first shot with the first team offense and he seems to have improved plenty since last spring when he went 2-4. Henderson looked good and improved, but it is still way too early to make the call for starting quarterback.
2. Broncos’ receivers’ strong performance in spring game should translate into 2019 season Who is going to be passing to Boise State’s receiver is still a question, but who will be starting as receiver is becoming more apparent. Sophomore wide receiver APRIL 9, 2019
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SPORTS & REC
WHY CAN’T FANS PURCHASE ALCOHOL AT BOISE STATE FOOTBALL GAMES?
The university’s alcohol policy in the Albertsons Stadium sends mixed messages Tommy Drorbaugh | Staff Writer | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu
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or many Americans, alcohol consumption has become synonymous with football. Eight out of 10 Americans enjoy an alcoholic beverage while they watch a football game at home. Fans attending the games are even more likely to hit a bar inside the stadium. Unless they’re attending a Boise State football game in Albertsons Stadium, that is.
“... Alcohol issues are issues at universities across the country. There are issues with folks learning how to responsibly consume alcohol.” Greg Hahn, associate vice president for communications and marketing At Bronco football games, fans can only enjoy a pint if they’re tailgating between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m., and the pint must be in a plastic cup, according to the Bronco Athletic Association’s website. Fans in the Stueckle Sky Center may also crack a cold one if they so wish. But for regular fans and students in general admission, alcoholic drinks are not for sale at the stadium. The decision of who does and does not get to purchase alcohol at football games is ultimately decided by the Idaho State Board of Education. During the 20152016 football season, Boise State received a permit from the state board to sell alcohol during games. So, Boise State conjured up a beer garden named “The Huddle” inside the Cavin Williams Center. However, the following season the state board denied renewal of said permit to Boise State. The reason the state board denied
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APRIL 9, 2019
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While alcoholic beverages can be purchased in the Sky Center, fans cannot buy alcohol in the stands. another alcohol permit to Boise State is summarized in an official statement given to The Arbiter by Mike Keckler, the chief communication and legislative affairs officer of the board: “The primary mission of the state board and its institutions is to provide exceptional educational opportunities for Idahoans,” Keckler wrote. “The board has long been adverse to allowing alcohol sales on college campuses where a large portion of student body populations are under 21 years of age. The board believes allowing open alcohol sales sends the wrong message to students, and runs counter to efforts to discourage underage drinking on all of Idaho’s public campuses. Those of legal age can consume alcohol at football games if they bring their own and follow the tailgating rules. Alcohol sales are allowed in the Stueckle Sky Center because it is closed and easier to monitor and to regulate.” Boise State agrees with the state board’s decision to not serve alcohol in the future, according to Greg Hahn, associate vice president for communications and mar-
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keting at Boise State. Boise State being a dry campus, alcohol is not allowed at any on-campus events where students can attend. Hahn said a major reason being because they do not want minors getting their hands on alcohol at a football game. “If it is a student event, the state board usually doesn’t want alcohol to be served,” Hahn said. “Alcohol issues are issues at universities across the country. There are issues with folks learning how to responsibly consume alcohol.” While it is true fans under the age of 21 may have issues responsibly consuming alcohol at football games, if alcohol was responsibly sold, underage fans would have a hard time attaining a beverage. In the past 10 years, college universities have slowly started to allow the sale of alcohol inside college football games. More than 50 schools are offering alcohol inside stadiums, which is a third of all Division I schools, Forbes journalist Michael Nietzel reported. To some students, selling alcohol to Stueckle Sky Center members and not general audience members is concerning.
Photo by Kaleb Smith
“Honestly, it doesn’t make that much sense to me,” said junior material science major and 23-year-old Michael Eppel. According to Eppel, by prohibiting the sale of alcohol, many fans resort to binge drinking before the game because they will not be able to get a drink there. “There’s been several times I’ve seen people pulled off on stretchers and I don’t know whether having alcohol accessible would make that go away, but (restricting alcohol) is obviously not working,” Eppel said. Opening alcohol sales up to those 21 and over could send a message of maturity to students, thereby reducing the need to binge drink before games. Some students feel that the university sees them as untrustworthy and not mature enough to make a responsible decision to purchase alcohol. “When you are 21 and you can’t purchase alcohol it feels like you’re not in an area of maturity, like (Boise State) doesn’t trust you,” Eppel said.
OUR BEST GUESS The Arbiter aligns your stars.
ARIES, you’re struggling with some emo-
tional issues this week, but don’t let them define your attitude for the rest of the semester. Take as much time as you need and recognize that your feelings are valid, but also be aware of the fact that you have very little time ahead of you to finish as strong as possible. Open up to someone close to you.
ARIES
MARCH 20 - APR 20
TAURUS
APR 20 - MAY 21 Your mood isn’t as stable as it usually is, Taurus, but don’t let some unpredictable emotions get you down. Maybe it’s a visit from someone in your past or a lifestyle change that has you down; regardless, embrace the change and you’re more likely to stabilize your mood this week.
GEMINI
MAY 21 - JUN 21
Get researching, Gemini, because the topic you’re interested in most could have a lot of untapped potential this week. As the semester dies down, start plotting the ways you can create a bigger and more in-depth project surrounding what you care about. It’ll be fulfilling!
CANCER
JUN 21 - JULY 23
Learning how to communicate hasn’t always been your strong suit, Cancer, but this week will be your time to shine. You may find yourself as the mediator to some family problems, which means you’ll need to stay calm and tactful. Take a deep breath, and let instincts do the work.
LEO
JUL 23 - AUG 23
This week, Leo, the world really does feel as though it revolves around you. You’ll be getting some very exciting news mid-week, but rather than celebrating immediately, plan something refreshing to look forward to over the weekend. It’ll be even better when it happens!
VIRGO
AUG 23 - SEPT 23 Planning may be your best friend and weapon this week, Virgo. Even if you don’t traditionally keep a planner handy, using an online calendar tool or paper planning book may be the only way to keep you sane through the coming weeks, so make an effort to invest your time.
LIBRA
SEPT 23 - OCT 22
You generally carry very positive energy, Libra, so when you’re feeling down this week, you won’t be the only one that’s surprised. Distract yourself temporarily with schoolwork or your job, and then seek help from those closest to you when you’re 100 percent ready.
SCORPIO
OCT 23 - NOV 21 Plan something riveting for the end of the semester, Scorpio, because this week is going to drain you. There isn’t anything in particular getting you down, but an overload of backed up work may find its way back to you near the end of the week. Be efficient!
SAGITTARIUS NOV 22 - DEC 22
Something may challenge your beliefs this week, Sagittarius, but it’s important that you go into the conversation with an open mind. Rather than strengthening what you already know, be willing to take in more information that has the potential to change what you think.
CAPRICORN
DEC 22 - JAN 20
Your extracurricular responsibilities have you feeling a little boxed in, Capricorn, but it’s key that you’re taking some time for yourself when you begin to feel trapped. If canceling a meeting is necessary to feeling sane, reschedule for a time when you’ll have more mental clarity.
AQUARIUS
JAN 20 - FEB 18
The job hunt is on for you, Aquarius, so make sure you’re doing all necessary research to find the employer that’s right for you. With graduation and summer just around the corner, you have to be prepared to be up against some competition; in short, be the best.
PISCES
FEB 18 - MARCH 20
Financially, you’re in a bit of a rut, but that doesn’t mean negativity for the week, Pisces. Spend your time taking part in less expensive hobbies, and try a little extra home cooking to ensure you’re keeping yourself busy while pinching a few more pennies in the coming days.
CONCERTS IN THE CITY WITH BRIELLE YOUNG MONDAYS FROM 1:15 TO 2:15